Top-Ranked Online MBA from Rice Business at Rice University
You Belong Here
Rice Business, the business school at Rice University, is tight knit and top ranked. Our Online MBA program brings our close community and modern business education to professionals across the United States.
With our Online MBA, you build the core skill set and accomplished network you need to nourish your creative ideas and advance your career.
Average work experience: 7 years
Program length: 2 years
Standard class schedule: Monday through Thursday
Location: Online with occasional Rice Residential events on-campus
Your degree: Master of Business Administration
The program consists of 54 credits and can be completed online in 24 months.
Princeton Review and Entrepreneur magazine, 2020-2026
#7
Best Online MBA Program
Fortune, 2024
#18
Best Online MBA Program
U.S. News & World Report, 2024
Flexibility was key. At the time, I was based in West Texas, testing rocket engines at Blue Origin. An online program was the only realistic way for me to pursue an MBA. But for me, it wasn’t about the format—it was about access to knowledge and mentorship. My goal was to solve the "How do I become an entrepreneur?" puzzle. Whether online or on campus, I knew Rice had the answer.
You've got goals, and our Online MBA is designed to help you reach them.
Here, at Rice University, you’ll build the confidence to grow and take risks, backed by the support of best-in-class faculty and your fellow ambitious students. We challenge you to embrace your entrepreneurial spirit, boldly pursue innovation to solve complex business problems, elevate your career and create value for your organization.
Admissions
Are you ready to bring your bold?
Applications to our Online MBA program are accepted on a rolling basis, and we evaluate your candidacy based on a variety of elements in addition to your test scores and work experience. This includes your essays, virtual interview, leadership roles, community involvement and career progression.
We recognize and respect that our applicants bring different levels of skills and experience. GMAT and GRE Waivers are available for professionals with seven or more years of relevant work experience or who can demonstrate a high level of quantitative and analytical knowledge. Learn more about GMAT and GRE waiver eligibility.
We also encourage applicants to consider the Executive Assessment exam as an alternative to the GMAT or GRE. This exam requires less of a time commitment and weighs your business school readiness as of today, eliminating the need for extensive preparation.
Why Earn a Rice MBA Online?
We’re living in extraordinary times. An increasingly complex world calls for a learning experience that works for everyone — from busy professionals, to multitasking parents to military members — while still serving up a top-notch education from Rice University.
At Rice University, business is personal. Designed using extensive research on how Online MBA students learn best, our purpose-built digital campus creates a collaborative space to advance your education and connect with accomplished business leaders from around the world.
Meet with faculty members and peers each week for live, face-to-face class sessions over Zoom. Our small class sizes allow for rich discussion and debate, encouraging you to step up and take a leadership role. Learn more about our Online MBA curriculum here.
Complete your assignments — which include real-world case studies, video simulations and collaborative projects — each week from anywhere, using any connected device. Learn more about our Online MBA courses here.
Connect with peers, faculty and mentors in person during learning experiences hosted on our campus and in locations around the world. You’ll participate in simulations, immersions, seminars, intersessions and study abroad opportunities to develop and practice new hands-on skills. Learn more about the GFE here.
Our Online MBA students are invited to participate in our Leader as Coach co-curricular program on campus at Rice University. The program prepares them to be more proficient at an essential component of effective leadership — the ability to develop individuals and teams. Learn more how we develop leaders in our Online MBA program here.
Our Reputation Speaks For Itself:
The below latest rankings for Rice Business' Online MBA at Rice University showcase what we do best: empower aspiring leaders with advanced business competencies and personal support to pursue bold ideas and solve today’s biggest challenges — no matter where they’re living and working.
the No. 4 best online MBA in the United States by The Princeton Review
the No. 4 best online MBA for Finance in the United States by The Princeton Review
the No. 5 best online MBA in the United States by Poets&Quants
the No. 6 best online MBA for Finance by U.S. News & World Report
the No. 7 best online MBA by Fortune
the No. 8 best online MBA for General Management by U.S. News & World Report
the No. 9 best online MBA for Business Analytics by U.S. News & World Report
the No. 16 best online MBA for veterans by U.S. News & World Report
the No. 18 best online MBA in the United States by U.S. News & World Report
On-Campus vs. Online MBA Modality
With our Online MBA, you get the same MBA degree along with the diverse community and quality curriculum you expect from Rice Business. Here’s how online and traditional classes compare.
