Our 2021 rankings of the Top Online MBA Programs in Colorado. For an explanation of ranking criteria, click here.
| Ranking | School | City |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Colorado State University | Fort Collins |
| 2 | University of Denver | Denver |
| 3 | University of Colorado-Colorado Springs | Colorado Springs |
| 4 | University of Colorado-Denver | Denver |
| 5 | Colorado Christian University | Lakewood |
Colorado State University (CSU) was founded in 1870 as the Colorado Agricultural College. Situated on nearly 5,000 acres of land, including the main campus, a foothills campus, an agricultural campus, and a Mountain Campus, CSU has an additional 4,600 acres for research centers, Cooperative Extension offices, and Colorado State Forest Service stations.
CSU serves around 32,650 students enrolled in 250 academic programs, more than 80 minors, and several professional advising tracks across eight colleges and a graduate school. The College of Business offers a Professional MBA Program that dates back to 1975—when the first “distance” offering was introduced.
Today, this 42 credit hour program is offered 100% online and it consists of self-paced lectures in step with class assignments. Focus areas include Computer Information Systems, Finance, and Marketing Data Analytics. Students may also choose to focus in “Professional Enrichment,” which consists of electives such as the International Study Trip. During this 7-10 experience, students will meet with business leaders, where they will learn international business culture, and become acclimated to environments different from their own.
Other program highlights include the opportunity to complete a business certificate. Options include Accounting, Applied Finance, Business Analytics and Accounting Systems, Business Information Systems, Business Intelligence, Ethics and Auditing, IT Project Management, Marketing Management, Nonprofit Administration, and Ski Area Management.
Including the focus area and study trip, students can expect to complete the AACSB-accredited online MBA program in as few as 21 months. However, students have the option to take up to five years to complete the program. Start dates include August, October, January, March, and May.
Founded in 1864 as the Colorado Seminary, University of Denver (DU) is the oldest independent higher education institution in the Rocky Mountain West. The school serves 12,000 graduates and undergraduates enrolled in more than 220 degree programs in 10 colleges and schools.
DU highlights include small class sizes (under 21 students), a “robust” study abroad program, experiential learning opportunities, career achievement through internships and job placement, and access to one of the nation’s first business schools.
Established in 1908 and continuously accredited by the AACSB since 1923, the Daniels College of Business is the nation’s eighth oldest business school. All programs at Daniels combine the study of business fundamentals with hands-on experience via simulations, practicum projects and interaction with local, regional and global business leaders. The Daniels Online MBA, also known as MBA@Denver, offers GMAT waivers, four start dates (January, March, June and September), and networking opportunities with 37,000+ Daniels alumni for mentoring, informational interviews, company tours, and more.
The program highlights an innovative digital campus, a hands-on curriculum, live online classes, self-paced coursework, in-person domestic and global immersions, LinkedIn Premium benefits, career support. The program also offers four concentrations including Executive Healthcare Administration, Executive Leadership, Finance, and Marketing. Students living in close proximity to the DU campus have the unique opportunity to explore on-ground concentrations such as Accounting, Business Analytics, and Real Estate.
MBA@Denver students and graduates work in various industries, including Banking, Consumer Goods and Services, Energy, Government and Military, Health, Transportation, and many others. Within these industries, students have held titles such as Analyst, C-Suite Executive (CEO, CFO, COO), Director, Program Manager, Vice President of Finance, Marketing or Sales, and many others.
University of Colorado-Colorado Springs (UCCS) traces its roots back to as early as the 1920s when the school offered courses at numerous Colorado Springs locations. However, “when George J. Dwire sold the 80-acre Cragmor Sanitarium to the University of Colorado for $1,” says the school “the campus we call home now was born.”
From 1965 to 1972, the Colorado Springs Center operated as a division of the CU Boulder campus. However, UCCS was recognized as a distinct campus in 1974, along with two Denver campuses. Today, UCCS serves around 12,000 students from across the U.S. and 80 nations. Students have access to more than 50 undergraduate, 24 masters, and eight doctoral degree programs delivered through six colleges and schools.
