If you want to get an MBA while remaining in your full-time job, then an online MBA could be the answer. With an online programme, you can study alongside working, gaining new skills and applying them to your job at the same time. But when it comes to choosing an online MBA, there are a lot of options – so what do the online MBA rankings say?
February 2024 marked the release of the latest of the Financial Times’ Online MBA Rankings. This year, there are a few new surprise additions, and a couple of changes in the top of the ranking.
But what are the top 10 best business schools for an online MBA in 2024? Let’s find out – and see what students really say about studying at these top-ranked business schools.
The Financial Times Online MBA Rankings 2024
10. University of Bradford School of Management
University of Bradford School of Management once again breaks into the top 10 online MBAs in the world this year, after dropping from the online MBA ranking in 2023.
The business school is triple-accredited by AMBA, EQUIS, and AACSB, and the Distance Learning MBA comes at a significantly cheaper price tag than other MBA programmes, at £19,704 (€22,855), making it an ideal choice for students who still want a top-tier MBA but with an affordable price tag.
The degree takes 2-3 years to complete, and covers all the foundational modules you’d expect on an MBA degree, as well as optional modules in the circular economy, marketing communications, and corporate finance.
Student Review of the University of Bradford
I am impressed by how well all the teachers help students and answer all questions regarding lectures and tutorials. I have had a fantastic experience during my time at the University of Bradford, I loved the Career Booster Ambassador programme as this helped to build skills such as communication and team working skills with other ambassadors.
9. Birmingham Business School
The online MBA at the University of Birmingham’s business school is 100% online, with no requirementsfor students to appear on-campus at any point during the degree. On average, it takes 2.5 years to complete, and students can choose to pay tuition in full (£24,284/€28,167) or in instalments per module (£1,868/€2,166).
Despite being entirely formatted as a distance learning degree, Birmingham’s online MBA isn’t self-led. Students participate in live lecture sessions every two weeks, allowing them to interact live with students and professors.
Although the online MBA sits at the lower end of the top 10 ranking, Birmingham Business School is ranked second in the list for the quality of careers services. Birmingham offers specific help to students wishing to go into entrepreneurship after their studies, and all students receive 1:1 guidance for up to two years after graduation.
Student Review of the University of Birmingham
Studying business management in university of Birmingham gives me a broad overview of the business world. The uni provides an all rounded curriculum which let me to balance my lectures and university life. Also, the programme includes networking activities with practitioners all across the business fields. I am able to gain knowledge while participating in different extra curriculum activities as such being an executive commitee of Birmingham Hong Kong Public Affairs and Social Services Society. Overall speaking, it is a comprehensive programme to study for.
8. Politecnico di Milano School of Management
Polimi Graduate School of Management at Politecnico di Milano has developed its own digital learning platform for the International Flex EMBA. Created in collaboration with Microsoft, D-hub is a cutting-edge platform where students access video lessons, live collaborative sessions, and interaction with peers.
Although it’s not 100% online, and requires two weeks of in-person learning on campus, the International Flex EMBA does benefit from more immersive learning than other entirely online MBAs. For example, students can choose to specialise in digital transformation and head to Silicon Valley on a research trip.
Given that this is an EMBA, and is for professionals with more work experience, you may expect tuition fees to be higher than other online MBA programmes; however fees are set at €40,000, comparable to other degrees on this list.
Student Review of Polimi
The program offers great technological and concrete competencies of the technology applied to the financial sector. Students are highly motivated and fun to be around. The courses are highly linked to innovative and forward-looking topics and deliver great career prospects.
7. AGSM at UNSW Business School
The only Australian business school on the ranking, the online MBA (MBAX) at the Australian Graduate School of Management (at the University of New South Wales) is a great choice for students who want more opportunities to personalise their learning experience. For example, you can choose between a 100% online study option, a format with face-to-face options, or a combination of the two.
If you want to gain expert knowledge in a specific area on your MBA, the MBAX programme offers a huge range of specialisations: Law, Policy Leadership, Social Impact, Sustainable and Inclusive Business, Technology, Finance, and Change. As a result, you can get much more specific in your learnings than other part-time or online MBAs.
Tuition fees differ for each of the specialisations, and are charged per elective rather than per year. For example, for the MBAX in Finance or Technology, you’d pay approximately €38,692, making this one of the more expensive online MBAs on the ranking.
