Boston is famous for its baked beans and its clam chowder, for Fenway Park and the Boston Marathon, and of course for its history. Boston Tea Party, anyone? But what you may not realize is that Boston is home to over 20 colleges and universities. From the lofty Harvard University to the lowly community college, Boston has learning opportunities for every student. In this article, we’re going to look at the top 19 best MBA programs in Boston.
What Kind of MBA Program Can You Find in Boston?
You can find just about any kind of MBA program in Boston, from online to accelerated to the standard two-year, full-time MBA. There are MBAs with different concentrations and specializations to choose from, and there are general MBAs. There is even an MD/MBA dual degree program.
How Much Money Can You Make with an MBA?
An MBA can be a great investment in your career. It makes it easier to move up into high-level executive management positions. The Bureau of Labor Statistics states that computer and information systems managers earn a median income of $146,360. That’s the highest management income listed. Architectural and engineering managers earn a median income of $144,830 and advertising, promotions, and marketing managers earn a median of $135,900.
Rank | School | Location |
---|---|---|
1 | University of Massachusetts-Lowell | Lowell, Massachusetts |
2 | University of Massachusetts-Boston | Boston, Massachusetts |
3 | Framingham State University | Framingham, Massachusetts |
4 | Northeastern University | Boston, Massachusetts |
5 | Boston University | Boston, Massachusetts |
The Top 19 Best MBA Programs in Boston
To determine the top 19 best MBA programs in Boston, we first made a list of all the schools within about a 30-minute drive of the city of Boston that offer MBA programs. Then we evaluated them based on cost (lower is better) and enrollment (higher is better). Based on those criteria, here are the top 19 best MBA programs in Boston.
University of Massachusetts-Lowell
The Manning School of Business at the University of Massachusetts-Lowell offers an MBA that prepares students to be leaders in today’s ever-changing business environment. The program encourages relationships between students and alumni, who run everything from start-ups to Fortune 500 companies.
Graduates are qualified to advance in their careers or start a new job at a new company. The program is flexible enough that students can customize it to meet their own personal and professional goals. Students can attend part- or full-time, and there are even online options.
Students can pursue a general MBA or focus their studies in one of the following areas: marketing, managerial leadership, international business, information technology, healthcare, finance, entrepreneurship, business analytics, or accounting.
UMass Lowell has been preparing students for careers in business for many years. The school has industry ties that result in networking and internship opportunities for students.
School Overview
University of Massachusetts-Boston
Students searching for the best online MBA programs in Boston need not look any further than the University of Massachusetts-Boston. The school offers a 12-course MBA that can be completed part-time or full-time, on campus, or online. On-campus students meet once per week.
Students gain the skills they need to make complicated business decisions. They also build their professional networks, increasing their competitive advantage in the workplace. The faculty members have industry experience and share that experience with their students. Since UMass Boston is a public school, its tuition is lower than most other business schools in the area.
The program can be customized by choosing one of eleven optional specializations: supply chain and service management, nonprofit management, marketing, leadership and organizational change, international management, information systems, finance, environmental management, digital marketing, business analytics, or accounting.
School Overview
Framingham State University
Framingham State University offers an MBA that enables students to reach their career goals. Students build relationships with faculty members and peers and gain the skills they need to prepare for a promotion or embark on a new business venture.
Framingham has two concentrations to choose from: management or biotechnology operations. The program is flexible enough to accommodate working executives’ busy schedules. Students can complete the program as quickly as 16 months or take their time. Part-time students take three to four years to complete the program. There are online courses available as well as on-campus options.
The school offers a high-quality business education that is both flexible and affordable. The program is accredited by the International Accreditation Council for Business Education and emphasizes creativity and teamwork. Students focus on the operational, strategic, and humanistic aspects of business management.
School Overview
Northeastern University
The D’Amore-McKim School of Business at Northeastern University offers something innovative and new called the MBA x. The MBA x combines rigorous business education with an industry-specific concentration as well as a complementary concentration that makes Northeastern’s MBA graduates stand out from their peers.
