When it comes to online and in-person, part-time MBA programs, both generally attract a similar demographic of students: working professionals looking to balance their jobs and other responsibilities with an education.
And while flexibility is a key reason to consider pursuing an online MBA program over one on a physical campus, you can also look at data to compare your options. Most online MBA students complete their programs on a part-time basis, experts say.
Below are the latest data submitted to U.S. News by both the top 20 online MBA programs for the 2014-2015 school year and the top 20 part-time, on-ground MBA programs for fall 2015.
| Average acceptance rate | Average total enrollment | Average GMAT scores for incoming students | Average GPA for incoming students | Average indebtedness among graduates who borrowed | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| On-ground, part-time MBA programs (top 20) | 70.4% | 615 | 634 | 3.34 | $52,207.13 |
| Online MBA programs (top 20) | 69.3% | 324 | 579 | 3.32 | $36,873.65 |
Prospective MBA students should, however, keep in mind that the top 20 schools differ in each ranking category, though there is some overlap. An examination of the average data for each degree format can help prospective students compare highly ranked online and part-time MBA programs in a broader sense.
[Learntips for applying to online MBA programs.]
Experts, particularly officials at top-ranked online and part-time, on-ground MBA programs, weighed in to provide their thoughts on the findings of each category.
Average Acceptance Rate
Phil Powell, faculty chair of online graduate programs at the Indiana University Kelley School of Business, which offers both of these MBA options, says he isn’t surprised that the average acceptance rates among top part-time and online MBA programs are similar because of the types of students they attract.
Online and part-time MBA programs look for similar traits in applicants, which can include work experience, says Will Rieth, director of graduate enrollment management at Temple University’s Fox School of Business, which also has online and part-time MBA programs.
The same things that would lead to success in a part-time program would also lead to success in an online MBA, Rieth says.
Compared with full-time programs, however, the acceptance rates for online and part-time programs are usually higher. Powell attributes this to differing candidate profiles, as full-time programs generally draw, for example, significantly more applicants from overseas.
Average Total Enrollment
Experts say it makes sense that the top 20 online MBA programs had a lower average enrollment than the part-time, on-ground programs given the relatively new nature of online education.
In contrast with online MBA programs, which have seen growth mainly in the last five years, part-time, in-person programs have been around for decades, Powell says. Many institutions are still experimenting with online formats and structures, so there may be a little bit more student hesitance to enroll.
“I think that people are still trying to assess their level of comfort with online learning to a large degree,” says John Paglia, associate dean at the Pepperdine University Graziadio School of Business.
[Discoverwhat employers really think about your online bachelor’s degree.]
Paglia says many prospective MBA students are drawn to part-time, on-ground programs as an opportunity to network with other working professionals. While experts say this can also happen in online programs to some extent, some learners are skeptical.
“In the business space, I think you’re going to see this for a while until the level of comfort with online programs increases through satisfied experiences,” Paglia says.
Still, for instance, in Carnegie Mellon’s online MBA program, which is ranked No. 6 in U.S. News’ Best Online MBA Programs, students have access to face-to-face networking and learning opportunities in a handful of U.S. locations on select weekends.
“In my experiences, the courses are essentially the same, and really with the technology catching up with what needs to happen for this to work, I think it comes off seamlessly,” says Jason Rose, who is pursuing an MBA at Carnegie Mellon University’s Tepper School of Business and takes classes both part time on campus and online.
As online education continues to evolve and grow in popularity, Powell, of Indiana, says he wouldn’t be surprised if 10 or 15 years down the line, the average total enrollment in top online MBA programs surpassed that of the part-time, in-person programs.
Average GMAT and GPA
While the average GPAs in both categories were quite similar, the average GMAT score was 55 points lower in the online programs. Some experts, like Paglia, say this distinction may be a result of the fact that each category has a different group of schools in the top 20 programs, and it’s difficult to compare the two sets.
But Powell speculates online programs might be a bit more flexible with these measures as they work to first get their MBA programs off the ground. Some part-time and online programs will waive a GMAT score requirement for applicants with significant work experience.
“There is a willingness in the online programs to look at more dimensions than just the GMAT score, especially if you’re catering to an older population,” Powell says.
[Understandwhat matters most in MBA admissions.]
Average Graduate Debt
It’s difficult for experts to pinpoint exactly why students coming out of the top 20 on-ground, part-time programs who borrowed have a higher average debt than online students. But Paglia and others suspect that since the brand value of the top 20 part-time MBA programs may be higher, they are also costlier, thus leaving students with greater debt. The tuition data provided to U.S. News, however, are not easily comparable, as programs report these numbers in different ways.
Online programs may also be more likely to attract either senior officials at companies who might travel a lot, as well as veterans, says Rieth — both cases where greater tuition assistance or reimbursements may play a role.
At the end of the day, though, experts say the decision of choosing an MBA program comes down to what works best for them.
“I suppose what I would recommend,” says Paglia, “is taking a very close look at your life circumstances and determine what the best fit is for you at this point in time.”
Trying to fund your online education? Get tips and more in the U.S. News Paying for Online Education center.
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Compare Top Online, On-Ground MBA Programs Through Data originally appeared on usnews.com
