Top 10 Online MBAs for Employability 2020

Which schools offer their online MBA graduates the best chance in the current job market?

Released today, the QS Online MBA Rankings 2020 assess the online MBA offerings of 47 business schools worldwide, demonstrating just how easy it is to earn your MBA from the comfort of your home.

One of the indicators included in the ranking is the employability indicator, revealing the top business schools for graduate employability.

By collecting data from QS surveys and schools themselves, the ranking gives a comprehensive outlook about the institutions employers prefer to hire from.

You can find out more about the methodology used to produce the rankings here.

10) Poole College of Management

Kicking off our top 10 for employability with a score of 70.79 is the online MBA from NC State University Poole College of Management.

The program offers an integrated core curriculum with a focus on technology, business processes, and practical applications. Students can choose between a range of electives and specialized concentrations to meet their interests and career needs.

The 2020 class of 106 students has an average of 10.07 years’ work experience and 30.19 percent of students identify as female.

Tuition is US$46,155.

9) Warwick Business School

In ninth place for graduate employability is Warwick Business School, with a score of 70.97.

Warwick’s online MBA is highly multicultural, with 79 percent international students in its large cohort of 367. It received high scores across the board in our ranking, taking 30 months on average to complete.

The program is studied primarily online with two residential weeks and an optional face-to-face module.

Pietro Micheli, Course Director for the Distance Learning MBA and Professor of Business Performance and Innovation, said: "Our program is not just an online MBA, but a blended distance learning MBA. That is, we believe that this program is, and will be in the future, a mix of online and face-to-face content and interaction."

Students who are interested in the ethics of business can take part in specialized courses such as Business & Sustainability and Leadership.

Tuition is US$42,425.

8) Chapman Graduate School of Business – FIU

Eighth on our list is the online MBA from Chapman, which received an employability score of 71.20 and high scores across all indicators.

The 24-month online MBA program offers eight specializations including International Business, Entrepreneurship and Innovation, Finance, Marketing Channel Strategy, Strategic Negotiations, Business Date Analytics, Real Estate and Leadership.

The program’s student cohort has an average of eight years’ work experience, one of the highest on the list. 53 percent of participants identify as female.

Tuition is US$42,000.

7) Baylor University

In seventh place with a score of 74.00 out of 100 is Baylor University’s online MBA.

33 percent of the small 2020 cohort of 30 students identify as female. All students have 11 years’ work experience on average.

The program offers six yearly intakes in January, March, May, June, August and October and can be completed in as little as one year, although the average duration is 30 months.

The online MBA is asynchronous, meaning that students can complete courses whenever it suits them, and focuses on ethical leadership and Christian values.

Tuition is US$51,264.

6) Marshall School of Business

In sixth place for employability is the second most expensive program in our global ranking, the online MBA from USC Marshall School of Business.

The program, which received high scores for class experience and faculty and teaching, is built for a digital-driven business world, helping students develop skills in emerging topics such as analytics, virtual communications and remote team management.

The online MBA begins with a one-week intensive residential in which students and faculty meet face-to-face and complete the first course of the program. The remainder of the program is fully online with synchronous classes and asynchronous coursework that includes interactive scenarios, group assignments, case studies and video.

On average, students take 21 months to complete the program. Tuition is US$99,419.

5) MIP Politecnico di Milano Graduate School of Business

Halfway through our top 10 list for employability is MIP’s iFlex MBA, which received a high score of 76.83 out of 100.

The program focuses on the development of technical and soft skills through analytical and practice-oriented teaching. Students have access to AI mentoring tools, personalized learning platforms and online networking opportunities with alumni and professionals in the business world.

In 2019, MIP revised the online MBA portolio and added new courses about innovation and entrepreneurship to provide students with more top-notch business skills.

Federico Frattini, Dean and Professor at MIP, said: "The whole portfolio was revised to be able to accelerate the growth of managers and entrepreneurs, to give candidates the opportunity to become real agents of change and innovation in their companies and organizations.

"We believe this is a choice appropriate [for students] to be ready to overcome the challenges our companies will face in the future. Only innovation and an innovative mindset can guide companies out of critical periods."

Out of the 62 students that make up the 2020 cohort, 18 percent identify as female and 40 percent are international. Participants have an average of 13 years’ work experience.

The average program length is 21 months. Tuition is EUR€32,000 (approx. US$35,891.20).

4) AGSM @ UNSW Business School

Narrowly missing out on a top 3 spot is the Australian Graduate School of Management (AGSM) online MBA at the University of New South Wales Business School. The program received a very score of 81.21 for employability and high scores for the class experience and class profile indicators.

The online MBA has a flexible teaching format where students can specialize in different focus areas such as technology, social impact, innovation, and corporate responsibility and accountability. The program offers optional face-to-face courses and access to career support, which is key to student success.

Nick Wailes, Director at AGSM and Deputy Dean at UNSW Business School, said: "[Our] programs are designed and facilitated by experienced academics and leading industry practitioners who know how to ensure that students are successful in this mode of learning and are able to immediately apply what they learn in the program to their work."

Participants have an average of 13 years’ work experience under their belt. Tuition is AUS$57,960 (approx. US$40,609.09).

3) Kelley School of Business

In the bronze medal position for employability is the online MBA from Kelley School of Business. The 27-month program received an employability score of 81.30 and a perfect score for class experience.

The 54-credit online MBA is highly customizable, thanks to seven specialization options, and is delivered through three integrated course sets: business foundations, key business functions and the future of business.

Aside from online classes, students can network with their peers, faculty and staff in two week-long residencies where they can gain invaluable hands-on experience by solving live business cases.

Out of the large cohort of 451, 18 percent are international students and 26 percent identify as female. Tuition is US$74,520.

2) Imperial College Business School

Just missing out on the top spot is Imperial College Business School’s online MBA, which received a near perfect score for employability.

The 24-month MBA is taught through Imperial’s own EdTech platform, providing students with a dynamic and flexible online experience. The program offers an activity-based approach to foster student collaboration and human-centred learning experiences.

Professor Markus Perkmann, Academic Director of the Global Online MBA, said: "This ranking reflects the that we have selected our best core faculty to teach on our Global Online MBA and that our graduates do very well in terms of progressing their careers.

"Our faculty are world leading experts in their subject domains and offer a great online learning experience, closely aligned with the skills students need to succeed in the global jobs market."

Tuition is £36,500 (approx. US$48,369.90). In terms of class profile, the program is highly multicultural with 80 percent of international students in the 2020 cohort. On average, participants have 10.5 years’ work experience.

1) IE Business School

In first place with a perfect score of 100 for employability is the Global Online MBA at IE Business School. The program also earned the top spot as best online MBA in this year’s ranking, with a perfect score for class experience too.

On average, students complete IE’s online MBA in 18 months, making it the second-shortest program on the global list.

Teaching is comprised of theoretical and practical classes and requires a high level of interaction, allowing students to gain new business perspectives.

Dean Martin Boehm said: "The current virtual environment that we all now find ourselves in shows just how important it is to have digital literacy and skills. This is how we will live and work moving forward and thus it is essential to learn how to navigate between face-to-face and online environments.

"This is a particular strength of our online MBA students and alumni."

The program is made up of three core online periods, one Global Immersion Week and three face-to-face weeks.

Out of 71 students in the 2020 cohort, 86 percent are international, and 34 percent identify as female. Participants have an average of 10 years’ work experience.

Tuition is EUR€50,000 (approx. US$56,080).