
University of Nevada, Las Vegas’ Lee Business School will enroll is first fully online cohort this spring. Courtesy photo
The University of Nevada, Las Vegas is joining a growing list of disruptively priced online MBA programs. UNLV’s Lee Business School will launch its first online, asynchronous MBA program in spring 2025 with a total program price tag of under $19,000 for in-state students. Out-of-state students will pay about $26,000.
UNLV Lee already offers its Evening Hybrid MBA in which students come to campus for in-person classes one week and have online classes the next. The fully-online version is meant to offer even more flexibility to working professionals, especially those working in the Las Vegas market and around Nevada.
UNLV is aiming to enroll about 50 students for the first cohort this spring, and expects to enroll about 65 in the first fall intake. The program is expected to grow over time, eventually becoming a cornerstone of the business school’s offerings, says Lisa Davis, Executive Director, Office of Graduate Student Services.
JOINING A LIST OF DISRUPTIVELY PRICED ONLINE MBAS
Lee’s online MBA joins a list of disruptively priced OMBAs in an increasingly crowded market.
As part of Poets&Quants’ annual ranking of online MBA programs, we collect total program cost from participating schools. Lee’s program obviously did not participate in our 2025 ranking – as it has yet to enroll its first cohort – but if it had, it would have been the third least expensive program on our list.
Only the online programs at Rogers State University (No. 49 in our 2025 OMBA ranking) and Bowling Green State University’s Schmidthorst College of Business (No. 36) are cheaper – $9,879 and $17,850 respectively for in-state students.
Nine schools from the 2025 ranking offer online MBA degrees for less than $30K. That includes the No. 16-ranked Bryant University at $23,805 and the No. 17-ranked University of South Florida’s Muma College of Business at $24,750.
Two more well-regarded online MBAs are priced at around $25,000, but don’t participate in OMBA rankings. They are iMBA at the University of Illinois’ Gies College of Business and the online MBA at Boston University’s Questrom School of Business. (See Best Affordable Online MBA Programs.)
7 CORE COURSE, 7 ELECTIVES
Lee Business School officials have discussed launching a fully online MBA for several years, says Davis. It launched its hybrid MBA program after the COVID-19 pandemic, combining online and in-person classes. The online program is fully asynchronous allowing students to study from anywhere, on their own time, while maintaining key deadlines.
Companies like MGM resort and casinos told Lee officials that they would like to see an online MBA for their employees. Prospective students have reached out as well, including miners from remote towns like Ely, Nevada, Davis says.
UNLV’s module-based program has seven core MBA courses and seven electives, including courses in subjects like human resources, negotiations, and management information systems, so students can tailor their degree to their interests. Specializations won’t be offered for now, but may be added in the future.
Students can take as many courses per semester as they wish, with most expected to finish the program in 24 to 30 months. The program mirrors the quality and curriculum of the hybrid MBA, with the same faculty teaching both formats.
Davis and her team are also exploring ways to foster connections among online students.
“We’re working to build out an online orientation module to create opportunities for teamwork and networking,” Davis says. “We want to replicate some of the camaraderie that our hybrid students experience.”
WHY UNLV’S ONLINE MBA?
Despite the proliferation of new online MBA programs in the last five years, many prospects still favor programs offered in their own backyards. As working professionals often looking to advance in their current organizations or industries, a regional MBA may be more connected to the industries surrounding it.
That’s certainly true for UNLV’s Lee Business school, which has a strong regional reputation and ties to the Vegas business community. Students have access to industry leaders, from the hospitality giants on the Strip to innovative startups like Boxabl. Lee faculty are building business integration directly into their courses, and the school will organize tours of local companies and other events to help students engage with the business community.
“We are the school in town,” Davis says. “Many people have a personal connection to UNLV. When we recruit, we constantly meet alumni who say, ‘I graduated in 1976, and now my son is here.’ These deep ties build loyalty.”
Plus, the flexibility of the online format aligns with the needs of Las Vegas’s unique workforce, adds Marlena Gatlin, assistant director of Graduate Student Services.
“Vegas is a 24/7 city. Most of our students don’t have a traditional 8-to-5 schedule, so they aren’t able to come to our evening classes in the hybrid program. An asynchronous format lets them complete their assignments and projects on their time.”
DON’T MISS: THE BEST ONLINE MBA PROGRAMS IN THE U.S. FOR 2025 and GRADUATION & RETENTION RATES AT THE TOP ONLINE MBA PROGRAMS