Navigate the world of online education with our guide on ‘The 10 Best Online MBA Degree Programs’. Uncover the possibilities for growth and success through the world’s top digital MBA offerings.
Do you crave the prestige and knowledge that comes from earning an MBA but can’t dedicate the time for a traditional, on-campus program? Does the flexibility of learning anytime, anywhere appeal to you? If so, you’re in luck!
Welcome to the comprehensive guide on ‘The 10 Best Online MBA Degree Programs’.
The evolution of technology has transformed education in many ways, and one of the most significant shifts has been the birth of online learning. For those with an appetite for knowledge but a schedule too tight for conventional campus-based programs, online MBA programs are the perfect solution.
They offer a high-quality, flexible, and practical approach to graduate-level education.
10 Best Online MBA Degree Programs 2023
Now, let’s dive into the main event – the top 10 online MBA programs around the globe. These programs have been handpicked based on their curriculum quality, student satisfaction, and post-graduation success.
While we can’t cover every detail of these programs in this single article, we will provide an overview of what makes each unique and noteworthy.
#1 University of Nebraska-Lincoln College of Business – Lincoln, Nebraska
An online Master’s of Business Administration with Supply Chain Management, Business Analytics, International Business, Marketing, and Finance concentrations is provided at the College of Business at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. This chart-topping 48-credit hour online MBA has a long list of awards and recognitions to go with it. First off, U.S. News & World Report cites Nebraska’s College of Business for offering the 26th-best online MBA in the country while also providing online students with the 21st-best support services among degrees of this sort in the United States. According to Quacquarelli Symonds, the business school features the 45th top distance degree in the world while Financial Times ranks it up to number thirteen on the planet. The Princeton Review is also impressed with this program, calling it out as the 17th most-excellent online MBA in the nation. Cornhuskers within this program pay an above average tuition rate of just over $30,000 in total tuition fees. Financial Accounting, Managerial Economics, Managerial Finance, Managerial Marketing, Supply Chain Management, Applied Organizational Behavior, Human Resource Management, Strategic Management and Business Policy, and Business Analytics are some of the stellar classes you can expect if pursuing this degree as a distance learner. Another amenity one can expect from the business school is a business accreditation through the exclusive AACSB-International.
Distance learners should always expect convenience and flexibility when it comes to online education, and this online MBA does not disappoint in this area. Most students within the business school graduate with this degree in three years, but those wanting an accelerated schedule can complete all course requirements in as little as one and a half years. An expedited schedule like that helps to save time and money in the long run. Whether you are an online student or attend classes on the campus in Lincoln, Nebraska, there is a certain pride all Cornhuskers feel when attending the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Whether it is the fabled success of the school’s sports programs or the respected academic departments, Nebraska offers an excellent educational experience for each of its 26,000+ students.
Accreditation: AACSB, Higher Learning Commission
Affordability Score: Above Average
#2 Fayetteville State University College of Business and Economics – Fayetteville, North Carolina
An online Master’s of Business Administration programs with specializations in Entrepreneurship, Business, Finance, International Business, Healthcare Management, Management, Project Management, and Marketing with graduate certificates in Business, Cybersecurity Management, Business, Project Management, and Healthcare Management is offered at the College of Business and Economics at Fayetteville State University. Twenty-seven credits of this 36-credit hour program consist of core requirements including Business and Society, Managerial Accounting, Managerial Economics, Modern Marketing, Financial Management, Data Analytics, Leading Organizations, and Business Analytics. Of this ranking’s top-five programs, this one, offered by the College of Business and Economics, is the most affordable featuring a very affordable tuition rate of just over $7,000. There is indeed no loss with quality, which is clear in U.S. News & World Report’s ranking this online MBA as the second-best in the nation for support services offered to online students. The leading ranking entity in America also lists this program as the 101st best online MBA in the country. The College of Business and Economics enjoys an excellent business accreditation through the AACSB-International which does nothing but add even more value to this program. While undergraduate students who have achieved a business degree have the option of waiving up to fifteen additional hours of foundational courses, students interested in this program who lack a business undergrad are encouraged to apply. These students may be subject to foundational coursework before being able to move on to core courses.
Besides this excellent online MBA, Fayetteville State University provides degrees to other master’s students, in addition to bachelor’s and doctoral degrees. The public, four-year university sits on a campus in Fayetteville, North Carolina and was initially established to honor General Oliver O. Howard when named Howard School in 1867. Six thousand two hundred twenty-six students currently attend Fayetteville State. The Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, Commission on Colleges regionally accredits FSU.
