An accelerated MBA program can be an efficient path for learners to earn an advanced business degree. Choosing an accelerated program can also help reduce the cost of an online MBA since students graduate faster. Traditional MBA programs typically take 2-3 years to complete, while accelerated programs take 12-16 months.
The financial advantages of accelerated MBAs extend to earning power. In addition to saving money on tuition costs through compact program structures, graduates can significantly boost their salaries. According to Payscale, MBA degree-holders earned an average of $96,000 per year as of November 2023.
Business schools often configure their accelerated MBA programs for learners who have already earned relevant degrees or who have prior work experience. Accelerated programs move through material quickly, so a strong base of existing knowledge can set students up for success.
This guide explores the benefits and drawbacks of entering an accelerated MBA program, lists common concentrations, and suggests some top programs. Every online MBA program in this ranking has a completion timeline of 18-21 months or less. Read on to begin your search and find the best accelerated online MBA program for your goals.
To learn more about our ranking methodology, follow this link:
Top Five Accelerated Online MBA Programs of 2023
#1 The Best Accelerated Online MBA Programs
University of Florida
- Gainesville, FL
- 4 years
- Online + Campus
Nationally recognized as one of the top public colleges, the University of Florida is especially known for its business education. UF's Warrington College of Business holds accreditation from the prestigious Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB).
UF MBA Online
The University of Florida's online MBA program features an accelerated 16-month option. It is open to students who have earned an undergraduate business degree in the past seven years.
Structured across five terms, the curriculum covers essential business concepts including operations, brand management, and financing. Students can take electives in marketing or technology, finance, and international business.
The program also includes a mandatory experiential learning component. Depending on the term, experiential learning options may include stints at the Washington Campus, a Global Immersion Experience, or an online project.
UF's Specializations
General Business
UF's Affordability
UF's MBA Online program carries a total cost of less than $50,000. Students can take advantage of flexible payment schedules and options. UF has two financial aid officers to assist MBA students.
Program at a Glance
- School Type: Public
- Accreditation: SACSCOC, AACSB
- Tuition: $48,000
- Required Credits: 32
- Program Length: 16 months
- Delivery Format: 100% online coursework with in-person experiential learning options
- Admissions
- Process: UF has a rolling admissions process and reviews applications as candidates submit them.
- GPA: 3.3 (average student GPA)
- Standardized Tests: GMAT or GRE are optional
- Cost: $30
Percent Online Enrollment
92%
Percentage of all students who are enrolled online.
Accreditation
Yes
Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges
#2 The Best Accelerated Online MBA Programs
Western Governors University
- Salt Lake City, UT
- 4 years
- Online
WGU offers a unique take on education innovation by offering self-paced programs. It was founded during the mid-1990s. Nineteen U.S. governors convened to found WGU as a private nonprofit institution.
MBA Degree
Western Governors University's mba degree program holds special accreditation from the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB). The program's curriculum supplements its strong focus on business management with courses in accounting, economics, finance, leadership, marketing, and strategy.
The program culminates in an intensive capstone project, which guides students to synthesize and apply their gained knowledge.
Designed for optimal flexibility, the program features an asynchronous structure that allows students to learn at their own pace. WGU also uses a unique competency model enabling students to move quickly through material on which they have a strong grasp. Degree-seekers can take course-concluding competency assessments as soon as they feel ready.
WGU's Specializations
General Business | Healthcare Management | Information Technology Management
WGU's Affordability
WGU charges tuition per term, not per credit. As such, learners on accelerated schedules pay less to complete their studies.
MBA students who finish in one academic year pay less than $9,500 for their degree. Such an affordable cost profile is very rare for an AACSB-accredited program.
Program at a Glance
- School Type: Private
- Accreditation: NWCCU, AACSB
- Tuition: $4,530 per term
- Required Credits: 34
- Program Length: 12 months
- Delivery Format: 100% online (asynchronous)
- Admissions
- Process: Applicants must submit academic transcripts indicating the completion of an undergraduate or graduate degree from an accredited institution.
- Standardized Tests: GMAT or GRE scores are optional
- Cost: $65
Acceptance Rate
Not provided
Students Enrolled
147,866
Percent Online Enrollment
Not provided
Accreditation
Yes
Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities
#3 The Best Accelerated Online MBA Programs
Babson College
- Wellesley, MA
- 4 years
- Online + Campus
Babson College focuses on entrepreneurship. It's ranked as one of the country's leading schools for business students and emerging entrepreneurs.
Full-Time MBA
Babson's AACSB-accredited full-time MBA programs feature one-year and two-year options. Learners pursuing accelerated education typically choose the intensive one-year program.
Babson's tagline is "business as usual has no business here." That sentiment captures the school's innovative approach to business education. Students engage in intensive workshop-style courses led by successful entrepreneurs and business professionals with advanced real-world insights.