The MBA x Computer Science is designed for students who are fascinated by technology, from robotics and blockchain to artificial intelligence. Students learn the technical, data, and computer science skills they need to succeed in a technology-driven marketplace.
The MBA x Life Sciences combines the traditional MBA with a program that emphasizes advancements in the area of life science. There is also an MBA x Design and Communication for students who enjoy design.
The MBA program at Northeastern University includes a corporate residency that gives students up to 12 months of in-depth experience in business.
School Overview
Boston University
The Questrom School of Business at Boston University offers a full-time MBA that encourages students to discover new and innovative ways of doing things. Students are challenged to stay ahead of the changing business landscape, not just react to it.
At Questrom, students find solutions to global problems and issues that matter to their communities and to the world. They attend field seminars in places like India, Brazil, and Asia. Through international experiences, students gain a global perspective that you just can’t get any other way.
The school seeks students who are eager to learn and to embrace change. The admissions committee looks at students’ diversity, academic credentials, leadership skills, and professional background, looking for global citizens who embrace teamwork and collaboration. Questrom seeks to create a class of graduates who are rich in life experiences, cultures, and ideas.
School Overview
Endicott College
The Van Loan School of Graduate and Professional Studies at Endicott College allows students to earn their MBAs while advancing their careers. The program is available on campus in Boston or Beverly in the evenings as well as online.
The Experienced Professional MBA requires 42 credits and is designed for working adults. The program enables students to advance their education while keeping up with their real-life responsibilities. Students gain the business skills they need to be able to start their own businesses, lead marketing and advertising campaigns, or manage a for-profit or nonprofit organization.
Students may choose two concentrations from the following: accounting, construction project management, entrepreneurship, finance, general management, global hospitality management, global management, healthcare management, health informatics, human resources management, information technology management, maritime economics, marketing, non-profit management, operations management, project management, public administration, or real estate.
School Overview
Cambridge College
The School of Management at Cambridge College offers an MBA that gives students the knowledge and skills they need to lead meaningful managerial and business careers. The program is designed to give working professionals the opportunity to earn the degree that is recognized as the standard for management and leadership.
Students learn to analyze situations to make strong business decisions, use teamwork and collaboration to implement projects, and create change using their leadership and management skills. There are two specializations to choose from: information technology management and business analytics.
Graduates of the program will be able to demonstrate professional integrity, manage uncertainty and complexity, show competence in the area of cultural diversity, make strategic decisions with regard to resources and technology, use financial tools and data, and demonstrate problem-solving and critical-thinking skills.
School Overview
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
The Sloan School of Management at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology has a two-year, full-time MBA that transforms students into business leaders through hands-on learning and intellectual discovery.
At MIT Sloan, students learn how to invent the future. They solve the challenges of tomorrow and come up with ideas to address issues that really matter. Students learn the skills they need to change the world by starting new businesses, revitalizing struggling corporations, and solving social problems.
An MBA is a wise investment for anyone who wants to get ahead in their career. 95.7% of MIT’s MBA graduates for 2019-2020 had full-time job offers waiting for them upon graduation, with a median base salary of $140,000.
Students start planning their futures on their first day at MIT Sloan. The Career Core helps them analyze their values, interests, and strengths in order to effectively market themselves.
School Overview
Suffolk University
The Sawyer Business School at Suffolk University offers an MBA that provides a hands-on business experience as well as a strong foundation in business knowledge. The school is listed as one of the nation’s best business schools by The Princeton Review.
Because of Suffolk’s focus on experiential learning, MBA students spend time working with real clients on real business problems throughout their MBA experience. At Suffolk, students help real businesses improve their profits and processes.
Suffolk’s faculty members are highly respected in their fields and work with students in a mentorship relationship to help students learn from their experiences. Students gain the tools and insights they need to make a difference in the world.
Students can attend classes full- or part-time in downtown Boston or take their classes online. Suffolk University has been offering an online MBA since 1999.