Accreditation: AACSB, Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, Commission on Colleges
Affordability Score: Very Affordable
#3 Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University Worldwide College of Business – Daytona Beach, Florida
The College of Business at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University Worldwide offers an online Master’s of Business Administration in Aviation with emphases in Accounting, Finance, Accounting, Leadership, Information Technology, Marketing, Information Technology, Public Administration, and International Business. Strategic Marketing Management in Aviation, Managerial Finance, Business Research Methods, Advanced Aviation Economics, and Managerial Accounting for Decision Making are all included in this top-three online MBA. This program concludes with a business capstone course. Thirty-three credit hours are included in this distance degree that can be pursued for just over $20,000 in total tuition. This is an incredible value for a degree with an average level of affordability. U.S. News & World Report says there is no other online MBA in all the nation with better support services for nontraditional and online students. U.S. News has also deemed this online MBA in Aviation as the 113th best online MBA in the country. Students looking for a fruitful career in aviation and aerospace business leadership should look no further than this degree.
This online MBA is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs and the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, Commission on Colleges regionally accredits Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University Worldwide. The university has a storied history of providing excellent long-distance degrees which dates back over twenty-five years. John Paul Riddle along with Talton Higbee Embry are the university’s founders. Embry-Riddle opened its doors in 1925 as the Embry-Riddle Flying School. 14,519 associate, bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral students currently seek degrees at Embry-Riddle. This unique university offers a one-of-a-kind education as a four-year nonprofit institution in Daytona Beach, Florida.
Accreditation: ACBSP, Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, Commission on Colleges
Affordability Score: Average
#4 University of Massachusetts Amherst Isenberg School of Management – Amherst, Massachusetts
The University of Massachusetts Amherst’s Isenberg School of Management offers an online MBA with Entrepreneurship, Business Analytics, Finance, Marketing, Healthcare Administration, and Sport Management emphases. UMass Amherst serves up an award-winning online MBA which gets recognition from U.S. News & World Report for two reasons. Not only does the respected ranking entity choose this one as the 17th best distance degree in the nation, but it also gives it a nod as offering top-twenty support services for online students. On the global scene, the Isenberg School of Management has been heralded by Quacquarelli Symonds as offering the 28th best online MBA and by Financial Times as being the third-best online MBA on the planet. Students completing this degree without a concentration can do so by taking 39-credit hours of coursework. Six additional hours are attached to this degree for those desiring a specialization. The business school allows students the flexibility of taking all courses online as a 100% distance degree or through a hybrid experience with online courses augmented by classes taken at any of the three campuses in Massachusetts. This is an excellent degree for less than $50,000 in total tuition fees.
AACSB-International accredits the Isenberg School of Management while the New England Commission of Higher Education regionally accredits the University of Massachusetts Amherst. UMass Amherst dates all the way back to 1863 when it was established as the Massachusetts Agricultural College. Today the public school offers excellent degrees for students within associate through doctoral programs. Over 30,000 students attend classes at UMass Amherst both in the classroom and online as distance learners.
Accreditation: AACSB, New England Commission of Higher Education
Affordability Score: Above Average
#5 University of North Dakota College of Business and Public Administration – Grand Forks, North Dakota
The University of North Dakota offers an online Master’s of Business Administration with specializations in Business Analytics, International Business, Social Entrepreneurship, and Government and Business at the College of Business and Public Administration. Students can also pursue this online degree at UND as a general MBA. This top-five online MBA consists of 43-credit hours of high-octane distance education. Admission requirements for this degree start with a candidate’s being proficient in the areas of accounting, statistics, finance, and economics. These areas are typically covered within an undergraduate degree in business administration. Students must also have maintained a 3.0 GPA throughout their bachelor’s degree or a 3.25 for the final two years of said program. The admissions office does recommend a score of at least 500 on the GMAT. The GRE may be substituted for the GMAT. Of the 43-credit hours contained within this program, 34 are required core credits. The four modules students will choose from within this degree include Strategy, Business Analytics, Executive Management, and Financial and Economic Analysis.
The AACSB-International accredits the College of Business and Public Administration. The business school offers this excellently-accredited program at an affordable rate of less than $19,000 in total tuition fees. Besides this online MBA, the University of North Dakota provides degrees for undergrads, other master’s students, and doctoral students. The student enrollment at UND currently sits at 14,406. The university calls Grand Forks, North Dakota home and exists as a four-year public institution. The university’s exemplary online MBA program includes classes like Strategic Market Planning, Accounting Information for Decision and Control, Quantitative Analysis for Management Decisions, and Advanced Managerial Theory as part of its curriculum.
