<div class="edu-card" data-widget-id="1" data-cy="edu-card"> <div class="edu-card-banner" data-cy="edu-card-banner"> Advertisement </div> <div class="edu-card-container" data-cy="edu-card-container"> <div class="edu-card-content" data-cy="edu-card-content"> <div class="edu-card-title" data-cy="edu-card-title"> <h1 class="edu-card-title-heading" data-cy="edu-card-title-heading"> UNC Kenan-Flagler’s top-ranked online MBA </h1> <p class="edu-card-title-subheading" data-cy="edu-card-title-subheading"> STEM-designated. Tar Heel ROI. No compromises. </p> </div> <div class="edu-card-content-description" data-cy="edu-card-content-description"> <div class="edu-card-content-description-content"> <p>UNC Kenan-Flagler’s top-ranked online MBA is designed for experienced professionals looking to take their career to the next level. Students have access to lifelong career benefits and a global network of 51,000+ business school alumni. Earn your MBA online in as few as 18 months or up to three years. MBA Fellowships Available.</p> </div> <span class="edu-card-content-description-readmore"> <input type="checkbox" id="edu-card-content-description-readmore-input-1" class="edu-card-content-description-readmore-input" /> <label for="edu-card-content-description-readmore-input-1" class="edu-card-content-description-readmore-label"> <span class="edu-card-content-description-readmore-label-arrow"></span> </label> </span> </div> <a class="edu-card-content-button" target="_blank" href="https://onlinemba.unc.edu/requestinfo/index/">Learn More</a> <span class="edu-card-content-caption"> </span> </div> <div class="edu-card-action" data-cy="edu-card-action"> <picture class="edu-card-picture" data-cy="edu-card-picture"> <img src="https://fortune.com/img-assets/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/UNC2UadCURRENT.png?w=250&amp;h=165" class="" alt=""> <span class="edu-card-picture-label"> </span> </picture> <div class="edu-card-action-cta" data-cy="edu-card-action-cta"> <a class="edu-card-action-button" target="_blank" href="https://onlinemba.unc.edu/requestinfo/index/">Learn More</a> <span class="edu-card-action-caption"> </span> </div> </div> </div></div><script> function checkWidgets() { document.querySelectorAll('.edu-card-content-description-content').forEach((content) => { const readMoreBtn = content.nextElementSibling; if (!readMoreBtn) { return; } if (content && content.clientHeight === content.scrollHeight) { readMoreBtn.style.display = 'none'; } else { delete readMoreBtn.style.removeProperty('display'); } }) } window.removeEventListener('resize', checkWidgets); window.addEventListener('resize', checkWidgets); checkWidgets();</script>

<div class="edu-card" data-widget-id="71" data-cy="edu-card"> <div class="edu-card-banner" data-cy="edu-card-banner"> Advertisement </div> <div class="edu-card-container" data-cy="edu-card-container"> <div class="edu-card-content" data-cy="edu-card-content"> <div class="edu-card-title" data-cy="edu-card-title"> <h1 class="edu-card-title-heading" data-cy="edu-card-title-heading"> The Online MBA From Rice Business </h1> <p class="edu-card-title-subheading" data-cy="edu-card-title-subheading"> Rethink Your Approach to Business </p> </div> <div class="edu-card-content-description" data-cy="edu-card-content-description"> <div class="edu-card-content-description-content"> <p>GMAT waivers are available for the online MBA from Rice Business, ranked a Top-20 Online MBA by U.S. News & World Report. Ranked #1 in graduate entrepreneurship in the U.S. by the Princeton Review for 2024, aspiring entrepreneurs can earn their MBA in as few as 24 months.</p> </div> <span class="edu-card-content-description-readmore"> <input type="checkbox" id="edu-card-content-description-readmore-input-71" class="edu-card-content-description-readmore-input" /> <label for="edu-card-content-description-readmore-input-71" class="edu-card-content-description-readmore-label"> <span class="edu-card-content-description-readmore-label-arrow"></span> </label> </span> </div> <a class="edu-card-content-button" target="_blank" href="https://onlinebusiness.rice.edu/requestinfo/index/">Learn More</a> <span class="edu-card-content-caption"> </span> </div> <div class="edu-card-action" data-cy="edu-card-action"> <picture class="edu-card-picture" data-cy="edu-card-picture"> <img src="https://fortune.com/img-assets/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Rice2UadCURRENT.png?w=250&amp;h=165" class="" alt=""> <span class="edu-card-picture-label"> </span> </picture> <div class="edu-card-action-cta" data-cy="edu-card-action-cta"> <a class="edu-card-action-button" target="_blank" href="https://onlinebusiness.rice.edu/requestinfo/index/">Learn More</a> <span class="edu-card-action-caption"> </span> </div> </div> </div></div><script> function checkWidgets() { document.querySelectorAll('.edu-card-content-description-content').forEach((content) => { const readMoreBtn = content.nextElementSibling; if (!readMoreBtn) { return; } if (content && content.clientHeight === content.scrollHeight) { readMoreBtn.style.display = 'none'; } else { delete readMoreBtn.style.removeProperty('display'); } }) } window.removeEventListener('resize', checkWidgets); window.addEventListener('resize', checkWidgets); checkWidgets();</script>

