2019 Online MBA Rankings
Top 10 Faith-Based Online MBA Programs – 2019 rankings
RankingSchoolState
1Pepperdine UniversityCalifornia
2Creighton UniversityNebraska
3Villanova UniversityPennsylvania
4Baylor UniversityTexas
5Samford UniversityAlabama
6University of ScrantonPennsylvania
7Concordia UniversityMinnesota
8Santa Clara UniversityCalifornia
9St. Mary’s College of CaliforniaCalifornia
10Liberty UniversityVirginia

Our 2019 list of the Top 10 Faith-Based Online MBA Programs in the US. For an explanation of our ranking criteria, click here.

Pepperdine University1. Pepperdine University, Malibu, California

The Graziadio School of Business and Management at Pepperdine University offers an online MBA program that focuses on building “essential business knowledge in areas such as finance, marketing, accounting, economics, quantitative analysis, law, human behavior, information systems, strategy, management, and leadership,” says the school. Students in this AACSB-accredited program will build “business intelligence” as they “examine business from a global perspective and address the impact of globalization, competition, technological innovation, and ethics in the workplace.”

Students in this 52 credit hour program will “do more than read case studies about top brands, such as Disney, Starbucks, and Warner Bros.” Students “will actually work” with top executives on” live consulting projects” to “solve real-time challenges.”

Other program highlights include the Personal and Leadership Development Workshop residency provides at the schools’ coastal Malibu campus, Global Business Intensives, which cover relevant topics such as international economics, culture, marketing, finance, and business law, and five in-demand concentration options including Digital Innovation and Information Systems, Finance, General Management, Leadership and Managing Organizational Change, and Marketing. An optional international residency that allows students to explore global issues and work with international experts to understand foreign markets is also available.

There is the option to declare one of five in-demand concentrations. Options include Digital Innovation and Information Systems, Finance, General Management, Leadership and Managing Organizational Change, and Marketing. Graziadio Online MBA students can complete the program, with a concentration, in as few as 24 months.

Creighton University2. Creighton University, Omaha, Nebraska

Heider College of Business at Creighton University offers an MBA program that can be completed in just over two years. Three delivery options are available including completion of courses online, on campus, or a combination of the two. This 33 credit hour program offers several MBA concentrations, the option to add a graduate certificate or a dual degree in addition to the MBA. Concentrations include Accounting, Business Intelligence & Analytics, Financial Psychology & Behavioral Finance (also a certificate), Finance, Leadership, and Personal Financial Planning (also a certificate).

Other certificate options include Business Analytics, Healthcare Management, Negotiation & Conflict Resolution, Organizational Leadership, and Project Management. Students can combine numerous degrees with the MBA. Just a few include MBA + Law, MBA + PharmD, MBA + MS in Investment Management & Financial Analysis.

Graduates of the AACSB-accredited Heider Online MBA Program have gone on to pursue careers at numerous Fortune 500 companies such as ConAgra Foods, Mutual of Omaha, TD Ameritrade, Union Pacific, and others. Job titles of recent graduates include CEO, Finance Manager, Marketing Manager, Operations Manager, President, Project Manager, and Vice President.

Villanova University3. Villanova University, Villanova, Pennsylvania

Villanova School of Business (VSB) offers an online MBA that it says is the “very same” program as the on-campus Villanova MBA. The curriculum includes courses that will expand students’ “essential business knowledge with a focus on innovative and applied concepts, real-world immersion experiences and peer-to-peer learning.” Program highlights include small classes, live weekly sessions, and two residency opportunities, which foster “a strong learning community among faculty and students.”

Students in the VSB Online MBA can begin the 48 credit hour (21 course) program in the fall, spring or summer semester. The curriculum is comprised of fundamental, core, pillar, elective and capstone classes, and students may choose up to two specializations from four areas including Analytics, Finance, Marketing and Strategic Management.

Semesters for this AACSB-accredited program are divided into two sessions, each of which is eight weeks in the fall and spring and seven weeks in the summer. Students progress through the curriculum, typically taking one or two courses per session. The VSB Online MBA can completed in just two years.

Baylor University4. Baylor University, Waco, Texas

The Hankamer School of Business at Baylor University offers an online MBA program that may be completed in as few as 12-16 months. This AACSB-accredited program highlights a “rigorous curriculum focused on principled leadership” as well as “faith-based learning,” and “powerful corporate business alliances.” Sample courses for this 48-60 credit hour program include Ethical Leadership, Managing for Higher Performance, Manufacturing and Service Operations, Managing Information Technology in the Business Enterprise, and Negotiations.

Besides an accelerated pace and a rigorous curriculum, the Hankamer Online MBA has an excellent placement rate. In 2018, 95% of MBA graduates landed positions within 90 days after graduation.

Samford University5. Samford University, Birmingham, Alabama

The Brock School of Business at Samford University offers an online MBA program that can be completed online, on-campus or a combination of the two. Concentrations are available in Entrepreneurship, Finance and Marketing and a number of joint degree options are also available. Sample joint degrees include MBA/MAcc (Master of Accountancy), MBA/MSEM (Master of Environmental Management), and MBA/MDiv (Master of Divinity).

