Many master of business administration (MBA) programs require applicants to submit transcripts, essays, letters of recommendation, and GMAT or GRE scores. In 2022, 2,027 MBA programs accepted the GMAT, according to a trend report published by the testing company.
However, research from UCLA suggests 40-60 percent of the population has test anxiety. Fortunately, many schools have dropped test scores from their admission requirements or made them optional.
According to Payscale data from July 2023, professionals with MBAs earn an average annual base salary of $96,000 — $23,000 more than their counterparts with bachelor's degrees. The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) projects that jobs in business will grow at a rate of 7% from 2021-2031, slightly outpacing the average rate for all occupations.
Applicants with test anxiety, along with candidates who want to spotlight other parts of their applications, can consider online MBAs with no GMAT requirement. Discover information on these programs with this helpful guide.
Online MBA Programs for You
Grow your career, leadership, and business acumen with an accredited online MBA program.
2023's Top Online MBA Programs with No GMAT Requirement
The following rankings offer insight into the best online MBA programs that do not require applicants to provide GMAT scores. Note that some of the schools apply an experience requirement for GMAT waivers. Academics, affordability, and reputation comprise the criteria to determine the rankings, along with program availability and flexibility.
Using available federal data ensures an objective list of the top five online MBAs with no GMAT requirement. The annually updated ranking uses up-to-date information to present the best online MBAs for 2023.
These rankings include sponsored results from our partners. We use publicly available provisional datasets from Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) to inform the data for these schools. All data is current as of the date this article was published. Program-specific information may vary.
#1 Best Online MBA Programs (No GMAT Required)
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
- Chapel Hill, NC
- 4 years
- Online + Campus
UNC-Chapel Hill was the first and only public university in the United States to award degrees in the 18th century. As the flagship institution within the University of North Carolina System, UNC-Chapel Hill offers more than 250 academic programs and enrolls over 30,000 students annually.
Online MBA
UNC-Chapel Hill's online MBA, offered through the Kenan-Flagler Business School, includes 62 credit hours of coursework. Each enrollee completes 34 credit hours of core courses alongside elective classes.
The core curriculum emphasizes business essentials, including finance, business communication and strategy, and leadership. By aligning elective classes with core requirements, students can specialize in one of six subsets of business.
Enrollees can attend UNC-Chapel Hill's main campus, weekend executive MBA courses, and weeklong intensive courses at the institution's Washington, D.C., campus. The accelerated program spans 18 months, while UNC-Chapel Hill's extended online MBA lasts as many as 36 months.
UNC-Chapel Hill's online MBA has four start dates each year. Each applicant must have at least two years of professional experience and a bachelor's degree to apply.
UNC-Chapel Hill's Specializations
Data Analytics And Decision Making | Entrepreneurship | Finance | Management And Leadership | Marketing | Strategy And Consulting
UNC-Chapel Hill's Affordability
During the 2022-2023 academic year, online MBA students paid $125,590 in tuition. Enrollees have access to partial-tuition fellowships, including those offered through the Forté Fellowship Program. Additional financial aid options include employer sponsorship, veteran benefits, and federal student aid.
Program at a Glance
- School Type: Public
- Accreditation: SACSCOC, AACSB
- Tuition: $125,590 total
- Required Credits: 62
- Program Length: 24 months
- Delivery Format: Online or hybrid; asynchronous and/or synchronous
- Admissions
- Process: Each applicant must submit a resume or CV, transcripts, two letters of recommendation, and an essay. Candidates also complete interviews. Applicants with fewer than five years of experience must provide GMAT/GRE scores, however.
- Standardized Tests: Applicants with five or more years of professional experience do not need GMAT or GRE scores to enroll in UNC-Chapel Hill's online MBA. Waivers for candidates with less experience are also available.
- Cost: $150
Percent Online Enrollment
91%
Percentage of all students who are enrolled online.
Accreditation
Yes
Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges
#2 Best Online MBA Programs (No GMAT Required)
University of Florida
- Gainesville, FL
- 4 years
- Online + Campus
The Gainesville-based UF enrolls over 53,000 students annually. With origins tracing back to 1858, UF houses 16 academic colleges. The university adopted its alligator mascot in 1911 and introduced the well-known beverage Gatorade to the world in 1965.
Online MBA
At UF, the online MBA includes one-year and two-year options. The one-year online MBA accommodates students with undergraduate business degrees. UF's two-year curriculum incorporates additional business coursework for applicants with undergraduate degrees in non-business disciplines.
The one-year online MBA with no GMAT requirement spans 16 months. Students complete 32 credit hours of core and elective classes. The two-year online MBA integrates 48 credit hours of classes and offers additional scheduling flexibility.
