Top Online MBA Programs in Arkansas

Known as the birthplace of former President of the United States, Bill Clinton, Arkansas is home to over half-a-million acres of lakes and nearly 10,000 miles of streams and rivers. Arkansas contains “six national park sites, two-and-a-half million acres of national forests, seven national byways, three state scenic byways, and 50 state parks.” It’s the birth state of Johnny Cash and where Sam Walton started his Walmart empire. Arkansas is also a state which features some of the most respected and high-quality online MBAs in the nation. Many of the state’s most reputable universities were founded in the late 1800’s, however these schools are anything but antiquated as they have designed online degrees in leadership and business that have loads to offer the distance learner.

There has never been a better time to pursue an online MBA program in Arkansas, as many of the state’s top business schools make the acceptance process simple allowing students to submit past academic and professional experience records in order to get the process started. Most schools require just a few years of professional experience and an undergraduate degree awarded by an accredited college or university. Some schools even waive all GMAT or GRE requirements. Students looking for a convenient 100% online MBA will have many to choose from while those desiring short on-campus residencies for better networking can also find those in Arkansas.

The programs highlighted in this ranking offer a variety of course lengths and tuition rates, with three of the five programs featuring very affordable overall base tuition rates below $14,999. One constant throughout these programs is the assurance distance learners can have knowing that they are receiving a top-notch education from the state’s best educators. Each one of these programs is also backed by their business school’s stellar business accreditation through the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business. Let this ranking of the best online MBA programs in Arkansas help guide you in the important decision of finding a degree that is the right fit for you.

#1 Arkansas State University College of Business – Jonesboro, Arkansas

Photo creditThe College of Business at Arkansas State University delivers the top online MBA program in Arkansas, with a Supply Chain Management focus. This 33-credit hour program is classified as average in affordability with a total tuition price between $20,000 and $29,999. U.S. News reports that graduate students from the College of Business have an average base salary of a healthy $68,250, reflecting the potential for a solid return on the investment of education associated with this program. The College of Business receives its stellar business accreditation through the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business. The business school has designed this program to “provide high-quality, flexible graduate management education for students with varied academic and professional backgrounds. The graduate faculty strives to build comprehensive and challenging programs of excellence to meet the needs of a dynamic, global business environment through a leading-edge curriculum emphasizing leadership/values, international business, latest technology, decision tools, and social responsibility/ethics facilitated by action-based learning.” This 33-credit program is divided between 27 hours of core courses and six hours of electives. U.S. News & World Report has recently recognized the business school as offering the 12^th best online MBA in the nation.

Home of the Red Wolves (formerly known as the Indians from 1931-2008) who wear the school colors of scarlet, black, and white, the athletic department at Arkansas State University supports men’s and women’s varsity sports teams which compete at the NCAA Division I level as powerhouse members of the Sun Belt Conference. Arkansas State is a four-year, public institution of higher learning with a main campus located in Jonesboro, Arkansas. The university delivers degrees at the associate, undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral levels to the 14,085 students currently enrolled there. A-State was founded in 1909 as the first District Agricultural School by the Arkansas Legislature with the express intent of educating students for careers in agriculture. Arkansas State receives its regional accreditation through the Higher learning Commission and features “Educate, Enhance, Enrich” as its official school motto.

Affordability Score: Average
OMBAT Ranking Score: 100.00

#2 University of Arkansas Sam M. Walton College of Business – Fayetteville, Arkansas

Photo creditThe University of Arkansas offers one of the state’s best online Executive MBA programs at the Sam M. Walton College of Business. This 38-credit hour program is classified as above average in affordability with a total tuition price between $30,000 and $49,999. U.S. News reports that graduate students from the Walton College of Business have an average base salary of a healthy $62,963, reflecting the potential for a solid return on the investment of education associated with this program. The Sam M. Walton College of Business receives its excellent business accreditation through the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business. The AACSB is the gold standard for accrediting bodies in higher education. This degree has been designed to “focus on applications-based learning through cases and projects that can be quickly applied to your current workplace. By organizing around the value chain, the Walton EMBA blends theory with analysis of real-world business solutions.” Structured to be completed in two years, the courses included in this program are Quantitative Methods and Decision Making, Marketing Ideas, Products and Services, Economics of Management and Strategy, Corporate Financial Management, Financial Statement Analysis for Executives, and Global Business.