Accreditation: AACSB, Higher Learning Commission
Affordability Score: Affordable
#6 University of Massachusetts Lowell Robert J. Manning School of Business – Lowell, Massachusetts
The University of Massachusetts Lowell’s Robert J. Manning School of Business offers an online Master’s of Business Administration with Information Technology, Accounting, International Business, Managerial Leadership, Entrepreneurship, General, Marketing, Finance, and Healthcare concentrations. This stellar degree at UMass Lowell is open to students lacking an undergraduate degree in business, but those candidates may be responsible for up to twelve credit hours of foundation classes. Qualifying students with a business degree and the proper academic background can forgo foundational courses and complete this online MBA by only taking 30-credit hours. Students wanting a high-ranking distance degree with excellent accreditation and an affordable tuition rate need look no further. For less than $20,000 in total tuition, this online MBA can be completed. The AACSB-International accredits the business school with the nation’s most elite accreditations. The ten courses contained within the online MBA provided by Robert J. Manning School of Business consist of three electives and seven core credit classes. Corporate Finance, Accounting Information for Management Decisions, Customers and Markets, Operations Management, Management Information Systems, Strategy Formation and Implementation, and Managing Organizational Change are some of the classes found within this stellar degree.
The Robert J. Manning School of Business is just one of the great departments which makes up the University of Massachusetts Lowell. UMass Lowell got its start as the Lowell Normal School in 1894 and since then has always been committed to educating the masses for a variety of fruitful careers in education, industry, business, healthcare, and the arts. The university’s business school has been deemed one of the very best places for support services to online and nontraditional students according to U.S. News & World Report. The ranking group also places this online MBA at the 51st spot among the best in the country.
Accreditation: AACSB, New England Commission of Higher Education
Affordability Score: Affordable
#7 University of South Dakota Beacom School of Business – Vermillion, South Dakota
The University of South Dakota offers an online MBA with specializations in Finance, Business Analytics, Health Services Administration, Marketing, Supply Chain Management, and Operations at the Beacom School of Business. This flexible and convenient degree can also be completed as a general MBA. The Beacom School of Business has a long history of academic, and that shows as the AACSB-International has accredited the business school since 1949. The business school’s MBA program has carried the same accreditation for over sixty years. The online MBA’s primary objective is to equip leaders for industry, business, and government positions and to encourage master’s students with a bend towards higher education to consider a doctoral program in the future. Problem-solving and decision-making are two main emphases within this stellar program, while social responsibility and the development of sound leadership practices are of the highest value. Managerial Accounting, Strategic Management, Managerial Marketing, Business and Its Environment, Operations Management, Leadership Development, Managerial Finance, and Quantitative Finance are some of the courses found within this program.
This online MBA is just one of the excellent programs that students can pursue at the University of South Dakota. The school provides associate through doctorate students with degree plans. The current enrollment at USD is 10,261. U.S News & World Report finds the university’s business school offers excellent support services for online students and ranks the online MBA as the 73rd best in the nation. The Princeton Review names this online degree the 19th best in the United States. The Higher Learning Commission regionally accredits the University of South Dakota.
Accreditation: AACSB, Higher Learning Commission
Affordability Score: Very Affordable
#8 West Texas A&M University Paul and Virginia Engler College of Business – Canyon, Texas
An online Master’s of Business Administration with Computer Information Systems, General Business Management, Healthcare Management, and Marketing specializations is offered at the Paul and Virginia Engler College of Business at West Texas A&M University. Candidates with a business undergraduate may be able to waive up to nine foundational course credits. West Texas A&M’s averagely priced online program consists of twenty-eight core credits and between three and nine emphasis credits. Some students will complete this degree with only 31-credits completed and less than $25,000 spent in total tuition fees. Accounting for Decision Making, Information Technology Management, Quantitative Analysis in Business, Financial Management of Biotechnology and Health Care, Strategic Management, and Marketing in the Age of Social Networks are courses included in this top-ten online MBA. The AACSB-International accredits the university’s Paul and Virginia Engler College of Business. U.S. News & World Report puts this online degree among the top-twenty for support services offered to distance learners and also calls it the 45th best online MBA in the country. The business school also receives a nod from the Princeton Review for providing the 24th best online degree in the United States.
West Texas A&M University is situated in Canyon, Texas and currently features a student body of over 10,000 students. The four-year public school delivers bachelor’s through doctoral degrees and supports sports teams competing within the NCAA Division II. Maroon and white are West Texas A&M University’s colors. The Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, Commission on Colleges regionally accredits the university. The university provides clear admission requirements of all its students. The ideal candidate for the online MBA will possess a bachelor’s degree with corresponding 3.0 GPA and submit a statement of goals, resume, three letters of recommendation, and transcripts. The GMAT is not required for students with a 3.0 GPA.
