Top Online MBA Programs in Washington, D.C.

Most commonly known as the capital of the United States of America, Washington, District of Columbia is bordered by the state of Maryland and Virginia on the shared banks of the Potomac River. Washington, D.C. was established in 1790 by the U.S. Congress as a 100-square mile territory, which would serve as the permanent site for the federal government. The site was chosen for its centrally-located area among the states of the Eastern Seaboard.

In the beginning, the city of Washington was built within the District of Columbia but after the Civil War, “the city of Washington expanded beyond its originally planned boundaries and became legally indistinguishable from the District of Columbia. Washington, D.C., remains a territory, not a state, and since 1974 it has been governed by a locally elected mayor and city council, over which Congress retains the power of veto. The Washington metropolitan area covers nearly 4,000 square miles (10,360 square km) and encompasses 10 counties.”

While Washington, D.C. was host to 22 million visitors in 2016 and offers incredible historical tourist attractions unlike any others in the country, it has still been able to retain a small-town ambience in its quant, tree-lined neighborhoods. Some of the most popular tourist attractions of Washington, D.C. include the United States Capitol, the White House, Lincoln Memorial, National Mall, the Smithsonian National Museum System, and the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum.

Some of the more random bits of trivia surrounding the nation’s capital in Washington, D.C. include the facts that not one, but two American Presidents kept alligators as pets in the White House, President Jimmy Carter watched more movies (480 in total) than any other U.S. President in history, and although the city features lettered streets, there is no “J” street. Although the territory is most commonly known for being named after President George Washington (and Christopher Columbus), President Washington never lived in the White House. Washington’s crypt is located under the floor of the Capitol building as that is where it was presumed he would be buried. The crypt is empty however, as Washington wished to be buried in Mount Vernon, Virginia.

What is not random at all is the excellent level of higher education available in Washington D.C. In addition to top-notch undergraduate programs, the colleges and universities of Washington, D.C. also deliver a host of the nation’s best online Master’s of Business Administration programs. The online MBA continues to prove itself as the most respected degree for professionals seeking to develop leadership skills in business. It is no wonder that the online format for this program continues to grow in popularity. There is no more flexible and convenient MBA program than the one offered online. While many business schools offer the same tuition rates for distance learners that in-state residents enjoy, most online curriculums are identical to those offered in the classroom.

As there are many factors to weigh while researching online MBA programs, we have compiled the top online Master’s of Business Administration degrees that Washington, D.C. has to offer. While these programs are offered at a total tuition cost ranging between expensive to very expensive, graduates from each of these schools have reported very healthy ROI potential showing these programs to be an excellent value for professionals interested in a sound investment of education. Each of these programs is backed by their business school’s being accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business. We hope this ranking of Washington, D.C.’s best will be a useful tool for you as you seek an online MBA.

For more information about other online MBA programs, check out our article on the top MBA specializations and explore our other Online MBA Rankings.

Note: A detailed explanation of the methodology we used to determine the best online MBA programs in Washington, D.C. can be found at the end of the ranking.

#1 George Washington University School of Business – Washington, District of Columbia

Photo creditGeorge Washington University offers an online Master’s of Business Administration with a concentration in Healthcare or delivered as a general MBA. Each class of this 100% online degree includes an hour of instructor-led live classroom sessions featuring “lectures, case discussion, and/or group activities.” Classified as very expensive with a total cost of tuition greater than $100,000, this degree consists of 55.5 credit hours. Courses within this degree include Financial Accounting, Global Perspectives, Business Ethics, Judgment, Uncertainty and Decisions, Nature of Markets, Data Analysis and Decisions, and Marketing Decisions. The School of Business, which receives its excellent business accreditation through the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business, has been recognized as offering the 10^th best degree in the world by Financial Times and 54^th-best by U.S. News & World Report. This online MBA also enjoys a global ranking as the 9^th best MBA in the world by Quacquarelli Symonds. According to the U.S. News and World Report Best Business Schools Ranking, graduates from the business school report an average base salary of $87,548 after graduation, revealing an excellent potential for a strong return on investment of education.

Founded as Columbian College by an act of Congress in 1821, George Washington University finds its roots in President Washington’s first State of the Union address, when he cast the vision for a centrally located national university established near the nation’s capital. Today, GWU has a national reputation as one of the country’s “Most Politically Active” institutions of higher education. Home of the Colonials, the athletic department of George Washington University features men and women’s varsity teams competing at the NCAA Division I level as members of the Atlantic 10 Conference. This four-year, private not-for-profit university currently maintains a student body of 27,973 students seeking degrees at the associate, undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral levels. George Washington receives its regional accreditation through the Middle States Commission on Higher Education.