What stays the same?
What’s different with the online MBA?
Much of the application process
Our commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion
Our cohort selectivity
Class offerings and credit hours to graduate
Opportunities for students to participate in on-campus organizations
Our professors, grading system and office hours
Alumni status
Your Rice diploma
Smaller cohorts
Quarterly intakes, giving you the opportunity to start the program when it makes sense for you
The online platform, which delivers the Rice Business curriculum wherever you are in the world
Rice University’s Online MBA program mirrors the rigor and engagement of the on-campus MBA. Live, weekly sessions encourage interaction with faculty and peers, while asynchronous materials allow you to study on your schedule.
You’ll have access to one-on-one career coaching, resume and interview preparation, networking events and personalized guidance from Rice Business’ Career Development Office — designed to help you advance or pivot your career during and after the program.
Online courses are developed and taught by the same Rice Business faculty who teach on campus, ensuring academic consistency. The digital platform also integrates real-time discussions, group projects and multimedia resources for a highly interactive experience.
This four-day, in-person intensive brings Online MBA students to our campus in Houston for hands-on learning, networking and leadership development with classmates, professors and alumni.
Online MBA integrates real-world business challenges into coursework, helping you immediately apply new skills at work. The program’s leadership development and networking opportunities prepare graduates to move into senior-level or cross-functional roles.
Graduates go on to leadership roles across industries like consulting, finance, energy, technology and healthcare. Many also leverage the Rice alumni network to explore entrepreneurship or transition into new sectors.
Yes. You’ll participate in live classes, team projects, breakout sessions,and virtual networking events that foster strong professional relationships and collaboration across cohorts.
The MBA from Rice Business, an accredited program, empowers you to act on big ideas and tackle complex challenges — giving you the tools to elevate your career, create value across your organization, and meet the demands of today and tomorrow.
Our highly customizable curriculum will help develop your understanding of essential business principles such as financial accounting, business analytics, marketing strategy, leadership and finance. You’ll then learn to apply these larger concepts throughout an organization as you hone your skills with your choice of electives.
Electives and Career-Path Focus Areas
With 13.5 elective credits, you’ve got the flexibility to make the MBA program your own.
You can choose electives that align with your specific interests, go with a general management approach or select from one of seven career or industry focus areas:
Corporate Strategy
Corporate Finance
Investment Management
Marketing
Entrepreneurship
Energy
Healthcare
Choosing a career-path focus area is entirely optional. It’s a way to customize your academic experience and include career-focused or industry-focused courses in your overall elective portfolio, if you wish. All career-path focus area courses are suggested, and there are no additional credit requirements or degree-binding commitments.
Rice Business Faculty: Accomplished. Attentive. Invested.
Recognized for their achievements in teaching, research and practice, Rice Business faculty members consistently publish groundbreaking business insights while remaining invested in your success, working with students one-on-one to help them explore their own big ideas.
Learn more about individual leadership and faculty members below or at Rice Business Wisdom, our online ideas magazine that features clear, quick translations of faculty research that will change the way you think.
At Rice Business, we take great pride in our alumni and their achievements across nearly every major industry. As an Online MBA student, you’ll gain access to our Rice University global alumni network—as well as to current Rice Business MBA students — creating opportunities for collaboration, mentorship and professional growth.
9,500+
Alums Worldwide
60
Countries Represented
13
Regional Chapters
Hear From One of Our Alums
MBA for Military Service Members and Veterans
We honor the service of our military students and value the perspective they bring to our MBA classroom. Our Online MBA from Rice University is ranked the No. 14 online MBA for veterans — and No. 1 in Texas — by U.S. News & World Report.
If you are an active-duty service member, veteran, or military spouse or family member, you may be eligible for benefits that can help make your MBA more affordable.
