A process for preparing (meth)acrylates of C17-alcohol mixtures by reacting (meth)acrylic acid with a C17-alcohol mixture in the presence of at least one acidic catalyst and of at least one polymerization inhibitor and in the presence of a solvent which, with water, forms an azeotrope in which the esterification is performed in a reactor with a circulation evaporator, the azeotrope is distilled off and condensed, and the condensate splits into an aqueous phase and an organic phase, wherein the C17-alcohol mixture has a mean degree of branching (iso index) of 2.8 to 3.7.