News Archive

U.S. News & World Report Ranks Muma College of Business online MBA program No. 31 in the nation

US News and Word Report Online MBA Ranking

By Elizabeth L. Brown

TAMPA (January 25, 2022) – The University of South Florida’s online MBA program took the No. 31 spot in the nation – No. 25 among public universities – on the U.S. News and World Report’s annual survey of the 2022 Best Online Programs released this week.

Over the past month, the university’s online MBA program in the Muma College of Business, has garnered top positions on other national rankings, making it one the country’s top distance education MBA programs.

“Without a doubt, we know our online MBA program is an exceptional program,” said Eric Douthirt, director of USF’s MBA programs. “To continue to be recognized as one of the best in the nation is a testament to our stellar academics, a robust faculty committed to offering an experiential program, and the quality and diversity of students we attract.”

In December, USF’s online MBA program landed in the No. 20 spot – No. 11 among public universities – according to The Princeton Review’s survey of Top 50 Online MBA Programs for 2022.

In another national survey, Poets&Quants listed USF’s online MBA program at No. 34 in the country and No. 19 among public universities, according to its 2022 ranking of the Best Online MBA Programs.

USF’s online MBA program is designed to help busy working professionals gain the necessary skills to excel within today’s industry challenges. In January, the program debuted a newly designed residency program that not only strengthens the curriculum but increases the engagement with students. Find more information about the program here. 

For the 2022 survey, U.S. News and World Report ranked online MBA programs using five categories. According to the publication’s methodology, here is a look at each category and its weight in the ranking formula:

  • Engagement was worth 30 percent in the ranking formula. This category looked at how well the program promotes course participation, allowing students opportunities to readily interact with their instructors and classmates. Other factors in this category included graduation rates and class size.
  • Expert opinion weighed in at 25 percent. The publication surveyed high-ranking academic officials at MBA programs.
  • Faculty credentials and training accounted for 15 percent of the ranking score. This category considered how many faculty members have terminal degrees and whether they are prepared to teach distance learners.
  • Student excellence was worth 15 percent. This category gauged student aptitudes, ambitions, and accomplishments, including weighing their undergraduate grades and work experience.
  • Student services and technologies accounted for 15 percent. This area measured how the program incorporated diverse online learning technologies to allow greater flexibility for students to take courses online. Other factors that affected the score include student indebtedness and technological infrastructure.

The 2022 survey also ranked USF’s online MBA program No. 45 in the nation for veterans.