Each enrollee participates in one experiential learning requirement and completes a course on global strategic management during the final term. Online MBA students also take part in an on-campus orientation.
UF's Affordability
Tuition for the two-year online MBA is $58,000, while enrollees pay $48,000 for the one-year online MBA. A $1,500 deposit secures a spot in the program and applies to the final term of coursework. Employer-sponsored students and enrollees with military benefits can access support through the bursar and financial aid offices.
Program at a Glance
- School Type: Public
- Accreditation: SACSCOC, AACSB
- Tuition: $48,000-$58,000
- Required Credits: 32-48
- Program Length: 12-24 months
- Delivery Format: Online (with on-campus orientation and experiential learning); synchronous
- Admissions
- Process: Each candidate submits a pre-application form in anticipation of the admissions review process. An applicant also must provide two letters of recommendation, transcripts, and short-answer and essay responses for consideration.
- Standardized Tests: Optional GMAT or GRE
- 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
#3 Best Online MBA Programs (No GMAT Required)
Florida International University
- Miami, FL
- 4 years
- Online + Campus
FIU opened its doors in 1972. The university meets the needs of 58,000 learners annually from its Miami campus and sites throughout southern Florida. FIU provides nearly 200 degree options through 11 schools and colleges.
Professional MBA Online
The professional MBA at FIU offers three pacing options, five start dates each year, and more than 10 degree concentrations. The online no-GMAT MBA includes 42 credit hours of coursework and three professional development seminars.
Core classes emphasize finance, accounting, business analysis, and management. Professional development seminars, completed during the first eight-week term, focus on optimizing student performance in an online learning environment.
FIU students can benefit from MBA industry night events. Business leaders deliver speeches, while attendees can network with recruiters. Professional MBA online students can also access FIU's business career management office to aid them as they enter the workforce.
FIU's Specializations
Business Data Analytics | Business Law | Entrepreneurship And Innovation | Finance | International Business | Leadership | Marketing Channel Strategy | Real Estate | Sports Management | Strategic Negotiations
FIU's Affordability
Tuition for FIU's professional online MBA, regardless of format, is $42,000. FIU also offers program scholarships of up to $15,000. For eligibility, learners must be in good academic standing with a GPA of 3.0 or higher. Additional funding resources include FIU scholarships and external and industry funding opportunities.
Program at a Glance
- School Type: Public
- Accreditation: SACSCOC, AACSB
- Tuition: $1,000 per credit hour
- Required Credits: 42
- Program Length: 18-33 months
- Delivery Format: 100% online (asynchronous)
- Admissions
- Process: Applicants submit a resume, official transcripts, a statement of purpose, and two optional letters of recommendation for consideration.
- Standardized Tests: None
- Cost: $30
Percent Online Enrollment
86%
Percentage of all students who are enrolled online.
Accreditation
Yes
Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges
#4 Best Online MBA Programs (No GMAT Required)
University of Southern California
- Los Angeles, CA
- 4 years
- Online + Campus
USC, located in Los Angeles, first offered classes in 1880. Home to 23 academic schools, colleges, and units, USC provides undergraduate, graduate, and professional programs to nearly 50,000 learners annually.
Online MBA
Offered through the Marshall School of Business, USC's online MBA includes 51 credit hours of coursework. Learners complete classes in the role of the manager and fundamentals of business before continuing to the rest of the curriculum.
Additional required courses include opportunity recognition and implementation, managing outside the firm, and business environment and leadership. Elective options for online MBA students at USC provide opportunities to explore topics like project management and entrepreneurship.
USC's online MBA requires students to attend a week-long residential intensive at the beginning of the program. All classes integrate asynchronous and synchronous elements, and students participate in two live class sessions per week.
USC's Affordability
Online students pay $112,000 in tuition across five semesters. Additional program costs include travel to required residencies and program and course materials.
USC offers merit-based scholarships to online MBA students. Additional financial aid options accompany employer reimbursement programs and payment plans.
Program at a Glance
- School Type: Private
- Accreditation: WSCUC
- Tuition: $22,000 per semester
- Required Credits: 51
- Program Length: 21 months
- Delivery Format: Online (one-week, in-person residential requirement); synchronous and asynchronous
- Admissions
- Process: Each applicant must have at least two years of professional experience. Application materials include two required essays, transcripts, a resume, and one letter of recommendation. Candidates also participate in admissions interviews.
- Standardized Tests: None
- Cost: $155
Percent Online Enrollment
89%
Percentage of all students who are enrolled online.
Accreditation
Yes
Western Association of Schools and Colleges Senior Colleges and University Commission
#5 Best Online MBA Programs (No GMAT Required)
Rice University
- Houston, TX
- 4 years
- Online + Campus
Chartered by its namesake William Marsh Rice in 1891, Rice houses eight academic schools. Rice occupies 300 acres in Houston, Texas, and embraces its values — responsibility, integrity, community, and excellence — in its name and mission alike.
