The Best Online MBA Programs In The U.S. For 2025

Michigan Ross online MBA students connecting at an in-person residency in Ann Arbor. Courtesy photo

CHANGES TO OUR METHODOLOGY

P&Q’s ranking of online MBA programs has always been based on three equally weighted categories — Admissions Standards, Academic Experience, and Career Outcomes.

Admissions Standards data is collected from a survey sent directly to schools. Fifty seven schools participated this year, up six from last year and the most we’ve ever ranked.

We made a few methodological changes to this category this year to, we believe, better reflect the reality of online MBA admissions several years after the pandemic. The biggest differences from last year: We reduced the weight of admission test scores as more programs are going test optional, and we added metrics in 6-year graduation rates and 1-year retention rates. (See a full explanation of our methodology here).

Academic Experience and Career Outcomes data is gathered from an alumni survey. Both surveys took place between July and October 2024. This year, we surveyed alumni graduating between July 1, 2023, and June 30, 2024.

We included alumni data from the previous two alumni classes whenever it was available. The most recent data (Class of 2024) was weighted 50% of the alumni scores while data from the Classes of 2023 and 2022 were weighted 25% each. (Schools that did not previously participate and, hence, did not have alumni data, were given the same scores for all three years.)

While beneficial to our readers and the ranking itself, we’ve noticed the alumni survey can create wild swings if a single class of graduates was happy or unhappy. While there are still swings from the alumni survey, it helps cut down on the most dramatic shifts.

We also required a 10% response rate on the alumni surveys in order to get a statistically relevant result. Schools that don’t reach this threshold are not given full credit for their alumni scores.

Because our ranking is a composite of three categories, a school can technically win overall without topping any of the categories. That didn’t happen this year. UT Dallas (Jindal) (No. 1 overall) came in first in the Career Outcomes category, while placing 19th in Academic Experience and third in Admission Standards.

BIGGEST CLIMBERS & DIVERS

Eight of the top ten programs from last year’s ranking made it into the top 10 for 2025. The two exceptions: Auburn University’s Raymond J. Harbert College of Business fell from No. 10 to No. 11 while University of North Carolina Kenan-Flagler Business School fell from No. 7 to No. 14.

That left room for University of Florida (Warrington), which rose five points to break the top 10. Hofstra University (Zarb) rose an impressive 9 spots to No. 9, based largely on a particularly strong alumni survey that increased its academic experience and career outcome scores, two of the three main categories in the overall ranking. Hofstra also rose 12 spots in last year’s ranking, marking a 21-spot climb since 2023.

Because our alumni survey accounts for two-thirds of the final score, there are still annual climbs and dives, especially at the middle of the ranking. (We do include three years worth of alumni data to try to smooth out year-to-year fluctuations as much as possible.)

This year’s biggest climber is the Worcester Polytechnic Institute, which rose 17 spaces from No. 41 to No. 24. University of Denver (Daniels) and San Jose State University (Lucas) both rose 10 spots, finishing at No. 20 and No. 34 respectively.

At the other end, University of Tennessee at Chattanooga (Rollins) had the largest fall at 33 places. Baylor University (Hankamer) dropped 26 spots while University of Wisconsin MBA Consortium fell 16.

NEXT PAGE: At Michigan Ross, an online MBA with lots of experience built in