At Babson, online MBA students follow part-time schedules that can lead to graduation in as little as 18 months. Alumni have gone on to successful careers with high-profile organizations including Accenture, Deloitte, PwC, and many other major corporations.
Babson's Specializations
Business Analytics | Business Analytics and Machine Learning | Entrepreneurship | Global Management | Finance | Quantitative Finance | Marketing
Babson's Affordability
Babson offers merit scholarships to both full-time and part-time students. The institution also offers in-house loan and financing programs. Babson alumni also qualify for an automatic 20% discount.
Program at a Glance
- School Type: Private
- Accreditation: NECHE, AACSB
- Tuition: $1,990 per course credit
- Required Credits: 45
- Program Length: 18-48 months
- Delivery Format: 100% online (synchronous)
- Admissions
- Process: Applicants must submit a resume, one letter of recommendation, transcripts, and answers to short questions supplied by the school. Interview requests may apply for some candidates.
- Standardized Tests: GMAT or GRE scores are optional
- Cost: $100
Percent Online Enrollment
79%
Percentage of all students who are enrolled online.
Accreditation
Yes
New England Commission on Higher Education
#4 The Best Accelerated Online MBA Programs
Texas A & M International University
- Laredo, TX
- 4 years
- Online + Campus
Situated at the U.S.-Mexico border, TAMIU doubles as an educational and cultural institution. This multicultural, multilingual school traces its operational history to 1970 and hosts more than 100 degree programs.
Master of Business Administration Online
TAMIU's A.R. Sanchez, Jr. School of Business holds AACSB accreditation and offers seven specialized online MBA programs, including a unique criminal justice option. Each of the programs applies a core focus on foundational business topics to concentrated areas of enterprise management.
Coursework blends theory and practice, covering various management philosophies alongside leadership, ethics, organizational behavior, and HR management essentials. Learners from non-business backgrounds are welcome to apply. Students with undergraduate degrees in other areas can complete preparatory course sequences designed to bridge knowledge gaps.
TAMIU makes the program more accessible by offering six start dates throughout the calendar year. Courses run on compact seven-week terms, with scheduling options that make it easy to balance studies with work and other commitments.
TAMIU's Specializations
Criminal Justice | Healthcare Administration | Information Science | International Banking and Finance | International Business | International Trade and Logistics | Management
TAMIU's Affordability
TAMIU has affordable flat rates for all online MBA programs. Learners qualifying for in-state status pay just over $11,000 for their degree. Out-of-state learners still pay under $31,000. Students can pay per course.
Program at a Glance
- School Type: Public
- Accreditation: SACSCOC, AACSB
- Tuition: $11,010 for the entire MBA program (in-state), $30,900 for the entire MBA program (out-of-state)
- Required Credits: 30-33
- Program Length: 21 months
- Delivery Format: 100% online
- Admissions
- Process: TAMIU offers automatic admission to high-achieving students with a bachelor's degree in business and relevant experience. Other applicants must submit test scores, a personal statement, and multiple letters of recommendation.
- GPA: 3.25 (for automatic admission)
- Standardized Tests: GMAT or GRE scores required for applicants not meeting automatic admission eligibility guidelines.
- Cost: $35
Percent Online Enrollment
59%
Percentage of all students who are enrolled online.
Accreditation
Yes
Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges
Learn about start dates, transferring credits, availability of financial aid, and more by contacting the universities below.
Why Pursue an Accelerated MBA Program?
Accelerated options require the same types of courses and number of credits as traditional programs but condense the material into a shorter time frame. A regular business master's degree usually takes 24 months for a full-time learner to complete, while most accelerated options take 12 months.
MBA students often hold an undergraduate degree in business or are familiar with the fundamentals of business. An accelerated MBA program may not be the best fit for those with undergraduate degrees in non-business fields or without relevant professional experience. One-year MBAs fit a lot of material into a short period, and students need to hit the ground running.
Is a One-Year Online MBA Worth It?
An accelerated MBA requires less time and money than a traditional MBA, but it's still a big investment. Candidates should give serious consideration to the cost of earning an accelerated degree before enrolling. The amount of time it takes to repay student loans or recover the cost of earning an MBA varies depending upon many factors.
Students can calculate their return on investment by comparing the cost of their program with the salary they plan to earn upon entering the workforce and the time it will likely take to land a job. Although business school can be expensive, starting salaries for MBA degree-holders are often high.
According to a June 2023 Graduate Management Admission Council report, new MBA hires are estimated to earn a median annual base starting salary of about $125,000 from U.S. companies. Many employers also provide significant signing bonuses to business school graduates.
