Best Online MBA Programs in the Northeast

Syracuse University (Whitman)’s online MBA program does not require the GMAT or GRE for applicants with two or more years of professional work experience. Applicants with less work experience may submit scores if they believe it will enhance their application. Two letters of recommendation are required and incoming online MBA students had an average undergraduate GPA of 3.1 and an average of more than 10 years of work experience. The acceptance rate into the university’s online program was 81.6% last year, and the program had a graduation rate of 63% in three years. Students must complete 54 credits to graduate.

The University of Massachusetts–Lowell’s online MBA program typically requires submission of a GMAT or GRE score, but this requirement is being waived due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Previously the GMAT requirement could be waived based on certain criteria. Three letters of recommendation are required and incoming online MBA students had an average undergraduate GPA of 3.43 and an average of 11 years of work experience. The acceptance rate into the university’s online program was 88% last year, and the program had a retention rate of 87%. Students must complete 30 credits to graduate.

Rochester Institute of Technology (Saunders) has GMAT or GRE test score waivers for qualifying applicants. Three letters of recommendation are required and incoming online MBA students had an average undergraduate GPA of 3.31 and an average of 16 years of work experience. The acceptance rate into the university’s online program was 45% last year, and the program had a retention rate of 90%. Students must complete 47 credits to graduate.

St. John’s University (Tobin) does not require a GMAT or GRE score, but applicants can submit test scores if they wish. Two letters of recommendation are required and incoming online MBA students had an average undergraduate GPA of 3.4 and an average of six years of work experience. The acceptance rate into the university’s online program was 59% last year, and the program had a graduation rate of 81% in three years. Students must complete 36 credits to graduate.

Hofstra University (Zarb) accepts GMAT and GRE scores for admission to its online MBA program. Waivers can be granted for applicants with a notable record of managerial level work experience (five or more years) or applicants who have completed an undergraduate business degree from an AACSB or EQUIS accredited college with a cumulative GPA of 3.2 or higher. Two letters of recommendation are required. In 2021, Zarb admitted 87% of applicants, and currently enrolls 92 online MBA students. The school offers admission on a rolling basis.

Babson College (Olin) requires one letter of recommendation, but does not require GMAT or GRE scores to apply for its online MBA program. Incoming students had an average undergraduate GPA of 3.09. Olin offers admission on a rolling basis, and in 2021 had an 92% acceptance rate. The school currently enrolls 408 online MBA students and has a one-year retention rate of 84%. In order to graduate, online MBA students must complete 45 credits. A minimum TOEFL score of 100 is required to be submitted by international applicants.

Lehigh University does not require online MBA applicants to submit a GMAT or GRE test score. Incoming students had an average GMAT score of 622 and had an undergraduate GPA of 3.36. Waivers are available for those applicants with a strong academic record, “excellent track record” of professional experience, professional certifications, or a master’s or doctoral degree. Two letters of recommendation are required. Last year, Lehigh accepted 66% of applicants to its online MBA program, which currently enrolls 275 students.

A large percentage of applicants to SUNY Polytechnic Institute’s online MBA program qualify for a GMAT waiver. One letter of recommendation is required and incoming online MBA students had an average undergraduate GPA of 3.54. The acceptance rate into the university’s online program was 74% last year, and the program had a graduation rate of 100% in three years. Students must complete 33 to 48 credits to graduate, depending on their background.Students need 48 credits completed to graduate.

West Chester University of Pennsylvania considers online MBA applications holistically. Incoming students had an average undergraduate GPA of 3.3. Three letters of recommendation are required to apply. Last year, West Chester University of Pennsylvania admitted 93% of applicants to the online MBA program, which has a current enrollment of 610 students. Admissions are made on a rolling basis. The program has a one-year retention rate of 93%.

The University of Maine’s online MBA program requires test scores from applicants but offers a GMAT waiver for students with five or more years of experience in professional leadership roles or U.S. military service. No letters of recommendation are required and incoming online MBA students had an average undergraduate GPA of 3.33 and an average of more than 10 years of work experience. The acceptance rate into the university’s online program was 85% last year, and the program had a graduation rate of 81% in three years. Students must complete 30 credits to graduate.