The College of Business at UCCS has been educating working professionals in the Pikes Peak region since 1965 and offering online classes since 1996. The school offers an Online MBA that was among the first AACSB-accredited degrees to be offered fully online.
Students may customize the program by pursuing a General MBA or choosing from 11 emphasis areas for the eight-week model Online MBA and eight emphasis areas for the 16-week model. Concentration highlights include Cybersecurity Management, Innovation Management, International Business, Operations & Supply Chain Management, Project Management, and Sport Management. Students must take 12 credits of electives to complete a specialization.
Two optional short-term study abroad courses are available for the program and include Regional Business Environment Asia or Europe. Other program highlights include small class sizes, excellent career and alumni services, available GMAT/GRE waivers, and courses taught by the same faculty who teach in the on-campus MBA program.
Students also have the option to complete the AACSB-accredited UCCS Online MBA in as few as 18 months (accelerated hybrid option) or as many as five years. Start times include fall, spring and summer.
University of Colorado Denver (CU Denver) is one of four campuses that make up the University of Colorado system. The school began as an extension of the University of Colorado Boulder in 1912. In 1973, the school became an independent campus, and the University of Colorado Denver was officially founded. Today, CU Denver serves more than 15,000 students from 49 states and 66 countries.
CU Denver is organized into eight schools and colleges based on their areas of study and research. More than 112 different academic degrees are available and hundreds of certificates and specialty programs. The Business School at CU Denver has been in existence for more than 30 years. It is AACSB accredited and offers more program options than any other business school in the state, including five MBA options. Most are delivered online or in hybrid format.
Options include the Online Professional MBA delivered entirely online, the Professional MBA delivered in hybrid format (evening and online classes), the Executive MBA (hybrid) and the Executive MBA in Health Administration delivered in hybrid format.
The 100% Online Professional MBA offers a variety of elective courses, an optional global experience, and fall, spring, and summer starts. The program may be completed in two to three years.
The Professional MBA offers 15 specialization options (more than any other part-time or full-time MBA program in Colorado), 100+ elective courses, and an optional global experience. Just a few specialization options in Accounting, Bioinnovation and Entrepreneurship, Business Analytics, Business Intelligence, Business Strategy, Commodities, Entrepreneurship, Finance, Information Systems, International Business, Management, Managing for Sustainability, Marketing, Risk Management and Insurance, and Sports and Entertainment. With fall, spring, and summer starts, this hybrid MBA program can be completed in two to three years.
The Executive MBA requires just two in-person weekends per term. The program requires a minimum of eight years of professional experience, required participation in the global experience, and it has fall and spring cohorts. The GMAT is not required for the Executive MBA and the program may be completed in 16 months.
The Executive MBA in Health Administration is a flexible MBA for practicing healthcare professionals with a minimum five years of experience. Highlights include 100% health-focused coursework, January and July start terms, and executive-focused career support. The program is part of the Business School Alliance for Health Management (BAHM) and is the oldest Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Management Education (CAHME)-accredited program in the Rocky Mountain Region.
Established in 1914, Colorado Christian University (CCU) is the flagship Christian university in the Rocky Mountain region. With nine-consecutive years of enrollment growth, the school serves more than 8,500 students enrolled in more than 200 degree programs for traditional and adult students through its College of Undergraduate Studies and College of Adult and Graduate Studies.
The CCU Online MBA consists of 36 total credit hours. Designed for busy adult learners, the program highlights courses taken one at a time and typically completed in five-week and seven-week blocks. Students will log in to view instructor presentations, participate in discussions with classmates, and submit weekly assignments at their convenience. As emphasis is required. Options include Advanced Accounting, Cybersecurity, Enterprise Agility, Healthcare Administration, Leadership, and Project Management.
The CCU Online MBA allows up to nine transferable graduate credit hours and the program can be completed in as few as 18 months of consecutive coursework—even with a full-time job. Graduates are prepared to pursue positions in both for-profit and nonprofit fields, as well as the military, law enforcement, and virtually any organizational setting.
