Best Ivy League Online MBA Programs in 2024

When you think about a quality MBA program, you definitely think MBA from an Ivy League School. It is even better to get these Ivy League Schools’ MBA programs online, studying from anywhere in the world. Learn about the best Ivy League MBA degree and business certificate programs you can take online today.

You may wonder why we must always mention Ivy League schools regarding quality, even for an MBA degree. It is a good thing to mull over as several other colleges and universities also offer quality degree programs.

Check this out: according to U.S News & World Report, the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School is the best business school in the USA; Havard Business School is the third-best in the USA, and Columbia Business School is the sixth-best.

These are three schools out of the eight ivy league colleges. If this doesn’t confirm Ivy League School’s reputation for quality, what else does?

You’re on this ride with us if your answer is nothing. In this post, we will rank the best ivy league business league schools to get an online MBA degree.

But first, we will formally introduce you to Ivy League schools and show you why you may have to start considering getting an MBA online – if you already haven’t been considering it.

What are Ivy League Schools?

Ivy League Colleges got their name from “Ivy League,” which is an American Collegiate Athletic Conference made up of sports teams from eight (8) private universities in the Northeastern USA.

So, when we mention Ivy League Colleges, we are merely referring to these eight universities.

Along the line, these eight colleges became famous for their academic achievements and style of education.

They have also been consistently ranked among the top 20 universities in the USA. US News and World Report place four (4) Ivy League colleges in the top 4 spots of national universities, with Columbia and Yale tieing for third place.

Over the past 18 years, up till 2018, Princeton University has appeared 11 times as the best university in US News and World Report Best National University Ranking.

Harvard has appeared twice, and both Harvard and Princeton have tied for the first position in this ranking five times.

So what are these eight schools that make up the Ivy League Colleges?

In alphabetic order, the eight Ivy League colleges are:

• Brown University
• Columbia University
• Cornell University
• Dartmouth University
• Harvard University
• Princeton University
• University of Pennsylvania
• Yale University

Why Ivy League Schools?

Now you have seen these eight Ivy League Schools, you may want to know why you should attend one.

Here’s why you should choose to attend an Ivy League College:

Networking

A strong alumni network is one of the greatest benefits of attending an ivy league college and good colleges in the USA in general.

Due to the fact that most Ivy League Colleges date as far back as 1700, they have had the opportunity to produce top employers in every job industry.

So, while getting one of the best education at an Ivy League college, you can network with powerful alumni who are top employers. As such, you will get internship positions and even job placements easily.

Rich Resources

Most times, what makes an outstanding education is the kind of resources used in teaching.

Your access to some of the best educational resources goes a long way to determine the kind of student you become at graduation. Exceptional resources equal an exceptional graduate.

At Ivy League colleges, you’ll have access to research materials created by the most brilliant minds.

Job Opportunities

Some of the best schools are rated for the ability of their graduates to gain rewarding employment in the first year of graduation.

While the US Department of Education places the average salary of a fresh graduate as $59,124 USD a year, the average salary for an Ivy League graduate is quite higher.

According to Crimson, Here is what a typical Ivy League graduate will earn, based on their school:

• Harvard University – $89,700 USD
• Princeton University – $74,700 USD
• The University of Pennsylvania – $85,500 USD
• Yale University – $83,200 USD
• Columbia University – $83,300 USD
• Cornell University – $77,200 USD
• Dartmouth College – $75,500 USD
• Brown University – $67,500 USD

Career Boost

Do you think a certain career path is tough? Then you need a degree from an Ivy League college to break you through.

Career paths like law, business consulting, and finance favor graduates from Ivy League colleges. The reason for this is not farfetched – Ivy League Colleges house some of the brightest minds.

Crimson pointed out that of the 114 Supreme Court Justices, more than half of them attended an Ivy League University.

Presently, all nine justices attended law school at either Yale or Harvard. When it comes to the finance industry, top companies like Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanley, and Citigroup get most of their employees from UPenn.

So, are you ready to stand out in your chosen career path? I bet you know what kind of education you need by now.

Can I Get an MBA degree online?