Established in 1871, the University of Arkansas is a four-year, public institution of higher learning with a main campus located in Fayetteville, Arkansas. Operating under the school motto of Veritate Duce Progredi (“To Advance wit Truth as our Leader”), the university was originally founded as Arkansas Industrial University as a result of the Morrill Land-Grant Colleges Act of 1862 and also met the requirement listed in the state’s Constitution of 1868 claiming the establishment of a state university. Receiving its regional accreditation through the Higher Learning Commission, the university delivers degrees at the undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral levels to the student body of 27,194 currently enrolled. Home of the Razorbacks and featuring the mascots Tusk and Big Red, the athletic department at UA supports men’s and women’s varsity sports teams which compete at the NCAA Division I level as members of the Southeastern Conference. The school’s official colors are cardinal and white.

Affordability Score: Above Average
OMBAT Ranking Score: 80.54

#3 University of Central Arkansas College of Business – Conway, Arkansas

Photo creditOne of Arkansas’ best online MBA programs with concentrations in Finance, Health Care Administration, Information Management, and International Business is delivered by the College of Business at the University of Central Arkansas. This 30-credit hour program is classified as very affordable with a total tuition price below $14,999. The business school has recently been recognized by U.S. News & World Report as offering the 205^th best online MBA in the nation. The College of Business receives its excellent business accreditation through the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business. With three start times each year, students in this program enjoy convenience and flexibility. Core courses within this program include Information Technology for Managers, Accounting for Management Decisions, Financial Decision Making, Marketing Strategy, Strategic Management, Organizational Behavior, and Operations Management. Candidates interested in this program are encouraged to submit proof of an undergraduate degree from an accredited university including a GPA of 2.7 and current GRE score into the admissions office in order to begin the acceptance process.

The University of Central Arkansas was originally founded as the Arkansas State Normal School and opened its doors in 1907 after an act by the Arkansas State Legislature. The school went through several name changes over the years before settling as the University of Central Arkansas in 1975 to reflect its developing to the point of being a comprehensive, regional university. Receiving its regional accreditation through the Higher Learning Commission, the university exists today as a four-year, public institution of higher learning with a main campus in Conway, Arkansas. Delivering degrees at the associate, undergraduate, graduate and doctoral levels, UCA oversees a student body of 11,487. Home of the Bears and Sugar Bears and featuring mascot Bruce D. Bear, the official school colors of the University of Central Arkansas are purple and gray. The athletic department at UCA consists of men’s and women’s varsity sports teams which compete at the NCAA Division I level as members of the Southland Conference.

Affordability Score: Very Affordable
OMBAT Ranking Score: 78.81

#4 Southern Arkansas University David F. Rankin College of Business – Magnolia, Arkansas

Photo courtesy of Southern Arkansas UniversityThe David F. Rankin College of Business at Southern Arkansas University features one of the best online MBA programs in Arkansas with a concentration in Supply Chain Management and Agri-Business. This 30-credit hour program is classified as very affordable with a total tuition price below $14,999. The David F. Rankin College of Business receives its stellar business accreditation through the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business. The business school has designed this program in order to equip students in becoming “effective communicators, using information technology to enhance decision making through better communication, socially responsible, effective business leaders with an awareness of cultural and diversity issues and the ability to make ethical decisions, and critical thinkers who are able to use concepts from strategic management to integrate relevant information, decision-making techniques, and concepts from multiple business disciplines to make decisions in new or unfamiliar circumstances.” Divided between 24 hours of core courses and six hours of electives, the core courses within this program include Accounting for Decision Making, Managerial Economics, Strategic Marketing, Human Behavior in Organizations, Managerial Finance, Strategic Planning and Analysis, and Enterprise Resource Planning. U.S. News & World Report has recently recognized the business school as offering the 205^th best online MBA in the nation.

Home of the Muleriders who wear the school colors of royal blue and gold, the athletic department at Southern Arkansas University supports men’s and women’s varsity sports teams which compete at the NCAA Division II level as members of the Great American Conference. Southern Arkansas University is a four-year, public institution of higher learning with a main campus located in Magnolia, Arkansas. The university delivers degrees at the associate, undergraduate, and graduate levels to the 4,771 students currently enrolled there. SAU was established in 1909 as Third District Agricultural School with the express intent of educating high school students. The school would later change its name after receiving university status in 1976. Southern Arkansas receives its regional accreditation through the Higher Learning Commission and features such student body traditions as “bed racing,” “Celebration of Lights,” and “Mulegating.”