The Brock Online MBA curriculum consists of 36-45 credits, depending on previous academic experiences. Students who choose a concentration will take 39-48 credits. Course highlights include Accounting for Decision Making, Economics of Competitive Strategy, HR and Organization Management, Managing Corporate Integrity, and MIS & Communication Technology.

The AACSB-accredited Brock Online MBA has three start dates including August, January, and May. Admission decisions for the program are made on a rolling basis, meaning admission decisions are made as applications are completed.

University of Scranton6. University of Scranton, Scranton, Pennsylvania

The Kania School of Management (KSOM) at the University of Scranton offers a 36 credit hour Online MBA Program with optional specializations in Accounting, Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP), Finance, Healthcare Management, Human Resources, International Business, and Operations Management. A General Management MBA is available for students seeking a broader degree and Online Certificates in Supply Chain Management, Health Administration, Health Informatics and ERP are available.

This AACSB-accredited program features one-on-one interaction with professors and classmates via email, online discussion, and virtual meetings. There are no required residencies, so the program and all of its components may be completed 100% online. Students can expect to complete the Online MBA Program in just two years “at a comfortable pace of one course per term.” Students also have the option to complete the program sooner by taking more than one course per term, with advisor approval.

The KSOM Online MBA Program requires just three years of professional or supervisory work experience for acceptance and does not require any entrance exams like the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) or the Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT).

Concordia University7. Concordia University, St. Paul, Minnesota

Concordia University in St. Paul, Minnesota (CSP) offers an online MBA that consists of 42 credit hours of study. The program also offers a flexible hybrid option that allows students to complete the degree online and evening’s on-campus. Students in either program will become experts in their chosen industry through cross-curriculum education, the exploration of business trends and events (and how they affect the current business environment), and practical experience.

Also part of this program is the opportunity to participate in the Graduate Study Abroad Program (or Topics in Global Management) and the Concordia MBA Mentor and Managerial Application Portfolio (MAP). The 0-4 credit study abroad opportunity is an international travel course that supports students' program learning with first-hand experience. MAP consists of a one-credit Managerial Application Portfolio course taken in six consecutive terms for a total of six credits. Each MBA student “has a designated MBA faculty mentor to support and guide them through graduate school,” says the school. The faculty mentor acts as a personal business coach to help students develop networking strategies, polish interpersonal skills, and enhance their resume.

The Concordia MBA Mentor and Managerial Application Portfolio (MAP) has contributed to CSPs excellent job placement rate. Ninety-five percent of graduates land positions within one year of graduation.

Concordia University, St. Paul is a member of the Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs (ACBSP).

Santa Clara University8.  Santa Clara University, El Camino Real, Santa Clara, California

Santa Clara University’s Leavey School of Business offers an online MBA program that can be completed in as few as two years. Designed to help students become “Silicon Valley Professionals (SVPs),” the program highlights a curriculum based in “innovation and responsibility,” says the school. Sample courses for the program include Doing Business in Silicon Valley, Leading People and Organizations, Ethics for Managers, Strategy, Analysis, Design, and Management of Enterprise Platforms, and Marketing is Everything. The program also highlights 28 units of free electives that allow students to focus in one or more areas.

The Leavey Online MBA requires two on-campus intensives, where students will meet their peers and experience Santa Clara University in person. These are the only two campus requirements. Otherwise, online students will take courses whenever and wherever, but they will learn from the same professors who teach the on-campus program. The program, including Leavey School of Business is AACSB-accredited and is currently in the process of seeking approval for the Online MBA program from its institutional accrediting body, the WASC Senior College and University Commission (WSCUC).

St. Mary’s College of California9. St. Mary’s College of California, Moraga, California

St. Mary’s College of California (SMC) is home to the Bay Area’s first Executive MBA (EMBA) Program. The Hybrid EMBA may be completed in just 18 months and requires alternate Saturdays on campus, along with bi-weekly live web conferences. The program, which is offered in the Bay Area cities of Moraga and San Ramon, is centered on cohort-based collaborative learning and it highlights three broad areas including Analysis and Critical Thinking, Broad Functional Knowledge, and Responsible Leadership.

Students in the program have two concentration options including Entrepreneurship and Business Analytics. Eighty percent of EMBA graduates are employed full-time or part-time, enrolled in additional education, serving in the military or in full-time volunteer programs.

The SMC Hybrid EMBA Program is AACSB-accredited.

Liberty University10. Liberty University, Lynchburg, Virginia

The School of Business at Liberty University offers a 45 credit hour MBA program that may be completed entirely online. Per the school, the curriculum for this ACBSP-accredited program builds students’ “existing knowledge and experience” to develop their “critical thinking, leadership, and management skills.” The program is designed for those seeking to advance in their current position or explore other areas within the field of business administration.

Students have the option to choose the 45 credit hour online MBA with a specialization or the 36 credit hour program with no concentration. More than a dozen specializations are available including American Legal Studies, Criminal Justice, Finance, Healthcare Management, International Business, International Legal Studies, Nonprofit Leadership, Public Administration, and Strategic Management to name a few.

Students may transfer up to 50% of MBA program credit hours from another institution, courses are eight weeks, and there are eight different start dates each year with no set login times. The Liberty University Online MBA may be completed in two years.