<div class="edu-card" data-widget-id="2" data-cy="edu-card"> <div class="edu-card-banner" data-cy="edu-card-banner"> Advertisement </div> <div class="edu-card-container" data-cy="edu-card-container"> <div class="edu-card-content" data-cy="edu-card-content"> <div class="edu-card-title" data-cy="edu-card-title"> <h1 class="edu-card-title-heading" data-cy="edu-card-title-heading"> UNC Kenan-Flagler’s top-ranked online MBA </h1> <p class="edu-card-title-subheading" data-cy="edu-card-title-subheading"> STEM-designated. Tar Heel ROI. No compromises. </p> </div> <div class="edu-card-content-description" data-cy="edu-card-content-description"> <div class="edu-card-content-description-content"> <p>UNC Kenan-Flagler’s top-ranked online MBA is designed for experienced professionals looking to take their career to the next level. Students have access to lifelong career benefits and a global network of 51,000+ business school alumni. Earn your MBA online in as few as 18 months or up to three years. MBA Fellowships Available.</p> </div> <span class="edu-card-content-description-readmore"> <input type="checkbox" id="edu-card-content-description-readmore-input-2" class="edu-card-content-description-readmore-input" /> <label for="edu-card-content-description-readmore-input-2" class="edu-card-content-description-readmore-label"> <span class="edu-card-content-description-readmore-label-arrow"></span> </label> </span> </div> <a class="edu-card-content-button" target="_blank" href="https://onlinemba.unc.edu/requestinfo/index/">Visit Website</a> <span class="edu-card-content-caption"> </span> </div> <div class="edu-card-action" data-cy="edu-card-action"> <picture class="edu-card-picture" data-cy="edu-card-picture"> <img src="https://fortune.com/img-assets/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/UNC2UadCURRENT.png?w=250&amp;h=165" class="" alt=""> <span class="edu-card-picture-label"> </span> </picture> <div class="edu-card-action-cta" data-cy="edu-card-action-cta"> <a class="edu-card-action-button" target="_blank" href="https://onlinemba.unc.edu/requestinfo/index/">Visit Website</a> <span class="edu-card-action-caption"> </span> </div> </div> </div></div><script> function checkWidgets() { document.querySelectorAll('.edu-card-content-description-content').forEach((content) => { const readMoreBtn = content.nextElementSibling; if (!readMoreBtn) { return; } if (content && content.clientHeight === content.scrollHeight) { readMoreBtn.style.display = 'none'; } else { delete readMoreBtn.style.removeProperty('display'); } }) } window.removeEventListener('resize', checkWidgets); window.addEventListener('resize', checkWidgets); checkWidgets();</script>

ad_Business

cat_Other

Low Intent

ptype_Explainer

Sydney Lake

<p>Attending a full-time MBA program can be a major investment of both time and money. In fact, tuition alone at some <a href="https://fortune.com/education/business/best-mba-programs/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">elite business schools</a> can cost up to $175,000—and that doesn’t factor in other costs such as housing and fees. Earning an MBA from a top-ranked institution, however, has its payoffs including <a href="https://fortune.com/education/articles/base-salaries-for-mba-grads-at-top-consulting-firms-are-nearing-200k-in-2023/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">pay packages exceeding $200,000</a> in certain fields.</p><div class="paywall-selector"></div><div class="paywall">



