10 Most Expensive Public Online MBA Programs
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Students looking to earn an online MBA may have an easier time getting into some of the top programs. But that doesn't mean they'll have an easier time paying the bills.
Tuition at many online programs isn't necessarily a deal when compared with the costs at some on-ground MBA programs.
Online students don't have to pay commuting costs, and if they're working while in school, they don't lose wages, either. But when it comes to tuition, their options run the gamut.
Explore the [ top 20 Best Online MBA Programs.]
Total program costs at public online MBA programs range from just above $2,000 at the low end to more than $95,000 at the high end in 2014-2015, according to U.S. News data collected from 69 public online MBA programs.
The University of North Carolina--Chapel Hill, which tied for No. 1 in the online MBA rankings, had the highest total costs. Students in that program will pay a total of $96,775, according to data reported to U.S. News.
Online MBA students at Southeastern Oklahoma State University are at the other end of the spectrum. The total cost for that program is $2,066.
Students at UNC and the other nine most expensive public online MBA programs pay significantly more than most of their peers. On average, students attending public online MBA programs in 2014-2015 pay $25,525 in total program costs.
Discover what to look for [in online MBA faculty.]
Below are the 10 public online MBA programs with the highest total program costs based on 2014-2015 rates. The list does not include schools not ranked by U.S. News. Unranked programs do not meet certain criteria that U.S. News requires to be numerically ranked.
U.S. News did not ask schools whether these rates were different for in-state and out-of-state students, so students may find the cost of these programs differs depending upon where they reside.
Business school (name) (state) | Total program cost | U.S. News rank |
|---|---|---|
$96,775 | 1 (tie) | |
$62,208 | 1 (tie) | |
$54,335 | 4 (tie) | |
$52,608 | 7 (tie) | |
$45,000 | 29 (tie) | |
$43,932 | 72 | |
$42,000 | 62 (tie) | |
$39,600 | 47 (tie) | |
$39,000 | 142 (tie) | |
$39,000 | 101 (tie) |
School officials can access historical data and rankings, including of peer institutions, via U.S. News Academic Insights.
U.S. News surveyed 195 public, private and for-profit schools for our 2015 Best Online MBA Programs rankings. Schools reported myriad data regarding their academic programs and the makeup of their student body, among other areas, making U.S. News' data the most accurate and detailed collection of college facts and figures of its kind. While U.S. News uses much of these survey data to rank schools for our annual Best Online MBA Programs rankings, the data can also be useful when examined on a smaller scale. U.S. News will now produce lists of data, separate from the overall rankings, meant to provide students and parents a means to find which schools excel, or have room to grow, in specific areas that are important to them. These data are specific to schools' online MBA degree program offerings and have no influence over U.S. News' Best Graduate Schools rankings assessing traditional business programs. The tuition data above are correct as of Feb. 3, 2015.
Devon Haynie is an education reporter at U.S. News, covering online education. You can follow her on Twitter or email her at dhaynie@usnews.com.
