The master of business degree has gathered a reputation as a trial by fire, both intensely competitive and small-group focused in its skill set development and standards. These qualities make for a bonding period so that alumni tend to be nostalgic and appreciative for the preparation you cannot get anywhere else. For the online version of the MBA, programs seek to emulate this spirit and structure with the cohort model. Online or in-person, you need to have significant work background to expect admission.
We have selected from the most affordable online programs those that demonstrate success in mirroring the live classrooms. Though once the province of the privileged class, the infusion of flexibility and maintenance of rigor has opened these programs to a greater demographic range. Increasingly, full-time executive MBA students are female: 35%, according to USNews, while about 40% of part-time students are women. Conventionally, MBA students graduate a bit earlier than other master’s students, for example, in the humanities or education. All full-time students should expect an accelerated sequence of coursework. Recently, major MBA programs have shrunk the completion period to 12 months while retaining the more traditional 18 month schedule for those that seek the full experience.
We have gathered information about the following schools and have ranked them for you according to the schematics below. Where there is a tie in points, we have awarded points in favor of the lower tuition cost.
US News Online MBAs Ranking:
- Top 5 – 5 points
- Top 10 – 4 points
- Top 20 – 3 points
- Top 30 – 2 points
- Top 50 – 1 point
Cost per Credit Hour:
- $900 and under – 5 points
- $1,300 and under – 4 points
- $1,700 and under – 3 points
- $2,100 and under – 2 points
- $2,500 and under – 1 point
Payscale.com ROL Ranking:
- Top 175 – 5 points
- Top 250 – 4 points
- Top 325 – 3 points
- Top 400 – 2 points
- Top 475- 1 point
#1 – University of Florida
Gainesville, Florida
US News Ranking: 4th
Payscale Ranking: 206th
Hourly Tuition: $1,208
AACSB Accreditation: Yes
Regional Accreditation: Yes
Points: 23
The University of Florida offers an online master of business administration degree that students can complete in 20-21 months. Never in that time is a student required to step onto campus grounds. However, you can arrange things according to your needs and the demands on your time. The online MBA at the University of Florida is part of a now twenty-year project of distance learning, from which the university has drawn lessons for the Warrington school’s emphasis on parallel academic experience and online student need.
#2 – Arizona State University
Tempe. Arizona
US News Ranking: 6th (tie)
Payscale Ranking: 242nd
Hourly Tuition: $1,216
AACSB Accreditation: Yes
Regional Accreditation: Yes
Points: 23
Arizona State University offers an online master of business administration offered as part of the W.P. Carey School, and it has seen a remarkable decade of growth. This eventuality is in line with the school’s rapid development of distance learning that mirrors and is shaped by faculty and those that choose residency. It is no surprise that the business school’s online programs are regularly among the most highly rated. The site for Arizona State University’s online MBA headlines what to expect: an average of 7.5 weeks per class, a total of 17 classes, all for a credit hour total of 49.
#3 – Auburn University
Auburn, Alabama
US News Ranking: 9th
Payscale Ranking: 286th
Hourly Tuition: $875
AACSB Accreditation: Yes
Regional Accreditation: Yes
Points: 22
Long considered a highly-ranked program, the online master of business administration at Auburn University gives students the opportunity to get a high-value distance education parallel to in-person study. Via the widely-used CANVAS platform, students can participate in student life, including conferences with instructors and classmates in core courses from marketing and consumer theory to operations and intelligence. Electives include financial engineering and security & information assurance. Students at Auburn University can also earn dual degrees in finance, systems engineering, and information systems. It should be noted that Auburn only accepts students living in the US, unless the students are military-affiliated.
#4 – University of Texas Dallas
Dallas, Texas
US News Ranking: 6th (tie)
Payscale Ranking: 123rd
Hourly Tuition: $1,410
AACSB Accreditation: Yes
Regional Accreditation: Yes
Points: 22
The University of Texas Dallas has an online master of business administration that allows students to access the staff of the MBA office as well as the career services department of the Jindal School of Management. The school features no on campus component for this degree, and GRE/GMAT waivers are available. The University of Texas Dallas gives students between 16 and 72 months to complete the online MBA, which is 53 hours with 30 core and 23 elective hours. Fifteen concentrations are available, and students are encouraged, but not required, to choose one of these.
