Admissions Strategy Guide: A breakdown of the top part-time MBA options. We look at recent class profiles, overall costs, and how these flexible formats help you balance work and school while advancing your career.
Choosing a part-time MBA is all about finding a program that keeps up with your career without burning you out. Top business schools have completely closed the gap between their on-campus and part-time tracks, meaning you get the exact same elite faculty and access to top corporate recruiters. If you want to jump into management consulting or step up your leadership game without leaving your current job, a flexible evening or weekend layout is an incredible choice. Let’s look at the numbers and details for the top 10 part-time business programs.
| Part-Time Rank | Business School (University) | Median GPA | GMAT Range | Acceptance Rate | Estimated Total Tuition | Avg. Financial Aid |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Northwestern University (Kellogg) | 3.45 | 620 – 710 | 45.0% | $112,000 | $18,000 |
| 2 | UC Berkeley (Haas) | 3.52 | 640 – 720 | 38.0% | $118,500 | $16,500 |
| 3 (tie) | University of Chicago (Booth) | 3.50 | 640 – 730 | 42.0% | $124,000 | $20,000 |
| 3 (tie) | New York University (Stern) | 3.52 | 630 – 710 | 44.0% | $116,000 | $18,500 |
| 5 | UCLA (Anderson) | 3.46 | 620 – 700 | 48.0% | $114,200 | $15,000 |
| 6 (tie) | University of Michigan (Ross) | 3.42 | 610 – 690 | 52.0% | $108,000 | $14,000 |
| 6 (tie) | University of Texas (McCombs) | 3.44 | 620 – 700 | 50.0% | $96,000 | $13,500 |
| 8 | Ohio State University (Fisher) | 3.40 | 580 – 670 | 64.0% | $68,500 | $11,000 |
| 9 | Georgia Tech (Scheller) | 3.38 | 590 – 680 | 58.0% | $62,400 | $10,500 |
| 10 | University of Southern California (Marshall) | 3.45 | 610 – 690 | 52.0% | $122,000 | $19,000 |
Top Part-Time MBA School Deep-Dives
- Northwestern University (Kellogg) — Northwestern Kellogg Part-Time MBA Admission Criteria
Admissions & Affordability: Median GPA: 3.45 | GMAT Range: 620–710 | Acceptance Rate: 45.0% | Estimated Total Tuition: $112,000
What Makes It Unique: Kellogg’s Evening & Weekend program meets right in downtown Chicago. It uses highly collaborative team projects and is taught by the same top-tier faculty as their full-time track.
Schedule Setup & Flexibility: You can take classes on weeknights (6:30 PM to 9:30 PM) or choose an all-day Saturday schedule. The program is incredibly flexible—you can speed up to finish in 1.25 years or take up to 5 years if work gets busy.
Post-Graduation Placement: Graduates routinely secure roles in tier-one management consulting (MBB), corporate strategy, consumer goods marketing, and major midwestern enterprises.
- UC Berkeley (Haas) — Berkeley Haas Evening Weekend MBA Deadlines
Admissions & Affordability: Median GPA: 3.52 | GMAT Range: 640–720 | Acceptance Rate: 38.0% | Estimated Total Tuition: $118,500
What Makes It Unique: Haas delivers a highly respected part-time curriculum that fully taps into the innovative spirit of the San Francisco Bay Area.
Schedule Setup & Flexibility: You can choose between weeknight classes, an all-day Saturday schedule, or a flexible ‘Flex’ track where core classes are online combined with three in-person weekend residencies on campus each year.
Post-Graduation Placement: Perfect for professionals targeting Silicon Valley tech giants, corporate strategy, clean tech ventures, and tech consulting roles across Northern California.
3 (tie). University of Chicago (Booth) — Chicago Booth Evening Weekend Career Recruiting
Admissions & Affordability: Median GPA: 3.50 | GMAT Range: 640–730 | Acceptance Rate: 42.0% | Estimated Total Tuition: $124,000
What Makes It Unique: Booth focuses heavily on data-driven business economics and practical problem-solving, letting you apply what you learn on the weekend directly to your job on Monday.