Yes, you can get an MBA degree online and the schools offering these online MBA programs have relevant accreditation for their MBA programs. So, why shouldn’t you get an MBA online?

Here are a couple of reasons why people prefer an online MBA to a traditional classroom MBA:

• You don’t have to quit your current job to complete your MBA program. In other words, you can maintain your job and complete the classes you need for an MBA degree. With the flexibility that an online MBA offers, you can actually pace your program in the way that suits you.
• It takes lesser time to complete an online MBA. In just 15 months, you can complete an MBA online, whereas the traditional MBA will take you at least two years to complete.
• Most online MBA will waive standardized tests like GMAT and GRE for you. The GMAT test is a huge challenge to graduates who wish to add a master’s degree to their academic portfolio. So, imagine how easy getting an online MBA can be.
• More business graduates and professionals are choosing the online MBA over the traditional MBA. And the more students are choosing the online MBA, the more popular it gets. Also, the more popular it gets, the more schools are reviewing their curriculum to accommodate an online MBA program. For example, when US News and World Report published the best MBA programs, there were 180 programs in their ranking. In 2018, when they updated their ranking, there were 270 online MBA programs, and that was not all the MBA programs you can get.

You should also see: Masters Of Business Administration MBA | 11 Facts You Need To Know

Best Ivy League Online MBA

We’re finally here because you have chosen to get an online MBA and you want to get it from an Ivy League School. So, knowing that we have 8 Ivy League Colleges, which one offers the best online MBA program, and how are these 8 schools ranked?

To effectively discuss this, you first have to understand something – Not all Ivy League Schools have a business school!

Business Schools are the schools, colleges, faculty, or departments within a university or college that offer the school’s business programs.

Since business is a popular program, almost all colleges in the USA and the world have a business school offering both undergraduate and graduate business degrees or one of both.

Sadly, not all Ivy League schools have a business school. Of the 8 Ivy League colleges, Princeton University and Brown University do not have an MBA school but surprisingly, Brown University is the only Ivy League university offering online an MBA program.

Before we proceed to explain how Brown University, which doesn’t have a Business School, happens to be the only Ivy League school with an online MBA program, let’s introduce you to all the Ivy League Business Schools.

List of Ivy Leauge Business Schools

Here is a list of all the Ivy League business schools:

• Columbia Business School – Columbia University
• Samuel Curtis (SC) Johnson College of Business – Brown University
• Harvard Business School – Harvard University
• Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania – University of Pennsylvania
• Yale School of Management (SOM) – Yale University
• Tuck School of Business – Dartmouth University

Moving on, most of these Ivy League Business Schools listed above all offer traditional MBA programs.

And even though they don’t offer an online MBA, they offer certificate courses in business that can update your skills and make you more effective at your workplace.

We discuss these in the sections to follow.

#1. Brown University

Program – Executive Master: IE Brown Executive MBA

Let’s discuss our surprise – Brown University. Brown University does not have a recognized Business School like its other Ivy League counterparts.

However, Brown University, through its School of Professional Studies collaborates with IE business school to offer the IE Brown Executive MBA.

This MBA may not be the best MBA compared to the traditional MBA program of Brown’s Ivy League counterparts, but it is the only online MBA you can get from an Ivy League College.

The strength of this program is in its alliance. Combining IE’s practice-oriented management education with Brown’s excellence in the humanities, social, biological, and physical sciences, Brown University’s Executive MBA can stand beside several high-quality MBAs.

Meanwhile, IE Brown’s Executive MBA is a 15-month program that you will take online and face-to-face in classrooms.

Thus, it is not a 100% online MBA program. It is a kind of blended MBA program and through this blended EMBA program, you will have the opportunity to travel to Cape Town, South Africa.

There, you’ll study issues, challenges, and opportunities associated with multi-national business environments, cultural differences, and emerging markets. 

#2. Cornell University

Online Courses – Over 35 Courses

Cornell University, like Columbia University, is located in New York. Its business school is also renowned in the USA.

The SC Johnson College of Business, which is Cornell’s business school, offers some of the best MBA programs in the USA, but not on the online platform.