Featured Schools
Accreditation: AACSB, Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, Commission on Colleges
Affordability Score: Average
#9 University of Wisconsin-Whitewater College of Business and Economics – Whitewater, Wisconsin
The University of Wisconsin-Whitewater’s College of Business and Economics offers an online Master’s of Business Administration with Finance, Data Analytics, Human Resource Management, International Business, Information Technology Management, Management, Project Management, Marketing, and Supply Chain Management emphases. Students less-interested in a specific concentration may pursue a general online MBA. This degree can be completed for less than $30,000 in total tuition fees making it average in affordability. Business Valuation Using Financial Statements, Persuasion and Negotiation Strategies, Strategic Technology and Innovation Management, Leadership Development, Business Policy & Strategy, Fundamentals of Project Management, Social Responsibility of Business, and Quantitative Analysis for Business are all offered as required courses within this program. The Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business grants the College of Business and Economics its business accreditation.
Candidates wanting an online MBA, which will develop a business person who is capable of behaving ethically, thinking globally, and leading effectively, need to look no further than at the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater. Sitting on a main campus in Whitewater, Wisconsin, this university was established as Whitewater Normal School in 1868 from a need for properly trained school teachers in the region. Students desiring a two-year associate’s degree, four-year bachelor’s, or master’s and doctoral programs can all find a degree at the university. Recognitions for UW-Whitewater’s online MBA are extensive, including its being named the 5th best online MBA for support services offered to online students by U.S. News & World Report. The respected ranking entity also calls it the 21st best online MBA in the country. The school has a current enrollment of just over 12,400 students.
Accreditation: AACSB, Higher Learning Commission
Affordability Score: Average
#10 North Carolina State University Poole College of Management – Raleigh, North Carolina
An online Master’s of Business Administration with depth areas in BioSciences Management, Financial Management, BioSciences Management, Innovation Management, Supply Chain Management, Marketing Management, and Technology Entrepreneurship and Commercialization is provided by the Poole College of Management at North Carolina State University. This is one of the most-celebrated online Master’s of Business Administration programs in our ranking as recognitions for this program include a nod as the 17th best online MBA in the nation by U.S. News & World Report and a spot in the top ten in the country by the Princeton Review. Quacquarelli Symonds and the Financial Times both deem this degree as one of the very best in the world with a ranking of #40 and #17 respectively. U.S. News & World Report also recognizes the Poole College of Management as offering exemplary support services for online and non-traditional students with a ranking of 50th best in the nation. The business school also enjoys an excellent accreditation by AACSB-International, the premier accrediting body among academic entities. While 100% of this stellar online MBA’s curriculum can be pursued online, interested students do have the option of taking some coursework on the Research Triangle Park or Raleigh campus.
The flexibility of this online MBA offered at North Carolina State University is evident in many areas when taking a closer look at the program. Students may start at the beginning of the fall or spring semesters and a general timetable for completion of the degree is between 21 months to six years, depending on a student’s professional and personal schedule. The business school does provide the distance learner with two short residencies throughout the program which last three days each and allow the student to meet business school staff and network with other students.
Accreditation: AACSB, Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, Commission on Colleges
Affordability Score: Above Average
Choosing the Right Program for You
The “right” online MBA program varies depending on individual needs and goals. Are you seeking a program with a strong focus on entrepreneurship? Or are you more interested in corporate finance? Do you need a program that offers maximum flexibility to balance work, family, and education?
Understanding your priorities and requirements will help guide your decision.
Financial Considerations
Pursuing an MBA, whether online or on-campus, is a significant investment. In addition to tuition, you need to factor in the opportunity cost, such as the potential income you forgo while studying.
Many institutions offer financial aid, including scholarships, grants, and loans, to help offset the cost of an MBA program.
Career Outcomes
The goal of most MBA students is to improve their career prospects. As such, it’s essential to consider the career outcomes of graduates from each program.
Top online MBA programs often have strong connections with global businesses and a successful track record of student placement in high-profile companies.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long does it take to complete an online MBA program?
Typically, online MBA programs take two years to complete, but some programs offer accelerated options that allow students to graduate sooner.
Are online MBA programs respected?
Yes, online MBA degrees from accredited institutions are widely respected and recognized by employers.
Can I work while completing an online MBA?
Absolutely! One of the biggest advantages of online MBA programs is the flexibility they offer, allowing students to balance their studies with work and personal commitments.
Is financial aid available for online MBA programs?
Yes, most schools offer financial aid for online MBA programs. This may include scholarships, grants, and loans.
Are online MBA programs as rigorous as on-campus programs?
Yes, most online MBA programs offer the same rigorous curriculum as their on-campus counterparts.
Is an MBA worth it?
An MBA can open doors to advanced career opportunities and higher earning potential. However, it’s essential to consider your career goals and the financial investment involved.
Conclusion
As we embrace the era of digital education, ‘The 10 Best Online MBA Degree Programs’ have proven to provide a top-tier education while offering unparalleled flexibility. While the journey to an MBA may be challenging, the rewards of enhanced knowledge, improved skills, and advanced career opportunities make it a worthwhile endeavor. It’s time to take that step towards your future – start exploring these exceptional online MBA programs today.