WCBC

May 11th, 2015 by WCBC Radio

Two online organizations focused on identifying best values in online MBA programs have ranked Frostburg State University’s program among the top 50 in the nation in recent weeks.

Affordable Colleges Online (ACO) has ranked FSU number 12 of the Best Online MBA Programs in the country. Rated by ACO for the second year in a row, FSU moved up from number 25. At the same time, Value Colleges, an online resource of accredited programs, rated FSU’s MBA number 41 among its Top 50 Best Value Online MBA Programs of 2015.

“Ever since 2012, when we moved our MBA program to an exclusively online delivery format, we have made a strong commitment to ensure that our MBA students can benefit from an online learning environment that provides them with a high-quality graduate program at the most affordable cost, said Dr. Ahmad Tootoonchi, dean of FSU’s College of Business. “We are truly proud of our MBA program, because it is accredited by AACSB, taught by a team of highly qualified faculty and supported by outstanding academic and technological services. This has all been made possible due to strong teamwork among our MBA coordinator, our outstanding faculty and the Office of Graduate Services.”

ACO ranked the online MBA programs with the best combinations of quality, cost and student support by collecting and analyzing data from AACSB International, the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business, which accredits FSU’s College of Business, and the schools themselves.

ACO updated its scoring system for key qualitative and quantitative metrics by estimated impact on the online MBA student. Changes this year include percentage of full-time faculty with a doctorate, a factor noted in FSU’s rise in the rankings, only listing not-for-profit colleges and universities as well as analyzing average GMAT score and the percentage of international students.

“As the demand for distance learning continues to rise, we’re seeing more and more institutions incorporate online learning into their curricula,” said Dan Schuessler, founder and CEO of Affordable Colleges Online. “We want to recognize these schools for their drive for innovation in higher education and their success in expanding their high-quality programs to the online learning environment.”

Schools included offer students affordable, supportive programming combined with the flexibility and customization of distance learning.

“When it comes to online learning, these schools are at the top of their game,” said Schuessler. “They appeal to prospective business students and working professionals because they provide the same academic excellence in their online programs as their campus courses.”

ACO emphasized the FSU program’s low cost ($364 per credit hour for in-state and $468 for out-of-state students), student-faculty ratio (1.33), percentage of full-time faculty with a doctorate, accreditation by AACSB International and its aim – imparting the well-rounded business knowledge students need to be successful in any organization.

Value Colleges considered and evaluated all AACSB-accredited business schools in the U.S. according to their complete cost, average return on investment and average starting salary for graduates to find the right balance for value-conscious students. Its website guides students to the most trustworthy programs with the lowest student debt and highest returns with fully researched rankings and FAQs.

To build its list, Value Colleges used national ranking (2015 U.S. News & World Report Online MBA), tuition cost (per non-resident credit, reported from the institution’s website) and median salaries for graduates of each respective institution (through reports on www.payscale.com). Its method ranks these schools by each metric, then finds which of them hit the right balance to produce the best overall value for a student’s time and money.

In addition to low cost and AACSB accreditation, Value Colleges pointed out FSU’s global perspective in the world of business, in which online learners can take advantage of international learning experiences offered through the University. The College of Business has been very involved in setting up international trips recently, including to China, Ecuador, Peru and Brazil. Both undergraduate and graduate business students traveled for a portion of the summer session, meeting business managers, government officials and ordinary people in their exploration of the topics of economic development and leadership. They then finished up with online coursework.

Value Colleges also noted that the online MBA program is between 36 and 42 credits in total (depending on academic background) and can be completed in as little as 12 months going full-time.