As more and more people pursue Online MBA programs, a big question that is often asked is, “Is an Online MBA worth it?”
The answer will depend on what your expectations are, what you plan to do with the degree, and which Online MBA degree you do.
Although most business schools do not publish post-Online MBA career data—or at least not as robustly as they do for their full-time MBA degrees—some data can be gleaned from the major Online MBA rankings. And for the best Online MBA degrees—the ones ranked in the Online MBA Ranking from published by The Financial Times, for example—it’s clear that at least in terms of salary are worth the investment.
However, since many business schools do not self-publish any kind of salary data for their Online MBA program graduates, calculating the return on investment (ROI) can be a big more difficult. This is why it’s best to choose the best Online MBA program you can get into. This can be assured by limiting your choices to those degrees that have accreditation from one of the three main business school accreditation organizations—AMBA, EQUIS, or AACSB. Poring over the ranking data can also be helpful when ensuring ROI.
But, it doesn’t always come down to salary data. Some potential applicants have other expectations in mind—such as the accrual of business knowledge or pursuing networking opportunities—and in this sense, calculating a sense of worth can be a bit harder.
In any case, it helps to do as much research as you can before making a decision about your Online MBA program, so that you can understand whether it will be worth it for you (or not).