An accelerated MBA can enable you to start earning an impressive salary in less time. However, it also usually makes retaining employment while pursuing your degree difficult or even impossible. Consider the cost of going without your normal salary for a year when figuring out if an accelerated program makes sense for you.
Accelerated Online MBA Concentrations
Accelerated online MBA programs explore foundational business issues like organizational leadership, legal and ethical issues in business, marketing, and strategic management. Students take electives like conflict management, corporate finance, and digital marketing. The types and number of classes in accelerated online MBA programs vary by school. Below, we describe some typical accelerated MBA concentrations.
In the "big data" age, businesses have become increasingly reliant on analyzing data to extract strategic and competitive insights. Business schools have responded by creating specialized MBA programs that concentrate on data analytics. These programs combine management-focused business education with advanced data analysis training.
Accelerated MBA programs in entrepreneurship concentrate on the unique skills self-starters need to launch businesses. Coursework typically covers business concept development, product and service design, and finance and marketing for startups. Students emerge with the knowledge and leadership skills required to guide entrepreneurial ventures to success.
This popular, traditional MBA concentration covers the technicalities of business finance. Students learn about budgeting, capital markets, financing sources and considerations, and enterprise financial management. Coursework also covers investing and accounting from business perspectives, along with finance-focused aspects of compliance.
MBA programs in healthcare management learn about business administration for the healthcare industry. In addition to a standard set of business topics, students engage with specialized learning in areas including health informatics and healthcare ethics and law. Students also focus on optimizing patient outcomes and maximizing quality of care.
Concentrated MBA programs in human resources cover business administration from a personnel perspective. Students build advanced insights into organizational psychology, workplace culture, and how people function within corporate structures. Coursework also focuses on optimizing employee productivity and job satisfaction, workplace ethics, and the legal and ethical aspects of HR administration.
In the age of globalization, the corporate world has gone international. Accelerated MBA programs in international business concentrate on the unique management needs of cross-jurisdictional and cross-cultural organizations. Learners also study international supply chain management and issues like trade, finance, investment, and compliance from global perspectives.
MBA programs in marketing build advanced and specialized market research, consumer analysis, and sales skills. They also focus heavily on specific strategies businesses use to price and sell their products and services, and to build long-term relationships with customers. Some business schools offer further marketing concentrations in areas such as e-commerce, social media marketing, and international marketing.
Most manufacturers rely on supply chains to source their raw materials and get their finished products to consumer markets. MBA programs in supply chain management focus on the logistics of supply chains. Among other specialized topics, coursework covers demand planning, sourcing strategies for raw materials, supply chain analysis, and supplier relationship management.
Pros and Cons of Accelerated MBA Programs
Choosing an accelerated MBA program offers potential benefits and drawbacks. Only you can decide if a one-year MBA suits your learning style and needs. Below, we outline the benefits and trade-offs of accelerated online MBA programs.
Benefits of One-Year MBAs
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Save Time
You can enter the workforce, begin earning money, and start making progress toward your career goals more quickly.
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Save Money
You can sometimes save money on your degree by spending less time in a program. You may pay less tuition and start earning a professional MBA salary sooner.
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Easier Transition
Shortening the time spent in education and entering the professional business world helps to reduce the stresses related to searching for employment.
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Same Outcomes
Accelerated MBA students typically receive the same career opportunities and earn similar salaries as those who complete traditional MBA programs.
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Professional Classmates
Students enrolling in accelerated MBA programs tend to be older and further along in their professional careers than those in traditional MBA programs.
Trade-Offs With One-Year MBAs
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Less Time to Build Relationships
MBA programs foster deep friendships and help to promote extensive networking opportunities. A one-year MBA reduces the time available to develop these beneficial connections.
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Can't Work Simultaneously
A one-year MBA requires a major time commitment in the short term, so you probably won't be able to work while in school.
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Too Intense
An accelerated MBA program may offer too much information in a short period for those who need additional time to process what they learn.
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No Internship
You likely won't complete a summer internship. Experiential learning opportunities, like traditional MBA summer internships, often lead to professional connections and jobs after graduation.
Common Questions About Top Accelerated Online MBA Programs
Are accelerated MBA programs worth it?
Accelerated MBA programs can be worth it, depending on your goals. These programs enable students to upgrade their credentials on compressed timelines. They can help students save money and start earning higher salaries more quickly.
Is an accelerated MBA the same as a regular MBA?
Accelerated MBAs cover the same business and management concepts as standard MBA degree programs at a faster pace. Thus, they are best suited for learners with bachelor's degrees in business and/or multiple years of relevant professional experience.
What is the fastest you can get an MBA?
The most compressed MBA programs last about one academic year and require intensive full-time study. At a minimum, you should expect to spend 12 months working toward your accelerated degree.