Online MBA
The online MBA at Rice includes 54 credit hours of coursework. Thirty-six credit hours of core classes cover fundamental financial accounting, data analysis, and marketing. Elective courses allow learners to complete one of seven focus areas and specialize their degrees.
Online MBA students complete two field experience courses, one residential and one global field experience. Learners are encouraged to take part in additional field experience courses throughout the online MBA.
Rice's online MBA curriculum culminates with a capstone requirement. Students apply degree knowledge and skills to team projects while working with executives from community-based organizations.
Rice's Specializations
Corporate Strategy | Corporate Finance | Investment Management | Marketing | Entrepreneurship | Energy | Healthcare
Rice's Affordability
Students pay $2,100 per credit hour, although tuition does not cover field experience program costs. Rice works with employers, offers payment plans, and provides information about financial aid opportunities to help all online MBA students finance the program.
Program at a Glance
- School Type: Private
- Accreditation: SACSCOC
- Tuition: $2,100 per credit hour
- Required Credits: 54
- Program Length: 24-36 months
- Delivery Format: Online (on-campus residential requirement); synchronous and asynchronous
- Admissions
- Process: Each applicant submits transcripts, a resume, an essay, and letters of recommendation in anticipation of a virtual interview. Upon admission, students pay a $1,000 deposit. Candidates with fewer than seven years of experience must provide GMAT or GRE scores.
- GPA: Not specified
- Standardized Tests: GMAT or GRE. Applicants with seven or more years of professional experience may receive GMAT or GRE waivers.
- Cost: $150
Percent Online Enrollment
93%
Percentage of all students who are enrolled online.
Accreditation
Yes
Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges
Why Are Business Schools Waiving or Not Requiring the GMAT?
The GMAT assesses business-related skills and can help learners demonstrate their preparedness for graduate study. However, the test does not measure intangible qualities like leadership or teamwork. For this reason, some business schools prefer to consider applicants holistically, using information like work experience to gain insights into prospective students. Eliminating standardized test requirements can also attract more applicants to these schools.
Offering alternatives to the GMAT benefits both schools and applicants by reducing hurdles that discourage prospective students from applying. Offering GMAT waivers to candidates with demonstrated work experience benefits those who have been out of school for a few years, while institutions gain more diverse applicant pools of experienced professionals.
MBA Admission Requirements in Place of GMAT Scores
Online MBA programs with no GMAT requirement or programs that offer GMAT waivers to qualified applicants often emphasize the following admission criteria:
-
Work Experience
The best online MBA programs prefer applicants with a few years of professional experience under their belt. Programs that require GMAT scores often waive the standardized testing requirement for students with significant professional experience.
-
Advanced Degrees
Similarly, many programs with GMAT requirements do not require applicants with a previous master's or doctoral degree to take the exam. Graduate degrees demonstrate that applicants can handle the academic rigor of top online MBA programs.
-
High GPA
Business schools with no GMAT requirement may emphasize undergraduate academic performance. Considering a candidate's transcripts allows MBA programs to evaluate a student's academic abilities. Programs that require the GMAT may waive test requirements for students with high GPAs.
-
Professional Licensure
Earning a professional license or certification can help an aspiring business student to stand out from other applicants. Candidates demonstrate skills and industry knowledge through certifications in project management, accounting, financial risk management, financial analysis, and human resources.
-
Letters of Recommendation
By reading recommendation letters from professors and supervisors, admissions staff can get a sense of an applicant's personality, work ethic, and dedication. Unlike test scores and grades, these letters speak to prospective students' personalities.
-
Essay or Personal Statement
Most business schools require applicants to submit essays or personal statements. In these essays, prospective business students typically explain their reasons for pursuing a business degree and how the school's offerings align with these goals.
Online MBA Programs for You
Grow your career, leadership, and business acumen with an accredited online MBA program.
What If the School You Want Requires the GMAT or GRE?
After thoroughly researching all your options, you may find that your ideal MBA program does, in fact, require GMAT or GRE scores. Though not everyone may excel at standardized tests, earning high scores can help you stand out and strengthen your application if, for example, your GPA is on the lower end of the spectrum.
To prepare for the GMAT or GRE, business school candidates can purchase exercise-based study guides, enroll in prep courses, or work one-on-one with tutors. Experts also stress the importance of starting the preparation process early and integrating multiple timed practice exams into your study routine. For more information and tips, consult this complete GMAT guide for MBA applicants.
Why Get an MBA?
