U.S. News & World Report has released its 2022 Best Online Programs rankings, including online MBA programs.
At the top of the list, three schools tied for first in online MBA programs: Indiana University–Bloomington, University of North Carolina–Chapel Hill, and the University of Southern California. Carnegie Mellon, which tied for first last year, landed at fourth for the 2022 ranking. The University of Florida stayed in fifth place this year, but was joined by the University of Washington.
“We see a lot of the usual suspects dominating the online MBA program ranking,” says Clear Admit Co-founder, Graham Richmond. “It’s also noteworthy that five out of the top six programs on this list are offered by highly prestigious institutions with top-25 full-time MBAs in their portfolio: Indiana / Kelley, Carnegie Mellon / Tepper, UNC / Kenan Flagler, USC / Marshall, and the University of Washington / Foster. In fact, it’s almost uncanny how all the leading traditional MBA programs that also offer an online option really rise to the top of this list.”
The top 27 schools in this year’s edition (with last year’s rankings included for reference) are as follows:
| School | 2022 Rank | 2021 Rank |
|---|---|---|
| Indiana University–Bloomington | 1 (tie) | 3 |
| University of North Carolina–Chapel Hill | 1 (tie) | 1 (tie) |
| University of Southern California | 1 (tie) | 4 |
| Carnegie Mellon University | 4 | 1 (tie) |
| University of Florida | 5 (tie) | 5 |
| University of Washington | 5 (tie) | 10 (tie) |
| Arizona State University | 7 (tie) | 6 |
| University of Arizona | 7 (tie) | 10 (tie) |
| Rochester Institute of Technology | 9 (tie) | 20 (tie) |
| University of Texas–Dallas | 9 (tie) | 7 (tie) |
| University of Wisconsin MBA Consortium | 9 (tie) | 10 (tie) |
| University of Maryland–College Park | 12 (tie) | 10 (tie) |
| University of Massachusetts–Amherst | 12 (tie) | 26 (tie) |
| University of Mississippi | 12 (tie) | 10 (tie) |
| Pennsylvania State University–World Campus | 15 | 7 (tie) |
| University of Kansas | 16 (tie) | 20 (tie) |
| University of Pittsburgh | 16 (tie) | 59 |
| University of Utah | 16 (tie) | 20 (tie) |
| Villanova University | 16 (tie) | 17 (tie) |
| Ball State University | 20 (tie) | 17 (tie) |
| North Carolina State University | 20 (tie) | 16 |
| Rice University | 20 (tie) | 9 |
| Washington State University | 20 (tie) | 20 (tie) |
| James Madison University | 24 (tie) | 26 (tie) |
| Kansas State University | 24 (tie) | 35 |
| Lehigh University | 24 (tie) | 10 (tie) |
| University of Wisconsin–Whitewater | 24 (tie) | 26 |
Regarding the rankings, Richmond adds, “Of note this year is the impressive ascent of the University of Washington / Foster online MBA. The program jumped into a tie for fifth place, leapfrogging eight schools in the process. For those of us familiar with the general momentum across all management education programs at U. Washington / Foster this comes as no surprise. Also of note, is Indiana / Kelley’s move back into the top position of the ranking, resulting in a tie with USC Marshall and UNC / Kenan Flagler.”
As with last year, U.S. News ranked online MBA programs using five categories:
- Engagement (30%): Promotion of participation in courses among students and instructors. Instructors lead an engaging atmosphere, are accessible and responsive.
- Expert Opinion (25%): High-ranking academic officials and employers weigh in through surveys to account for quality beyond statistics.
- Faculty Credentials and Training (15%): Instructors possess academic credentials that mirror those for campus-based programs.
- Student Excellence (15%): The students themselves are accomplished and ambitious. Judicious rewarding of degrees.
- Student Services and Technologies (15%): Diverse online learning technologies support flexibility for students to take classes from a distance. Learning assistance, career guidance and financial aid resources are offered outside of classes.
See here for more on the methodology behind the ranking.
“One final thing to consider is the extent to which the online rankings here can be useful to those looking to assess a business school’s overall competencies in delivering remote learning. This is an aspect that has grown in importance as the pandemic forced full-time, traditional MBA offerings into that domain,” Richmond says.
Visit U.S. News for the full list of their ranking of online MBA programs.