School Overview
Lasell University
Lasell University’s Graduate and Professional Studies offers an MBA that provides the knowledge, skills, and credentials students need to have a positive impact on their companies and get ahead in their careers. The program is available both on campus and online, and there are six start dates each year so students can get started whenever they’re ready. The program is made up of 12 courses and takes 12-24 months to complete.
Students can choose a concentration from the following: sustainable fashion operations, marketing, project management, human resources, or healthcare management. There are small classes with no more than 25 students per class, so students get individualized attention from their instructors.
Lasell offers its MBA at less than half the price of many competing MBA programs and its courses are taught by experienced faculty members who know what it really takes to succeed in business. Students learn strategy, finance, quantitative analysis, leadership, and organizational development.
School Overview
Boston College
The Carroll School of Management at Boston College offers an MBA that helps students gain the professional skills they need to succeed in a global business environment. The program provides opportunities for students to build their own personal brands. Its experienced faculty members provide dynamic learning experiences for its students.
Boston College’s undergraduate business school is ranked #3 in the US by Bloomberg Businessweek, and the same faculty teaches the school’s MBA students. The curriculum is driven by the needs of the marketplace, so students are prepared for the jobs that employers are hiring for.
Students gain real-world experience through experiential learning and gain a foundation in business knowledge through their coursework. They improve their public speaking skills and learn how to analyze data.
School Overview
Curry College
The Division of Continuing and Graduate Studies at Curry College offers a flexible MBA that allows students to complete their work at their own pace in a manageable format. In addition to the online classes, there are in-person sessions in Plymouth or Milton.
Students gain consulting experience as they work with real businesses on real problems. They learn from outstanding faculty members and go through the MBA experience with a cohort of students who share their goals. Students build long-term relationships with other students in their cohort.
There is a capstone project at the end of the project that involves presenting a business plan to a real-life client. Past partners in the capstone project include Hasbro, Cisco Brewers, and Reebok. Students take one course at a time, and each course takes eight weeks to complete. There are two in-person sessions each month.
School Overview
Harvard University
Harvard Business School at Harvard University offers an MBA that takes two years to complete and makes a world of difference to the lives of its students. If you want to get ahead in your career, a Harvard MBA will do that for you.
Harvard’s MBA program has a management curriculum that integrates real-world practice. Students join a global community of faculty, staff, and peers who will challenge you as you find and follow your career path. Students and faculty are happy to share their unique experiences and perspectives.
The price tag for a Harvard education may be a bit scary, but keep in mind that the average need-based scholarship is $42,000, which goes a long way to help offset the cost. And a Harvard MBA opens doors that you might not have access to otherwise.
School Overview
Fisher College
Fisher College offers an MBA in Strategic Leadership. Students can also add a focus in healthcare management or sports administration if they choose. The program prepares students to become successful business professionals who apply the skills and knowledge they learn in new roles with increased responsibility.
Students apply their knowledge to help solve specific business problems through experiential learning activities. Throughout the program, students form small teams to work together on real business cases. The goal of the program is to prepare students for positions of higher responsibility in the business world.
Students learn to apply business knowledge, problem-solving skills, and critical thinking skills to solve problems. They learn to perform graduate-level research and use qualitative and quantitative methods to analyze data. By the time they graduate, they will understand and be able to apply the concepts of risk management, social responsibility, business ethics, and business law.
School Overview
Brandeis University
The Heller School for Social Policy and Management at Brandeis University offers a Social Impact MBA and an executive MBA for physicians. The Social Impact MBA prepares students to work with mission-driven organizations to create ethical and sustainable solutions to business problems. Students gain the business skills of a typical MBA grounded in the practices and values of social justice.
The program prepares students for leadership positions that impact social change. Students become part of a community where other students share the same social justice values. Over half of Heller’s Social Impact MBA graduates work in the nonprofit sector. Many others find a home in the corporate world, in consulting firms, government and social entrepreneurship. The Brandeis Heller Program is AACSB accredited.