Student Review of UNSW
I did my MBA at UNSW as a part-time student and I can say the course has been structured well and was catering for part-time students well. Was possible to do most of the courses online and there was a large pool of modules to choose from except for the 2 capstone courses. Lecturers were highly qualified and overall provided a nice learning environment.
Downsides in my opinion were course fees were steadily increasing every year (or even between semesters) and in the part-time studying mode, you really didn’t get to build much rapport with your teachers nor had much opportunity to connect with your classmates (even when not doing online). Also, facilities from the university tend to be minimalist (mainly it was limited to providing the classroom – online or offline – ). There certainly wasn’t value for money.
6. Durham UNiversity Business School
Durham University’s Business School online MBA climbs two places in the online MBA rankings this year, and is close to breaking into the top five programmes in the world. However, it does rank third in the UK.
As with other comparable programmes on this list, the Durham online MBA gives students the options to customise the format depending on their circumstances; you can study 100% online, or choose to participate in some on-campus learning.
The school is triple-accredited, and takes two years to complete on a part-time basis. Core modules include traditional subjects like marketing and strategy, as well as a deep-dive into sustainability and ethics – Durham Business School ranks third on the FT ranking for ESG and net zero teaching. The programme costs £15,000 (€17,500) per year, comparable to other top-ranked online degrees.
Student Review of Durham Business School
Durham University is one of the oldest universities in the UK with almost 200 years of history. It has a lot of own values, customs and traditions that you will not find in any other university in the world. One of the best things from this university is that each student is allocated to one of the 17 colleges in university, and each college has also its own values and traditions. One of the things I do not find as atractive from Durham University is that the city were it is located has a lot of hills. However, this give the city an old vibe and st the same time you make exercise every day white you walk to your lectures or come back to the accomodation. My course at the moment has been very helpfull in order to achieve my final goal in university which is to graduate. Proffessors are profesional and give the lectures in a dynamic way in order to keep your attention. I would recommend this university to my friends because its one of the top universities in the world, it has a very strong identity, lectures are fun and many friends will be create since you have a really big feeling of identity with everyone of your colleagues.
5. Carnegie Mellon: Tepper
At Tepper School of Business at Carnegie Mellon University, the online experience is supported with experiential, in-person experiences on-campus. Consequently, students can make tight bonds with their peers, and access the practical learning available at a US university.
Students on the programme have live classes twice a week in the evening, alongside self-directed videos and learning content. However, the stand out of this online programme are the Access Weekends, which are held both in-person and online. During this time, you can travel to Carnegie Mellon and participate in practical classes and workshops, including case competitions and careers guidance.
Given the on-campus opportunities available on the MBA, you’ll pay more for Tepper’s online programme than at other universities. So, tuition fees for the online MBA come to approximately €138,400, far more than other universities on this ranking. However, this is comparable to other US-based MBA programmes, which usually have higher price tags.
Student Review of Carnegie Mellon University
Carnegie Mellon is a demanding academic institution where students are expected to put in a lot of effort. Despite the challenging coursework and constant workload, this environment teaches you how to speak for yourself and stand up for what you believe in. The institution also has a strong graduate network, which helps you succeed in the job hunt both while you are enrolled there and after
4. University of Southern California: Marshall
The online MBA at the University of Southern California Marshall School of Business takes the crown for the top online MBA programme in the US. The 21-month programme costs €116,000 in tuition fees, less than Carnegie Mellon but still more than the European online MBAs on this ranking.
However, at any top-ranked programme, you get more than the cost of knowledge included in your tuition fees. Students at USC Marshall can take advantage of a large alumni population and live classes with the same professors who teach on the top-50 ranked full-time MBA course.
This year is the first year that the programme at Marshall has been included on the FT Online MBA ranking, and the fact that it’s managed to rank in the top five programmes in the world is testament to the quality of its faculty, careers services, and graduate opportunities.
Student Review of USC
University of Southern California is a particularly incredible place since everybody is truly overall quite steady. I like the variety and the feeling of home it brings to me. In addition, the professors prioritize the needs of their students, and they make USC feel like a home away from home thanks to their kindness and compassion. The campus is truly astounding and I’ve never felt bored at USC.