Schedule Setup & Flexibility: Built entirely on a flexible curriculum with zero required paths. You can pick your classes on weeknights or Saturdays at the downtown Gleacher Center, take one class a quarter, or take daytime courses alongside full-time students.
Post-Graduation Placement: Leads to top positions in corporate finance, investment funds, corporate banking, and commercial consulting frameworks in Chicago and New York.
3 (tie). New York University (Stern) — NYU Stern Part Time Manhattan Program Options
Admissions & Affordability: Median GPA: 3.52 | GMAT Range: 630–710 | Acceptance Rate: 44.0% | Estimated Total Tuition: $116,000
What Makes It Unique: Located right in Greenwich Village, Stern’s Langone part-time program is perfect for professionals looking to build deep corporate roots in Manhattan.
Schedule Setup & Flexibility: You can look at weeknight blocks or step into an intensive Saturday cohort. Stern also offers a hybrid option where you can finish your core, introductory classes online before switching to in-person electives.
Post-Graduation Placement: Unbeatable networking with Wall Street investment firms, media strategy teams, luxury retail brands, and rapidly growing financial tech corridors.
- UCLA (Anderson) — UCLA Anderson Fully Employed MBA Application Tips
Admissions & Affordability: Median GPA: 3.46 | GMAT Range: 620–700 | Acceptance Rate: 48.0% | Estimated Total Tuition: $114,200
What Makes It Unique: Anderson’s Fully Employed MBA (FEMBA) is built for professionals who want to grow their leadership skills while keeping their career momentum going.
Schedule Setup & Flexibility: You can choose a standard weeknight schedule (Tuesdays/Thursdays), an all-day Saturday option, or a flexible hybrid layout where you only come to campus four weekends a quarter and complete the rest online.
Post-Graduation Placement: Dominates Southern California media and entertainment strategy, real estate management, corporate operations, and tech pipelines.
6 (tie). University of Michigan (Ross) — Michigan Ross Weekend MBA Corporate Feeder
Admissions & Affordability: Median GPA: 3.42 | GMAT Range: 610–690 | Acceptance Rate: 52.0% | Estimated Total Tuition: $108,000
What Makes It Unique: Ross brings its signature ‘action learning’ approach to the part-time layout, including their famous MAP program where you tackle real business consulting projects.
Schedule Setup & Flexibility: Meets on an alternating weekend schedule with classes running all day Friday and Saturday twice a month. This compressed layout is perfect for professionals who need to commute from out of state.
Post-Graduation Placement: Gives you great leverage for promotions into industrial manufacturing management, automotive tech hubs, regional tech consulting, and corporate operations.
6 (tie). University of Texas (McCombs) — UT Austin McCombs Evening MBA Cost Analysis
Admissions & Affordability: Median GPA: 3.44 | GMAT Range: 620–700 | Acceptance Rate: 50.0% | Estimated Total Tuition: $96,000
What Makes It Unique: McCombs sits right in the middle of Austin’s ‘Silicon Hills’ tech boom, bringing together a stellar group of tech leads and rising managers.
Schedule Setup & Flexibility: The main Austin Evening track meets on Monday and Tuesday nights from 6:00 PM to 9:15 PM over a structured 2.5-year path. If you live out of town, McCombs also runs popular alternating weekend options in Dallas and Houston.
Post-Graduation Placement: Feeds directly into Texas tech ventures, energy investment firms, enterprise software systems, and strategic consulting teams across Austin and Dallas.
- Ohio State University (Fisher) — Ohio State Fisher Working Professional MBA Baselines
Admissions & Affordability: Median GPA: 3.40 | GMAT Range: 580–670 | Acceptance Rate: 64.0% | Estimated Total Tuition: $68,500
What Makes It Unique: Fisher’s Working Professional MBA combines the resources of a massive research university with small, tight-knit student cohorts.
Schedule Setup & Flexibility: An open, self-paced format where you can switch between weeknight sessions, Saturday classes, or hybrid options every semester, adjusting your courseload sizes to match your busy times at work.