Affordability Score: Very Affordable
OMBAT Ranking Score: 78.73

#5 Henderson State University College of Business – Arkadelphia, Arkansas

Photo creditHenderson State University’s College of Business features one of Arkansas’ best online MBA programs with a concentration in General, Accounting, or Public Management. This 30-credit hour degree is classified as very affordable with a total tuition price below $14,999. The College of Business receives its excellent business accreditation through the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business. This degree has been designed to equip “students with the broad knowledge needed to be successful in a business career. In addition, advisors work with each student to find the electives that best compliment and prepare students for specific professions.” Core courses within this program include Accounting for Business & Finance Management, Strategic Information Systems, Public Sector Economics, Managerial Finance, Organizational Strategy, Marketing Seminar, Trends in Management, and Economic Analysis for Managerial Decisions. Candidates interested in this program are encouraged to submit proof of an undergraduate degree completed at an accredited university with a GPA of at least 2.7 and GMAT score of at least 400.

Established in 1890, Henderson State University is a four-year, public institution of higher learning with a main campus located in Arkadelphia, Arkansas. Operating under the school motto of “The School with a Heart,” the university was originally founded as Arkadelphia Methodist College by Confederate States Army Veteran Rev. John McLaughlin. The school would later be renamed to honor Trustee and businessman, Charles Christopher Henderson. Receiving its regional accreditation through the Higher Learning Commission, the university delivers degrees at the associate, undergraduate, and graduate levels to the student body of 3,551 currently enrolled there. Home of the Reddies, the athletic department at Henderson State supports men’s and women’s varsity sports teams which compete at the NCAA Division II level as members of the Great American Conference. The school’s official colors are red and gray.

Affordability Score: Very Affordable
OMBAT Ranking Score: 70.27

Methodology

To find the top Online MBA programs in Arkansas, a list of 470 distance MBA programs was obtained, and each program was evaluated first for a location in the state of Arkansas, and then evaluated on the following five factors:

Estimated Tuition Cost (25%): Each program is partially ranked based on the estimated total base tuition cost. All financial data was taken from the most recent information given on each program or school website. The tuition was calculated for the entirety of the degree, but does not included fees, books, or room and board; with the exception of programs that use all-inclusive figures. For schools that offer a lower in-state tuition rate, the in-state pricing is used in order to show the best possible Return on Investment. The final ranking score is based 25% on this calculated figure.

Based on this base tuition data, each program is given an Affordability Score:

Very Expensive = $100,000+
Expensive = $50,000-$99,999
Above Average = $30,000-$49,999
Average = $20,000-$29,999
Affordable = $15,000-$19,999
Very Affordable = $0-$14,999

Accreditation (25%): Accreditation plays an important role in education. It helps prospective students identify which school has gone to extensive measures to reach high national and global standards in its research and delivered education. Each online MBA program in this list is ranked on whether it holds a regional accreditation from one of six institutions that are recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.

Additionally, business school accreditations affect an MBA’s brand and prestige. Each school in this list is ranked on whether the online MBA program is accredited from one of the top business accrediting institutions: IACBE, ACBSP, or AACSB. AACSB is widely regarded as the most prestigious business accreditation, and thus schools that hold this accreditation are given the highest marks. The final ranking score is base 25% on this calculated figure.

Average Base Salary (25%): The salary data is highlighted in this ranking because it is important for prospective students to explore the effect a degree can have on a professional’s salary. The average base salary is collected from the 2018 Best Business School Ranking by US News and World Report. Programs without a recorded average base salary from US News and World Report was calculated at zero because of no available third-party data. The final ranking score is base 25% on this calculated figure.

Prestige (25%): The prestige for each program is calculated by evaluating rankings from some of the most prestigious educational rankings systems for online MBA programs: US News and World Report’s Online MBA Ranking, the Princeton Review’s Online MBA Ranking, the Financial Times’ Global Online MBA Ranking, and Quacquarelli Symonds’ Distance Online MBA Ranking. Each online MBA was evaluated on how many rankings included their program. The final ranking score is base 25% on this calculated figure.

All of the data for each five factors was weighted equally, averaged, and then calculated on a 100-point scale. This score is the OMBAT Ranking Score, which provides the ranking order for this list. By evaluating the tuition cost, accreditation, average base salary, and prestige, this ranking helps prospective students find the highest quality online MBA program in Arkansas.