Rankings for Distance-learning MBAs

From Economist.com

British universities dominate the Economist Intelligence Unit's ranking of top distance-learning MBA programmes

The University of Florida's Warrington School of Business tops the Economist Intelligence Unit's ranking of distance-learning MBA programmes. Florida's students are especially impressed with the quality of the school's distance-learning materials, the programme's value for money and their sense of connection to the school. Spain's IE Business School ranks second, with Britain's Warwick University third.

Distance-learning MBAs are becoming an increasingly important sector of business education, allowing students from around the world to earn degrees from top-quality schools without having to change jobs or move abroad—often at a fraction of the cost of a full-time programme. For these very reasons they are also becoming more popular with employers.

The idea that distance-learning programmes are in some way the “poor relation” of the MBA, particularly compared with full-time programmes, is no longer tenable. Most distance-learning degrees are seen as entirely legitimate, having achieved the same rigorous academic standards as traditional methods of instruction. Because the corporate world has largely embraced these programmes for its own employees, bosses also accept them as an important qualification for new recruits.

However, Bill Ridgers, editor of Which MBA?, says that studying for an MBA by distance-learning requires special resolve: "Despite business schools making increasing efforts to involve students, the fact that students study on their own for much of the time—and that programmes can take three years or sometimes much longer to complete—means a lot of self-motivation is needed to get through it."

Full report and methodology