Affordability Score: Very Expensive
OMBAT Ranking Score: 100.00

#2 American University Kogod School of Business – Washington, District of Columbia

Photo creditAmerican University delivers an online Master’s of Business Administration with specializations in Marketing, Finance, Cybersecurity, International Business, Business Analytics, and Consulting at the Kogod School of Business. While U.S. News & World Report has recently recognized the business school as offering the 100^th best online degree in the nation, Quacquarelli Symonds has named this program the 27^th best online MBA on the planet. This 48-credit hour program is classified as expensive with a total tuition price between $50,000 and $99,999. According to the U.S. News and World Report Best Business Schools Ranking, graduates from the Kogod School of Business report an average base salary of $81,518 after graduation, revealing a healthy return on investment of education. The business school, which receives its stellar business accreditation through the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business, has designed this degree this program to be completed in as few as 15 months. This degree is a “student-centered program, with Kogod faculty leading courses that explore the importance of interpersonal relationships and collaborative learning. Students benefit from the relationships they build in both the online classroom and during in-person immersion experiences, growing and learning from professors, business leaders, and one another. MBA@American emphasizes the importance of connection over competition and focuses on practice-based, experiential learning.” Courses within this program include Management of Organizations and Human Capital, Manager in the International Economy, and Strategic Decision Making.

Receiving its regional accreditation through the Middle States Commission on Higher Education, American University was founded by an Act of Congress in 1893 and initiated under the leadership of Methodist bishop John Fletcher Hurst. After an extended season of fundraising, inaugural classes began meeting in 1914. Currently offering degrees at the associate, undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral level to the 13,858 students enrolled there, American University features a main campus in Washington, District of Columbia. This four-year, private not-for-profit institution of higher learning operates under the school motto of Pro deo et patria “For God and Country.”

Affordability Score: Expensive
OMBAT Ranking Score: 95.50

#3 Howard University School of Business – Washington, District of Columbia

Photo creditThe School of Business at Howard University features one of Virginia’s best online Executive Master’s of Business Administration programs. This 42-credit hour program is classified as expensive in affordability with a total tuition price between $50,000 and $99,999. According to the U.S. News and World Report Best Business Schools Ranking, graduates from the business school report an average base salary of $107,026 after graduation, showing excellent potential for a strong return on investment of education. The School of Business receives its excellent business accreditation through the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business. While a GMAT is not required for admission into this program, it is recommended. Admission requirements include at least seven years of experience, with five of them being at the management or senior level, and “the successful completion of the MBA Fundamentals course is required. This orientation course reviews fundamental management competencies including research skills, Excel best practices, statistics, accounting, finance, economics, marketing and strategy. Soft skills such as effective teaming, leadership and presentations skills are also covered.” While 100% of the curriculum delivered in this program is online, there is a closing Capstone Residency Presentation held at the campus in Washington D.C.

Home of the Bison and Lady Bison, Howard University is a four-year, private not-for-public institution of higher learning with a main campus situated in Washington, District of Columbia. The university delivers degrees at the undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral levels to the 10,265 students currently enrolled there. The school was established in 1867 when plans for an African-American theological seminary began to come together by the First Congressional Society of Washington. The school’s namesake was Civil War hero, Commissioner of the Freedman’s Bureau and school founder, General Oliver Otis Howard. HU receives its regional accreditation through the Middle States Commission on Higher Education.

Affordability Score: Expensive
OMBAT Ranking Score: 91.49

Methodology

To find the top Online MBA programs in Washington, D.C., a list of over 490 online MBA programs was collected, and each program was analyzed first for a location in Washington, D.C., and then ranked on the following factors:

Estimated Tuition Cost (25%): Each program was evaluated to find the estimated total base tuition cost. All data was gathered from the most recent financial information given on each program or school website. The base tuition was calculated for the whole degree program, but does not included fees, books, or room and board; with the exception of programs that use all-inclusive figures. Twenty-five percent of the final ranking score is calculated from this 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 and unique role in education. It certifies which school has attained high national and global standards in its research and delivered education. Each online MBA program in this ranking is assessed on whether it holds a regional accreditation from one of the six institutions that are recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.

Additional business accreditations affect an MBA’s prestige and brand name, which can thus affect a graduate’s competitive advantage in the marketplace. Each school is ranked on if the program holds an accreditation from one of the top business accrediting institutions: ACBSP, IACBE, or AACSB. AACSB is widely regarded as the highest standard of business accreditation in the world, and thus schools that hold this accreditation are given the highest scores. Twenty-five percent of the final ranking score is calculated from this figure.

Average Base Salary (25%): The average base salary data is highlighted in this top online MBA ranking list because it allows prospective students to discern the affect an online MBA degree can have on a graduate’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 this list was calculated at zero because of no available third-party data. Twenty-five percent of the final ranking score is calculated from this figure.

Prestige (25%): The prestige for each program is calculated by evaluating lists 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 ranked on how many lists included their program. Twenty-five percent of the final ranking score is calculated from this figure.

All of this criteria 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 programs in Washington, D.C.