Today, students have more avenues than ever to develop qualitative and analytical skills and become successful business managers. Many options cost far less than business schools, leading some to question the continued utility and value of MBAs.
As Harvard Business Review notes, quality business schools have shifted their focus to respond to the changing educational landscape. Top MBA programs retain a strong emphasis on technical and analysis-driven proficiencies, and they also deliver comprehensive leadership training. This important feature separates MBA degrees from lower-level and alternative credentials, reinforcing their continued relevance and utility.
Other noteworthy benefits of an MBA degree include:
- Prestige: MBAs persist as one of the most marketable credentials a business professional can hold. They send a strong message to prospective employers about your commitment and capabilities.
- Network Access: Alumni networks are an excellent career-building asset, even for learners who study entirely online.
- Transferability: MBAs offer outstanding versatility, enabling degree-holders to keep pace with the ever-changing dynamics of economic sectors and industries.
What Jobs Can an MBA Get You?
MBA degree-holders find gainful employment at impressive rates: A 2020 U.S. News & World Report analysis found that 85.2% of 2019 graduates from ranked MBA programs landed a job within three months. Online MBAs with no GMAT open the same career doors as classroom-based programs. These include high-ranking, lucrative executive positions with C-suite growth potential.
Professional experience and on-the-job training carry a great deal of value, but companies often prefer credential-based pedigree when making hiring decisions for upper-level roles. As such, MBA programs increasingly attract candidates whose career progression has stalled due to a lack of advanced business education.
Business schools also attract independent self-starters in large numbers, and MBA programs offer strong appeal to emerging entrepreneurs. Many who earn an MBA in entrepreneurship launch their own businesses or work as self-employed management consultants.
What To Expect From the Online MBA Experience
Online MBA programs with no GMAT deliver a rigorous and challenging educational experience. In most cases, full-time enrollees can complete their studies within two years. Accelerated MBA program structures can lead to graduation in just one year, while part-time students typically graduate in 3-5 years.
Program structures typically include core or required courses, electives, and capstone culminating experiences. Core courses cover essential learning, while electives afford degree-seekers the chance to specialize their learning in specific areas. Capstone courses synthesize program content, typically by requiring students to apply the sum of their learning to analyze and solve real-world business problems.
Costs vary widely: At the high end, business schools can cost
upwards of $2,000 per credit. Meanwhile, the most budget-friendly programs charge an average of about
$315 per credit as of January 2020. Given these figures, each student should carry out a careful cost-benefit analysis to maximize their educational ROI.
Selecting Your Online MBA Program That Doesn't Require the GMAT
Finding the right online MBA with no GMAT requires applicants to weigh much more than just admission standards. Candidates should also carefully consider the school's reputation among employers to ensure their degrees can lead to worthwhile job opportunities. Prospective students who have already identified specific career goals can pursue an online MBA concentration that supports their objectives.
Students should always ensure the accreditation status of each prospective school and only apply to programs hosted at institutions with accredited online MBA programs. Several specialized accreditors, including the Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs and the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business, offer voluntary endorsements that elevate their prestige.
Depending on your goals, preferences, and learning style, you may also wish to prioritize additional factors. Aspiring enrollees can consider student achievement metrics, such as post-graduation job placement rates, alumni networks, geographic location, and financial aid availability.
Ranked lists provide a valuable resource, but aspiring students should still conduct their own research. The best online MBA programs with no GMAT for your situation may be under the mainstream radar.
Why You Should Get Your MBA Online
The best online MBA programs with no GMAT deliver learning experiences as effective as traditional classroom-based education. Without a significant focus on dynamic factors such as real-time student-instructor interactions, business programs translate especially well to digital learning formats.
However, students need specific capabilities to succeed in online programs. Most online MBAs feature asynchronous formats, with recorded lectures for students to engage with on their own schedules. As such, they demand more independence, organization, and self-discipline than classroom-based learning.
These program structures heighten the appeal of online MBAs. The asynchronous virtual classroom delivers far more flexibility, making it easy to integrate studies with personal and professional commitments. This is a key reason why many working professionals prefer online delivery formats.
Common Questions About Online MBA Programs with No GMAT Requirement
Do I need GMAT for an online MBA?
Several universities offering online MBA degrees do not require applicants to submit their GMAT scores. Some institutions do not accept GMAT scores from any applicants, while others have GMAT-optional policies. Schools may also offer waivers based on professional experience.
Which online MBA doesn't require GMAT or GRE?
Online MBAs with no GMAT requirements include University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, University of Florida, Florida International University, and University of Southern California. Note that some schools do not require test scores, while others make them optional.
Will business schools stop requiring GMAT?
It is unknown whether all business schools will stop requiring GMAT scores, though trends indicate that more schools have dropped the admission requirement or made them optional.
Edited by
