NEW YORK, May 12, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- The Princeton Review
(www.princetonreview.com) today released its first annual ranking
of b-schools offering the best online MBA programs. The list –
which names the top 25 schools – is the first comprehensive ranking
of online MBAs based on both surveys of administrators at the
schools and of students attending the online MBA programs.
The company chose the schools based on its surveys in 2014 of 80
business schools offering online MBAs (at which 75% or more of
their program was online), plus surveys of nearly 2,000 students
enrolled in the programs. Data from surveys of graduates of the
online MBA programs was also used.
The University of North Carolina at Chapel
Hill's Kenan-Flager Business School captured the #1 spot on
the top 25 list. Indiana
University-Bloomington's Kelley
School of Business finished second. The IE Business School
in Madrid came in third. The list
of top 25 schools follows and is posted at
www.princetonreview.com/online-mba along with in-depth profiles of
the schools and advice for applicants.
The Princeton Review developed its survey methodology and
criteria for this ranking based on input from editors of its annual
Best 296 Business Schools guidebook (which includes b-school
rankings in 11 categories), and an advisory board of administrators
at several of the nation's leading b-schools. The criteria focused
on five core areas: academics, selectivity, faculty, technical
platforms, and career outcomes. Data points were weighted in more
than 60 unique fields to determine the final ranking. A description
of the methodology is at
www.princetonreview.com/online-mba/top-25-methodology.
"Each of our top 25 schools offers a first-rate MBA online as
well as on campus," said Robert
Franek, Senior VP-Publisher, The Princeton Review. "Like
highly-successful businesses, these highly-respected b-schools are
serving their customers with innovative options. For working
professionals unable to move to a 'brick and mortar' campus for an
MBA, these schools offer an opportunity to learn from some of the
world's best b-school professors and earn the degree from anywhere
in the world."
Among noteworthy findings of The Princeton Review's survey of
the nearly 2,000 online MBA students at the 80 b-schools:
- 47% of the students identified themselves as "career
changers"
- Asked why they chose their specific schools, the answer choices
most selected were: reputation (85%), convenience (77%), field of
study (38%) and price (34%)
- 86% rated the technology platform of their coursework as
"excellent" or "above average"
- 93% reported they were "very" or "extremely" satisfied with
their school choice
Among students surveyed at the top 25 b-schools:
- 42% were receiving financial assistance from their employers to
pay for their degree: they reported their companies were covering
61% of the degree cost
- 44% reported receiving a promotion while earning their online
MBA
- $84,000 was the students' average
base salary upon entering the program
- 94% believed obtaining the online MBA would have an impact on
their career
- 25% was the average salary increase graduates reported they
received after completing the degree
The Princeton Review's Top 25 Online MBA Programs 2015
are:
1. The University of
North Carolina at Chapel Hill
|
2. Indiana
University-Bloomington
|
3. IE University
(Madrid, Spain)
|
4. Arizona State
University (Tempe)
|
5. Temple University
(Philadelphia, PA)
|
6. University of
Florida (Gainesville)
|
7. Rochester
Institute of Technology (NY)
|
8. Thunderbird School
of Global Management (Glendale, AZ)
|
9. The University of
Texas at Dallas
|
10. Northeastern
University (Boston)
|
11. James Madison
University (Harrisonburg, VA)
|
12. Auburn University
(AL)
|
13. The University of
North Dakota (Grand Fork)
|
14. University of
North Texas (Denton)
|
15. Hofstra
University (Hempstead, NY)
|
16. The University of
South Dakota (Vermillion)
|
17. University of
Nebraska-Lincoln
|
18. Syracuse
University (NY)
|
19. The George
Washington University (DC)
|
20. North Carolina
State University (Raleigh)
|
21. University of
West Georgia (Carrolton)
|
22. State University
of New York-Oswego
|
23. University of
Memphis (TN)
|
24. University of
Nevada, Reno
|
25. Washington State
University (Pullman)
|
The number of accredited b-schools offering fully online MBAs
has grown significantly in recent years. The leading b-school
accrediting organization, the AACSB (Association to Advance
Collegiate Schools of Business, www.aacsb.edu), reported a 37%
increase in the number of its member schools offering online MBAs
from 68 schools offering them in 2008 to 93 schools in
2012.
The Princeton Review has published an annual Best Business
Schools guide for 20 years: it has included business school
ranking lists in the guide since 2005
(www.princetonreview.com/press/law-business-school-rankings). The
company is also known for its annual rankings of graduate and
undergraduate schools offering the best programs for
entrepreneurship studies
(www.princetonreview.com/press/top-entrepreneurial-press-release)
and for game design studies. The company's annual rankings of
colleges in dozens of categories appear on its site
(www.princetonreview.com/college-rankings/best-379-colleges) and in
its books The Best 379 Colleges and Colleges That Pay You
Back.
About The Princeton Review
The Princeton Review is a leading test preparation, tutoring,
and college admission services company. Every year, it helps
millions of college- and graduate school-bound students achieve
their education and career goals through online and in person
courses delivered by a network of more than 4,000 teachers and
tutors and its more than 150 print and digital books published by
Penguin Random House. The Princeton Review is headquartered in
Natick, MA, and is an operating
business of IAC (NASDAQ: IACI). For more information, visit
www.princetonreview.com and www.facebook.com/ThePrincetonReview.
Follow the company's Twitter feed @ThePrincetonRev
WEBSITE: www.princetonreview.com/online-mba
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SOURCE The Princeton Review