1. University of North Carolina (Kenan-Flagler) Online MBA
- US News rank: #1; Fortune Rank: #1 (US News Full-time MBA ranking #20)
- Website: https://onlinemba.unc.edu/
- Class Profile: Mean GPA 3.2, Average GMAT 670 – Source: Forbes
- Acceptance Rate: 57% per Fortune, 55% per US-News
- Tuition: $126,000 (total of 62 credits)
- ROI: Average salary 1 year after graduation: Approximately $159,000. Average increase compared to prior to enrollment: 24% immediately upon graduation, and 39% 1 year after graduation. You can find this on their website.
2. Carnegie Mellon University (Tepper) Online MBA
- US News rank: #1; Fortune Rank: #3 (US News Full-time MBA ranking #16)
- Website: https://www.cmu.edu/tepper/programs/mba/index.html
- Class Profile: Mean GPA 3.41 (Range 3.03 to 3.76 for middle 80%), GMAT Average 684 (Range 640-730 for middle 80%) – source: Carnegie Mellon website
- Acceptance Rate: 30% per Fortune, 30% per US-News
- Tuition: $140,000 ($17,500 per semester for 8 semesters)
- ROI: Only available for full-time MBA, however mean salary after a Tepper MBA for graduates is approximately $134,000, with 96% of students receiving offer within 3 months of graduation. For a detailed look, check in here: https://www.cmu.edu/tepper/programs/mba/careers/career-paths/employment-overviews.html
3. University of Indiana (Kelley) Online MBA
- US News rank: #3; Fortune Rank: #2 (US News Full-time MBA ranking #23)
- Website: https://kelley.iu.edu/programs/online/mba/index.html
- Class Profile: Mean GPA 3.4, Average GMAT 650 – Source: US News
- Acceptance Rate: 66% – US-News
- Tuition: $80,000 (total of 54 credits)
- ROI: Only available for in-person MBA. Average salary after graduation: $122,000, and 64% of graduates receive a promotion within 6 months of graduating. (Source)
4. University of South California (Marshall) Online MBA
- US News rank: #4; Fortune Rank: #4 (Full-time MBA US News Rank 16)
- Website: https://www.marshall.usc.edu/programs/mba-programs/online-mba
- Class Profile: Mean GPA 3.2, Average GMAT 624 – Source: Fortune
- Acceptance Rate: 65% – US News
- Tuition: $112,000 (over 5 semesters)
- ROI: Only available for in-person full time MBA. Average salary after graduation: $130,000. (Source)
5. University of Florida (Warrington) Online MBA
- US News rank: #5; Fortune Rank: #5 (Full-time MBA US News Rank 26)
- Website: https://warrington.ufl.edu/mba/program-options/online-mba/online-two-year/
- Class Profile: Mean GPA 3.3, Average GMAT 577 – Source: US News
- Acceptance Rate: 64% – US News, 72% – Fortune
- Tuition: $58,000 (over 24 months)
- ROI: Of note, offers 1-year online MBA for those that have completed checklist coursework with an undergraduate degree in business. Only available statistics for full-time MBA. Median salary after graduation: $110,000, over 90% employed at graduation. (Source: (https://warrington.ufl.edu/mba/careers/)
Frequently asked questions
Even with an average GPA and GMAT score, the online MBA is a great option as it allows you to remotely take classes, and gain a degree from some top ranked institutions such as UNC and Carnegie Melon. Even at these extremely competitive schools, acceptance rates are favorable with Carnegie Melon having a 30% acceptance rate, and UNC above a 50% online acceptance rate for their online programs.
Since MBA programs can receive thousands of applications, and many of these applicants all have average or above average GPA and GMAT scores, the personal statement can become and important differentiator.
Absolutely. You should have multiple people review your essays for grammar and spelling errors, transition quality, and overall message. The most polished essays that are application-ready have usually been through at least 2 or 3 revisions prior to submission.
The most common format for MBA interviews is one-on-one or panel interviews (two or more interviewers with one applicant). It is important to prepare and practice answers to the most common MBA interview questions.
Anywhere between 1.5 to 3 minutes is a safe range for answers, although a few seconds more or less than this is completely reasonable depending on the question. The quality of the answer, given concisely and directly, is far more important than the amount of minutes you are speaking.