Photo caption: The University of Wisconsin MBA Consortium is among the top online MBA programs in the country.
The University of Wisconsin MBA Consortium, managed by UW-Eau Claire, is the top online MBA program in Wisconsin and the Upper Midwest, according to U.S. News & World Report’s 2021 rankings.
For the second consecutive year, the consortium is ranked 10th in the country in U.S. News’ Best Online MBA Programs rankings. This is the third straight year and the fourth time overall that the consortium, which includes UW-Eau Claire, UW-La Crosse and UW Oshkosh, is among the top 10 programs in the nation.
U.S. News examined 324 schools, making the UW MBA Consortium among the top 3% of online MBA programs in the nation.
“To have the prestigious U.S. News & World Report continue to rank our program so highly is an honor,” says Jessica Franson, UW MBA Consortium managing director. “Since 2015, when U.S. News & World Report began ranking online MBA programs, we have consistently ranked among the top programs in the nation. To hold onto that spot as more online MBA programs have emerged reflects the dedication we have to providing an MBA degree that embodies excellence in all facets of the program.”
The UW MBA Consortium is the only Upper Midwest program included in the top 25 programs in the nation. Other Wisconsin schools in the rankings include: UW-Whitewater, 26th; Cardinal Stritch and Concordia University, 224-295th; and Carroll University and Mount Mary University, unranked.
The UW MBA Consortium also ranked eighth in U.S. News’ Best Online MBA Programs for Veterans and 17th for Best Online General Management MBA Programs.
The U.S. News’ rankings are based on five factors: Faculty credentials and training; services and technologies; engagement; student excellence; and expert opinion.
Students in the UW MBA Consortium program say they are attracted to it because of its flexibility which allows them to balance the demands of their professional and personnel lives with advancing their careers, says Dr. Paula Lentz, UW MBA Consortium academic director.
Students also appreciate the program’s student-centered focus, reputation for academic excellence and affordability, Lentz says.
“Two themes we regularly see in student comments include being able to personalize their curriculum from our wide elective array and, at the same time, have an integrated experience that reflects the nature of their work in their organizations,” Lentz says. “As students take on leadership roles in their organizations, they have to be able to work with people from across functional areas; we reflect this same kind of integrated approach in the design and delivery of our curriculum.”
In 2021, more than 300 students are enrolled in the UW MBA Consortium program, which graduates about 70 students a year. The program will reach a milestone of its 700th graduate in 2021.
Students from 39 states and three countries currently are enrolled in the program. Thirty percent of students are from Wisconsin, with 55% from Wisconsin, Illinois, Iowa, Michigan and Minnesota.