Cornell University has an online learning platform, however. This is the eCornell. Through eCornell, you can get Corporate Programs that are for result-oriented professionals seeking development – which we are certain you are.

eCornell prides itself as an online learning platform where the best companies train their staff. Companies like Accenture, Amazon, Hilton and Four Seasons patronize eCornell, so why not you?

Moving on, eCornell provides online certificate programs in a variety of fields that are business-related and non-business-related. The business-related fields include:

• Marketing – 10 certificate programs, including Brand Management Certificate
• Human Resource – 12 certificate courses, including a Human Resources Management certificate
• Business and Finance – 16 certificate programs, including Business Statistics Certificate

Whatever the certificate program in business, or leadership that you need, you can almost always get them at Cornell University. See the full list of all eCornell’s programs by clicking the button below.

Ivy League MBA could be expensive so, see these Top 15 Cheap Online Master’s and MBA in Marketing Degree Programs

#3. Harvard University

Online Courses – 14 Courses

Harvard University needs no introduction. It is an exceptional Ivy League College with a very low acceptance rate. For the Harvard Undergraduate Class of 2024, Harvard University’s acceptance rate was 4.6%. Almost everyone looking for a quality education looks towards Harvard University.

Harvard University has the Harvard Business School as its business school, but sadly, this school offers no online MBA program.

It offers some of the best traditional MBA programs, however, that easily sits among the top 5 MBA programs in the USA.

But not to be dismayed, Harvard Business School has an online division that offers quality online certificate programs that can give you an added advantage as well as set you apart in your workplace.

What makes Harvard Business School Online programs stand out from its peers is that it utilizes an engaging approach to teaching.

It also provides a platform for you to share your thoughts and ideas with a community of global learners, and it brings lessons to live through life cases that immerse you in the shoes of business leaders.

The beautiful programs you can get from HBS include:

• Credential of Readiness (CORE)
• Business Analytics
• Courageous Leadership
• Disruptive Strategy
• Economics for Managers
• Entrepreneurship Essentials
• Financial Accounting
• Global Business
• Leadership Principles
• Leading with Finance
• Management Essentials
• Negotiation Mastery
• Scaling Ventures
• Sustainable Business Strategy

Explore all HBS online’s programs by tapping the button below.

#4. Columbia University

Online Courses – 13 Courses

Columbia University is another Ivy League University enjoying good rankings. It has a powerful business school in its Columbia business schools and offers one of the best MBA programs in the USA and in the world. However, Columbia Business School does not offer any online MBA.

Instead of an online MBA, Columbia Business school offers online courses for individuals. Columbia’s Executive Education online programs are delivered with top-notch technology, and the program connects you with other executives who are thought leaders and great talents. In fact, Columbia’s online Executive Programs insert you a vast community of leaders.

Why then won’t you become a leader? No reason! So, to make sure that the majority of executives’ needs are met, Columbia offers the following online programs.

• Blockchain in Business
• Columbia Management Essentials
• Leadership Essentials (Coming Soon)
• Driving Performance and Change
• Driving Strategic Impact
• Globalization
• Introduction to Digital Media
• Launch Your Startup
• Mastering Corporate Entrepreneurship
• Personal Leadership and Success
• Python for Managers
• Strategic Intuition
• Value Investing

Click on the button below to explore each of these amazing online business courses.

Read this: 10 Cheapest Dual MSN MBA Online Programs in 2024

#5. University of Pennsylvania

Online Courses – Over 11 Courses

The University of Pennsylvania (UPenn) is one of the forefront universities in the USA for core programs like medicine, engineering, law, and business.

Its Wharton School is rated as one of the best business schools in the USA, notwithstanding the fact that it doesn’t offer an online MBA.

The Wharton School’s traditional MBA is one of the best in the USA and in the world, however.

Meanwhile, like Harvard Business School, The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania also has an online division that offers some of the best online programs and certificates in business.

These programs are grouped into Leadership Courses, Technology Courses, Industry-Specific Courses, and Business Strategy Courses. These online programs equip you with the right information and practical skills to be competitive in any business industry.

One of UPenn’s Wharton School’s strengths is its Online Specialization that builds you to become a competent businessman in non-business-related industries.

