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Leading the QS list of the world’s best Online MBA programs for 2026, the UK’s Imperial Business School has beaten stiff competition to top the ranking for the second time following success last year.
Previously, Spain’s IE Business School held the top spot for six consecutive years. IE ranks second in 2026, holding the same position as last year, as does Warwick Business School, which places third.
Also in this year's list, Australian Graduate School of Management (AGSM) at the University of New South Wales (UNSW) places fourth and Indiana Kelley School of Business in the US ranks fifth.
QS Online MBA Ranking: methodology
When you’re considering Online MBA programs, there are various questions you should ask yourself. Where should I study an Online MBA? What is the best value Online MBA? And is an Online MBA worth the money?
That’s where the annual this Online MBA ranking comes in, with QS breaking down the top Online MBA programs worldwide.
QS ranks the quality of programs using four criteria: faculty and teaching, employability, class profile, and class experience. Faculty and teaching measures academic reputation, faculty-student ratio, and the course completion rate, while the class profile examines a program’s cohort based on work experience, proportion of female students, and the number of nationalities represented.
The top 10 Online MBAs
Imperial Business School tops the QS Online MBA ranking yet again after receiving the highest overall score for its reputation among employers. IE Business School comes in second, and Warwick Business School takes third place.
The Australian Graduate School of Management at UNSW Business School comes in fourth, ranking the highest of the schools listed in terms of academic reputation.
Indiana University Kelley School of Business ranks fifth, Alliance Manchester Business School comes sixth, and Carnegie Mellon University ranks seventh—all maintaining their places from last year’s ranking.
The University of Florida Warrington College of Business rises seven positions into eighth place for 2026, and the University of Southern California Marshall School of Business ranks ninth, up one position from last year. In joint 10th place are Durham University Business School and Florida International University College of Business.
QS Online MBA Ranking 2026: Top 10 Online MBAs
The best Online MBAs by region
UK business schools are well-represented in the 2026 QS ranking: 16 out of 126 entrants are offered by UK institutions, with four of the top 10 spots held by UK schools.
Elsewhere in Europe, only IE Business School places in the top 10 of the Online MBA ranking, after receiving top marks for its faculty-student ratio. A higher ratio of faculty members to students means students can expect to receive more individual attention from the program’s staff. POLIMI Graduate School of Management (12th) and United International Business Schools (76th-100th) also rank highest in this area, as well as Warsaw School of Economics (33rd) and University of Nicosia (76th-100th), which both feature in the ranking for the first time this year.
Eight entries received full scores for their completion rate, including POLIMI, Bayes Business School (21st), and Rome Business School (57th). This measure rewards programs which have a consistent cohort and is taken as an indicator that the Online MBA program is worth completing in full.
Business schools in the US dominate the overall list, with some 60 programs in total—and four of the top 10 Online MBA programs—offered by US schools.
According to QS, Indiana University Kelley School of Business offers the best Online MBA program in the US, ranking fifth overall. Carnegie Mellon University comes in seventh, and the University of Florida Warrington College of Business rises by seven places to the eighth position in 2026.
The Asia-Pacific’s best Online MBA program, offered by the Australian Graduate School of Management at UNSW Business School, comes in fourth.
The best new entries in the QS Online MBA ranking 2026 include institutions in the UK, Poland, the US, Spain, and Portugal. The UK’s University of Exeter ranks 23rd, the highest of the new entries, while Poland’s Warsaw School of Economics comes 33rd, and US-based Purdue University comes 38th.
Is an Online MBA worth it?
Studying an MBA online allows you to study alongside your work. You won’t miss out on earning a salary, plus you’ll make savings on living and travel costs. Compared to the cost of a full-time MBA, Online MBA programs are therefore typically more affordable.
Imperial Business School charges roughly $73,000 for its two-year program, while IE Business School’s 18-24 month program costs around the same. The two-year program at Warwick Business School will set you back around $56,000.
Online MBA programs in the US are often a larger investment. For example, University of Southern California (USC) Marshall Business School charges around $123,000 in tuition, while the Online MBA at Indiana University Kelley School of Business costs just under $100,000.
However, the cheapest Online MBA program in the QS top 10 is also offered by a US business school—tuition at Florida International University College of Business costs $42,000 for its 18-, 21-, or 33-month program.
The next cheapest programs to feature in the top 10 are based in the UK, with both Alliance Manchester Business School and Durham University Business School charging just under $45,000 for their Online MBA programs.
With the rise in the number of AACSB-accredited business schools offering fully online MBA programs over the years, an Online MBA can provide similar quality education as in-person MBA programs.
In deciding whether an Online MBA is worth the money, you should consider how the flexible format of the program will help you reach your career goals and whether an online learning environment is something you’d find enjoyable and productive.
Shorter online course options
Another popular version of online delivery of business management skills is through shorter, online courses at the fraction of the cost of an MBA.
This continues to be a very popular option for M7 business schools such as Harvard and Columbia, which run courses for several weeks at as little as $1,850, covering entrepreneurship, economics, and business analytics.
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