#5 – University of Southern California
Los Angeles, California
US News Ranking: 5th
Payscale Ranking: 156th
Hourly Tuition: $1,912
AACSB Accreditation: Yes
Regional Accreditation: Yes
Points: 22
The University of Southern California has an online master of business administration of international renown. Focused on “the digitally driven business landscape,” the program trains students to be sensitive to balance analytics with personal communication skills in or out of social media. Not unlike other programs with brief residency requirements, the university features a one-week on-campus experience. The Marshall online MBA at the University of Southern California features these core curriculum areas: accounting; entrepreneurship; marketing; and related interdisciplinary subjects.
#6 – Indiana University
Bloomington, Indiana
US News Ranking: 1st (tie)
Payscale Ranking: 306th
Hourly Tuition: $1,330
AACSB Accreditation: Yes
Regional Accreditation: Yes
Points: 21
At or near the top of any ranking of online MBA degrees, the Kelley School of Business at Indiana University has instituted a program that blends the necessary conventional business skills while flexibly allowing students to self-determine their education via having 50% of coursework set as electives. Further, professors make an effort to sustain a live-class feel. The online MBA at Indiana University features major courses such as business analytics and supply chain management, as well as open electives such as experiential learning and the AGILE (accelerating global immersion leadership education) study abroad option.
#7 – University of North Carolina
Chapel Hill, North Carolina
US News Ranking: 1st (tie)
Payscale Ranking: 289th
Hourly Tuition: $1,884
AACSB Accreditation: Yes
Regional Accreditation: Yes
Points: 20
The University of North Carolina online master of business administration is a leader among schools converting their top-level experience into comparable distance-learning with the in-person version. The school uses a cohort calendar system with three yearly starting dates. Especially aligned with this degree are concentrations where students gain particular field expertise, including data analytics and decision-making, strategy and consulting, and marketing. Students interested in a range of academic and/or applied fields can customize curriculum. The online MBA at the University of North Carolina is housed at UNC Kenan-Flagler business school, where students, resident or virtual, get intense attention from faculty and advisors.
#8 – University of Nebraska Lincoln
Lincoln, Nebraska
US News Ranking: 26th
Payscale Ranking: 334th
Hourly Tuition: $620
AACSB Accreditation: Yes
Regional Accreditation: Yes
Points: 19
The University of Nebraska Lincoln features an online master of business in 48 credits, which is the combined effort of top research faculty and practical experiential learning. Students can do cross-disciplinary specializations that include business analytics and supply chain management. The site notes especially that as part of a Big Ten school’s network of alumni and fellow graduates, the networking you train for is strong with this school. The University of Nebraska Lincoln charges $630 per credit for the online MBA whether you are in-state or out. The hybrid option can be completed in 16 months.
#9 – Florida State University
Tallahassee, Florida
US News Ranking: 21st
Payscale Ranking: 455th
Hourly Tuition: $750
AACSB Accreditation: Yes
Regional Accreditation: Yes
Points: 18
Offered for many years now, the well-developed online master of business administration at Florida State University balances the time students spend with “top industry policy makers” and student-centered faculty. Thus, opportunities in graduate internships are available, if competitive. Students can specialize in areas like business analytics and risk management & insurance. To get into the online MBA at Florida State University, you will need a current resume with the necessary recent work experience required of practically all graduate business degrees. Admission requirements vary somewhat depending on degree sought; for instance, part-time applicants need two letters of reference, while full-time degree seekers must have three. International students, who are welcome, likely need to submit TOEFL scores, while all students will need to submit GMAT or GRE scores.
#10 – Carnegie Mellon University
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
US News Ranking: 2nd
Payscale Ranking: 34th
Hourly Tuition: $2,063
AACSB Accreditation: Yes
Regional Accreditation: Yes
Points: 18
Carnegie Mellon University features the Tepper School-designed online master of business administration that, as noted in their site, matches the faculty and experience of the highly-rated traditional program that is regularly featured on top school lists. The program features “Access Weekends,” during which students and faculty get to know one another six times per year. The online MBA at Carnegie Mellon University stresses a balance of analytics and advanced leadership study. Also, the title is “part-time,” which implies how flexibly the department has structured the degree.
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