Besides, all of Wharton Online’s courses are now accredited for Continuing Education Units (CEUs). 

This means that you can apply these courses to continuing education programs that provide development across dozens of industries.

Some of Wharton School Online’s amazing programs are:

• Leadership and Management
• Strategic Management Certificate
• Leadership in the Age of Digital Disruption
• Business and Financial Modeling Specialization
• Fintech: Foundations and Applications of Financial Technologies
• Digital Marketing
• Entrepreneurship
• The Business of Health Care Specialization
• Achieving Personal and Professional Success
• Business Foundations Specialization
• Business Strategies for a Better World

Explore all Wharton School Online’s programs by clicking on the button below.

Check this: 26+ MBA Full Scholarships for International Students

#6. Yale University

Online Courses – 8 Courses

Yale University is one of the schools in the USA that students easily refer to when it comes to quality education. It is the third oldest school in the USA and has consistently ranked as one of the best universities in both the USA and the world.

Its business school is the popular Yale School of Management (SOM). This business school ranks well as one of the best business schools in the USA, and its MBA programs are very qualitative. However, you can’t get an online MBA at Yale School of Management. Instead of an online MBA at this Ivy League school, you’ll get online Executive Programs.

Yale SOM groups these online open-enrollment executive programs into Leadership, Marketing, and Finance. The aim of these programs is to enhance your leadership and operational skills. Taking any of these Yale SOM’s online executive programs, you’ll learn alongside high-level business executives as well as build strong networks with them.

The online executive programs at Yale SOM cutting across Leadership, Marketing, and Finance include:

• Accelerated Management Program
• Fostering Inclusion and Diversity
• Global Business and Politics
• Leading Effective Decision-Making
• Leading and Managing Globally
• Digital Marketing: A Strategic Perspective
• Investment Management Theory & Practice
• Wealth Management Theory & Practice

Explore all of Yale School of Management’s Online Executive Programs below.

Also, check this: 10 Best Online MBA Programs In Louisiana

What are the Best Ivy League Business Schools?

Analyzing Business Schools and Programs for Ivy League Schools can be as interesting as it is tricky. Brown University does not have a business school, yet it is the only Ivy League school offering an online MBA (even though it is not 100% online).

Princeton University is the only Ivy League School that neither has a business school nor offers online business programs.

Princeton University has an online learning platform that has a kind of Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) structure to it, however.

You can complete short courses online to update your skills and develop your personal self through Princeton’s Online learning, but none of these courses are business-related.

Dartmouth University has its prestigious Tuck School of Business offering quality MBA programs traditionally but none online.

This Ivy League school’s Online Learning only offers The Master of Health Care Delivery Science (MHCDS) and the Master in Public Health degree programs online.

Anyway, Dartmouth still has a business school along with five other Ivy League Schools – all of which offer one form of the traditional MBA program or the other.

These Ivy League schools rank so well in the USA, and based on US News and World Report’s ranking, we will proceed to rank the best Ivy League Business Schools.

So, the best Ivy League Business Schools are:

• Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania – #1 in US News
• Harvard Business School – #3 in US News
• Columbia Business School – #6 in US News
• Yale School of Management – #9 in US News
• Dartmouth’s Tuck School of Business – #12 in US News
• Cornell’s SC Johnson College of Business – #15 in US News.

FAQs

Conclusion

Online MBA is the growing trend in Business Education. More students are taking it, and organizations from around the world are increasingly paying for their staff to complete their MBA online.

The quality of your MBA is very important, which is why people who have decided to take an MBA program online are looking to ivy league schools for an online MBA program. Sadly, when it comes to MBA programs, Ivy League schools are still traditional in their approach.

Brown University is the only ivy league college offering an online MBA program, even though they don’t have a business school. They are able to successfully offer this EMBA program through their collaboration with IE Business School.

If you must get a business program online from more popular Ivy League Schools like Harvard and Yale, we believe you’ve seen certificate programs in this post that suits your needs.

References

• Wikipedia – Ivy League
• US News & World Report – Best Business Schools
• Crimson – The Benefits of Ivy League
• Forbes – Is Getting an Online MBA Worth It?

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