The executive MBA for physicians was created to meet the demands of practicing DPMs, DDSs, DMDs, DOs, and MDs. The program combines medical expertise with knowledge of healthcare innovation, high-performance leadership, operational systems management, economics, and health policy. The program currently has 166 MBA students, including students pursuing dual degrees and 31 EMBA students.
School Overview
Bentley University
The McCallum Graduate School of Business at Bentley University offers a flexible MBA that offers evening, day, and online options. There are seven concentrations to choose from: marketing, leadership, law and taxation, information systems and technology, finance, business analytics, and accountancy.
The average student has 5.5 years of professional experience, and the program has a 97% domestic placement rate. Bentley’s MBA program is ranked among the top 100 by both US News & World Report and Bloomberg Businessweek.
Students who attend full-time in the traditional MBA attend day classes during the first year as part of a cohort. The second year is made up of electives, which are taught in the evenings either on campus or online. Part-time students attend classes in the evenings with other working professionals. The accelerated online MBA offers the most flexibility, allowing students to attend whenever it is convenient for them.
School Overview
Cambridge College
The New England Institute of Business at Cambridge College offers an online MBA that teaches students to think strategically in a global business environment. Students gain hands-on experience in a wide range of business topics and learn to apply their knowledge to solve business problems.
For students who want to go deeper in a specific area of study, there are concentrations in risk management and insurance, quality systems and improvement management, international management, human resources management, healthcare management, global finance trading, general management, finance, and business ethics and compliance.
Regardless of concentration, students learn how to plan effective business strategies in various technological, social, and political environments. They learn to lead diverse teams, analyze data, and use research to solve business problems. Students learn to apply their knowledge of business concepts to new situations and problems and to use technology to communicate ideas effectively.
School Overview
Emmanuel College
The School of Business & Management at Emmanuel College offers an affordable online MBA that was designed with working adults in mind. The program prepares ethical, competent business leaders who seek advancement through application of theory to workplace solutions.
The program is taught by seasoned professionals with a wide variety of backgrounds whose background in corporate leadership provides real-world insight to the course work, utilizing current, relevant trends in business as a foundation. The program emphasizes practical skills to be applied immediately in the workplace.
The program’s online format allows students to proceed at their own pace, allowing completion of the 36-credit program in twelve months, if desired. The courses are seven weeks long with six terms of entry year-round, and do not require specific log-in times, so they allow students to work around their work and life schedules.
The Emmanuel College Career Center works closely with MBA candidates, utilizing its extensive regional network in finance, healthcare and technology to facilitate career opportunities for both current students and program alumni.
School Overview
Brandeis University
The International Business School at Brandeis University offers a flexible MBA that is extremely demanding. The program offers personalized coaching along with challenging courses to help you advance your career or even change direction completely.
Brandeis University is highly ranked by the US News & World Report and is located close to Boston, which is a multicultural hub of innovation, technology, and finance. The MBA program has part-time, dual-degree, and online options and can be completed in one to two years.
There are five optional concentrations, and students can choose up to two of them. They are data analytics, finance, marketing, real estate, and strategy and innovation.
Students gain practical experience through case competitions, startup competitions, field projects, and internships. They learn how companies work through visits to innovation centers and to companies such as Goldman Sachs, Deloitte, Amazon, and Google.
School Overview
Still not sure which MBA program in Boston is right for you? Our Degree Finder can help you find the right school.
Our Ranking Methodology
We gathered graduate tuition rates from each school’s website and enrollment data from Google. We used the in-state per semester tuition rates where available. Where tuition was listed per credit, we multiplied by 12 credits to get a semester cost. For annual costs, we assumed that the school year is made up of two semesters.
After sorting first by tuition then by enrollment, we assigned points to each school, with a maximum of 50 points for tuition cost and 50 points for enrollment. We added these two scores to get a final score for ranking. For even more information, check out our online MBA programs page.
Problems with Your Ranking?
If you work for one of the schools we ranked and you notice an error in the information we used to rank you, please feel free to contact us and let us know so we can make a correction.