Post-Graduation Placement: Excellent connections with Columbus-based middle-market finance networks, corporate retail strategy teams, and nationwide healthcare administration routes.
- Georgia Tech (Scheller) — Georgia Tech Scheller Evening MBA Selection Criteria
Admissions & Affordability: Median GPA: 3.38 | GMAT Range: 590–680 | Acceptance Rate: 58.0% | Estimated Total Tuition: $62,400
What Makes It Unique: Scheller stands out for its deep focus on digital transformation, teaching you exactly how to manage data assets, AI systems, and tech strategy.
Schedule Setup & Flexibility: Classes run on Monday/Wednesday or Tuesday/Thursday evenings from 6:30 PM to 9:30 PM. It is highly accommodating—you can stretch your timeline or speed it up as your work life changes.
Post-Graduation Placement: The go-to talent supplier for Atlanta’s tech consulting firms, smart manufacturing networks, and digital corporate operations hubs.
- University of Southern California (Marshall) — USC Marshall Part Time Trojan Network Placement
Admissions & Affordability: Median GPA: 3.45 | GMAT Range: 610–690 | Acceptance Rate: 52.0% | Estimated Total Tuition: $122,000
What Makes It Unique: Marshall’s MBA.PM program is famous for giving students instant access to the lifelong support of the fiercely loyal Trojan Network.
Schedule Setup & Flexibility: Your first year follows a steady cohort format on weeknights or Saturdays. Once core classes are done, you get full flexibility to choose electives that match your business travel commitments.
Post-Graduation Placement: Opens doors into Los Angeles entertainment operations, corporate brand marketing, global supply chain units, and real estate development groups.
Your Application Playbook: Simple Strategies for Pre-MBA Success
Standing out to a top part-time admissions committee isn’t about having a perfect test score—it’s about proving you have real leadership potential. Here is a quick strategy checklist to help you polish your application:
- Showcase Your On-the-Job Impact: Ditch the long list of daily duties on your resume. Focus instead on your actual career achievements—think about specific projects you led, teams you managed, or revenue numbers you helped grow under pressure.
- Balance a Lower GPA and Build Confidence: If your undergraduate GPA isn’t quite as high as the school’s median, don’t worry. You can easily balance it out by getting a strong score on the GMAT Focus or GRE to show you’re completely ready for business school math.
- Tell a Clear, Personal Story: Admissions essays shouldn’t sound like a generic brochure. Explain exactly why you need their specific program right now, and how their flexible schedule and classes fit perfectly into your long-term career goals.
- Brief Your Professional Recommenders Early: Don’t ask old college professors for references. Pick a current or recent boss who knows your work, and give them a quick summary sheet of your resume highlights and career goals to help them write a strong letter.
Frequently asked questions
Will employers look at a part-time MBA differently than a traditional full-time degree?
No, not at all. Top universities issue the exact same Master of Business Administration diploma across both tracks. There are no ‘part-time’ labels on your degree, and recruiters focus entirely on the reputation of the business school and your actual professional experience.
Do part-time students get real access to the campus career fairs and recruitment networks?
Yes. In premier programs like Kellogg, Booth, and Haas, part-time cohorts have complete, unhindered access to on-campus career services, mock interviews, corporate presentations, and the full alumni network to help you pivot careers successfully.
Can I get a standardized test waiver for a competitive part-time program?
Yes, many flexible programs offer test waivers for working professionals who can show a strong quantitative academic background or solid corporate promotion markers. Just keep in mind that applying with a strong test score can give you an edge for merit-based fellowships.
How long do I actually have to finish my part-time business degree?
Most flexible flagship systems let you change your course load from semester to semester based on your work schedule, giving you anywhere from 2 to 5 years to complete the graduation requirements comfortably.
Are scholarships and merit-based financial aid available for part-time applicants?
Yes, merit fellowships exist, though they are usually smaller than full-time awards since committees assume you are keeping your steady job. You can maximize your chance for funding by showcasing strong career impact and hitting a solid test score.