Clarkson University accepts GMAT and GRE test scores, but offers waivers to students who graduated from Clarkson, hold master’s or doctorate degrees or have a “significant degree of full-time, non-internship employment in a professional setting.” Incoming students had an average undergraduate GPA of 3.4 and a 533 GMAT score. Two letters of recommendation are required to apply. Admissions are offered on a rolling basis, and Clarkson currently enrolls 137 online MBA students. In 2021, the school accepted 94% of applicants. Students need 42 credits in order to graduate.

Montclair State University requires online MBA applicants to submit a GMAT or GRE test score, but this requirement can be waived if an applicant has an undergraduate GPA of 2.75 or higher. Incoming students had an average undergraduate GPA of 3.28. One letter of recommendation is required. The school offers admission to its online MBA program on a rolling basis. In 2021, 96.3% of applicants to the online MBA program earned admission. Montclair State University currently has 409 online MBA students enrolled. They need to complete 36 credits in order to graduate.

Marist College requires a GMAT or GRE score to be submitted with an online MBA application, which can be waived under certain conditions. Incoming students had an average 3.37 undergraduate GPA. Letters of recommendation are not required to apply to Marist College’s online MBA program. The acceptance rate into the private college’s online program was 82.4% last year. Admissions are made on a rolling basis, and Marist College currently enrolls 227 online MBA students. The program’s one-year retention rate is 92.9%, and students must complete 36 credits to graduate.

The University of Scranton does not require GMAT or GRE test scores from applicants to its online MBA program. Incoming students average nine years of work experience and an undergraduate GPA of 3.2. Applicants must submit three letters of recommendation, and the acceptance rate for the program is 73%. The program requires a minimum of 36 credits for graduation, and has a graduation rate of 59% within three years.

Saint Joseph’s University (Haub) requires online MBA applicants to submit a GMAT or GRE test score, but this requirement can be waived if an applicant has an undergraduate GPA of 3.0 or higher. Incoming students had an average undergraduate GPA of 3.19 and a GMAT score of 500. Two letters of recommendation are required. Admissions are made on a rolling basis. In 2021, Saint Joseph’s University (Haub) accepted 90.4% of applicants to its online MBA program, which now enrolls 460 students. The program has a one-year retention rate of 84.8%.

Worcester Polytechnic Institute’s online MBA program does not require GRE or GMAT scores from its applicants. Two letters of recommendation are required and incoming online MBA students had an average undergraduate GPA of 3.5 and an average of 13 years of work experience. The program had a retention rate of 85% last year and students must complete 36 credits to graduate.

SUNY–Oswego requires applicants to submit GMAT or GRE scores. This requirement can be waived if an applicant already holds a master’s degree or higher. Incoming students had an undergraduate GPA of 3.26 and a GMAT score of 487. Three letters of recommendation are required to apply. Admissions to the online MBA program are made on a rolling basis. In 2021, SUNY–Oswego admitted 93% of applicants to its online MBA program, which currently has an enrollment of 213 students. The program’s one-year retention rate is 81.4%.

Utica College does not require GMAT or GRE scores as part of its online MBA application. International applicants must submit a TOEFL score of at least 79 to be considered for admission. Two letters of recommendation are required with applications. The acceptance rate to the private college was 72% last year. Utica College makes admissions on a rolling basis, and its online MBA program currently enrolls 148 students. The program’s one-year retention rate is 76%. Students need 30 credits to graduate, and the program’s graduation rate is 86%.

Franklin Pierce University does not consider standardized test scores in admissions. No letters of recommendation are required and incoming online MBA students had an average undergraduate GPA of 3.2. The acceptance rate into the university’s online program was 100% last year, and the school had a retention rate of 94%. Students must complete 39 credits to graduate.

Drexel University requires applicants to submit a GMAT or GRE test score for admission to its online MBA program. Applicants are able to request a waiver based on significant professional experience and/or high achievement during their undergraduate academic career, with an emphasis on quantitative and analytical skills. One letter of recommendation is required and incoming online MBA students had an average undergraduate GPA of 3.07. The acceptance rate into the university’s online program was 96% last year, and the program had a retention rate of 76%. Students must complete 49 credits to graduate.

Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania (Grove) does not require GMAT or GRE scores with applications to its online MBA program and does not consider them during the application process. Letters of recommendation are not required for admission. International students must submit a TOEFL score to apply. Incoming students had an average undergraduate GPA of 3.17. The acceptance rate to the public university’s online program was 90% last year. Admissions are made on a rolling basis, and Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania (Grove) currently enrolls 141 online MBA students. The program’s one-year retention rate is 70%.