3. Warwick Business School
With a reputation as one of the best online MBAs in Europe, it’s no surprise that the online MBA at Warwick Business School once again breaks into the top three programmes in the world. Prior to 2023, Warwick was regularly ranked the top online MBA in the world; yet, even with advancement in online MBA investment over the last few years, it remains a highly competitive degree.
The online MBA at Warwick has actually been running for over 35 years, and the school has continually been at the forefront of distance learning technology. On the MBA (which can be completed in anywhere from two to five years), students benefit from an advanced learning environment which allows them to participate in live lectures and interact with faculty and peers in real-time.
Students can also take advantage of two residential weeks at Warwick Business School, where they will follow in-person modules and participate in discussions with fellow students. The total cost for the Warwick Online MBA is £39,450/€46,000, but students can also purchase additional face-to-face modules if they want more on-campus experiences.
Student Review of Warwick Business School
The Warwick Business School was like a dream come to life for me. The University ranking speaks for itself, from top-tier facilities to some of the best professors I had to honour to study with I fell in love with my course. Interactions with people from all over the world gave me a newfound confidence in myself.
Career prospects after graduating are endless due to the contacts of the universities and the success rate for previous students, it does open a lot of doors for students in various career fields. The campus life is quite good as well with a lot of student groups and clubs, and extra circular activities to engage students at all times. Loved my experience.
2. Imperial College Business School
At Imperial College Business School, you can study the best online MBA in the UK. Here, you can take advantage of the wider opportunities offered to full-time MBA students at Imperial, including optional global experiences that take you out of the virtual environment and into a new country to explore business in an international context.
The online MBA can be studied in 21, 24 or 32 months depending on your availability and situation. All online modules are taught by the same top-quality faculty as on the MBA programme, and the virtual environment has been developed in-house by technology specialists at the university, offering a curated virtual experience.
Tuition fees for the online MBA at Imperial are £45,700/€53,300, and because of the diverse and flexible nature of the programme, this doesn’t just include online classes but other learning experiences such as equipment demonstrations, presentations, case studies, group work, and fieldwork.
Student Review of Imperial College Business School
Imperial College London is an innovation hub with expertise across multiple industries. The international student body exposes students to endless cultures and experiences. Furthermore, the Careers team at Imperial is second to none as directors help guide students to the career paths of their dreams.
1. IE BUsiness School
Here it is: the best online MBA in the world, and it’s at IE University’s Business School in Spain. This is the second year in a row that IE Business School has topped the online MBA rankings, and it’s developing a reputation as one of the most innovative online MBA degrees around.
Like other top-ranked programmes on the list, the online MBA at IE Business School isn’t 100% online, but incorporates three on-campus experiences, meaning students get a enhanced learning experience. However, there’s also the possibility to make the entire of the course virtual, if that better suits you.
The programme is also focused on high-impact teaching and transformative topics. For example, students explore disruptive innovation throughout the course, as well as core modules in data analysis, digital transformation, and entrepreneurship. There’s also a global immersion week, where online MBA students can join other MBA students at IE in a practical learning experience in international business.
The online MBA at IE Business School costs €60,000, more than other MBAs on this ranking – but for the number of in-person experiences, innovative learning methods, and top-ranked MBA faculty, it’s still more affordable than full-time MBA courses.
Student Review of IE Business School
IE university has a global perspective and attracts a highly diverse student body, with students from all over the world. This international environment fosters cross-cultural understanding and prepares students to work in a globalized world. This is same for the faculty members as well, the university’s faculty members are from diverse parts of the world and are reputable. they are not only experts in their fields but are also often actively engaged in research and industry. Their practical experience and academic expertise create a stimulating learning environment.
Conclusion
Although you might think that any online MBA will be the same given that they’re not on-campus, that’s not true! Every online MBA has its own specialisations and faculty, and you’ll still have to choose the right course and business school that matches your learning goals and future career.
These top-ranked MBAs are at the forefront of distance learning technology, and given that some students are worried about how their online MBA is perceived by employers, you can be sure that by studying at one of these universities, you won’t have to worry about that.
Remember that it’s not just university rankings that matter when choosing a business. Considering looking at student reviews, like the ones linked above, and reading prospectuses and alumni experiences to ensure that you’re choosing the right school and programme for you.
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