<p>While there is undoubtedly a clout factor in attending the likes of <a href="https://fortune.com/education/business/harvard-university/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Harvard Business School</a>, <a href="https://fortune.com/education/business/stanford-university/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Stanford Graduate School of Business</a>, or <a href="https://fortune.com/education/business/university-of-pennsylvania-wharton/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">The Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania</a>, there are several other schools <a href="https://fortune.com/education/business/best-mba-programs/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">top-ranked</a> by <em>Fortune</em> that help graduates earn six-figure salaries.</p>



<p><a href="https://www.mba.com/business-school-and-careers/salary-and-roi/guide-to-your-average-mba-salary" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">MBA graduates on average earn $115,000 base salaries</a>, according to the Graduate Management Admissions Council. And “employers do not necessarily know which programs the hired graduates are from,” a GMAC spokesperson previously told <em>Fortune. </em></p>



<p>In terms of affordability, earning an MBA in a full-time, in-person format can cost anywhere from roughly $25,000 to $175,000. <em>Fortune </em>has compiled a list of four full-time MBA programs that are both relatively affordable and help graduates earn more than the average base salary of $115,000, according to statistics reported to the publication.</p>



<p><em>Fortune </em>also calculated the return-on-investment (ROI) for these programs, which range from 32.2% to 107%. <a href="https://www.stlouisfed.org/publications/regional-economist/2023/mar/return-investing-college-education#:~:text=Estimates%20of%20the%20returns%20on,35.9%25%20across%20six%20demographic%20groups." target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Average ROI for higher education</a> ranges from about 13.5% to 35.9% across different demographic groups, according to a study by the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis.</p>



<p><em>Note that not all schools report salary figures, so this list is not exhaustive. The following are tuition-only figures and not the full sticker price of attending the program.</em></p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-1-indiana-university-kelley">1. Indiana University (Kelley)</h2>



<ul><li><em>Fortune </em>full-time MBA ranking: <a href="https://fortune.com/education/business/indiana-university-kelley/">No. 18</a></li><li>Tuition: $57,984</li><li>Median base salary upon graduation: $120,000</li><li>Return-on-investment: 107%</li><li>Acceptance rate: 32%</li><li>Average GMAT score: 679</li></ul>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-2-georgia-institute-of-technology-scheller">2. Georgia Institute of Technology (Scheller)</h2>



<ul><li><em>Fortune </em>full-time MBA ranking: <a href="https://fortune.com/education/business/georgia-institute-of-technology-scheller/">No. 26</a></li><li>Tuition: $66,420</li><li>Median base salary upon graduation: $125,000</li><li>Return-on-investment: 88.2%</li><li>Acceptance rate: 27%</li><li>Average GMAT score: 682</li></ul>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-3-university-of-washington-foster">3. University of Washington (Foster)</h2>



<ul><li><em>Fortune </em>full-time MBA ranking: <a href="https://fortune.com/education/business/university-of-washington-foster/">No. 20</a></li><li>Tuition: $80,016</li><li>Median base salary upon graduation: $130,000</li><li>Return-on-investment: 62.5%</li><li>Acceptance rate: 35%</li><li>Average GMAT score: 704</li></ul>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-4-university-of-minnesota-twin-cities-carlson">4. University of Minnesota—Twin Cities (Carlson)</h2>



<ul><li><em>Fortune </em>full-time MBA ranking: <a href="https://fortune.com/education/business/university-of-minnesota-twin-cities-carlson/">No. 28</a></li><li>Tuition: $87,360</li><li>Median base salary upon graduation: $115,500</li><li>Return-on-investment: 32.2%</li><li>Acceptance rate: 37.28%</li><li>Average GMAT score: 670</li></ul>



<p><em>Check out all of </em>Fortune’<em>s </em><a href="https://fortune.com/education/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><em>rankings of degree programs</em></a><em>, and learn more about specific </em><a href="https://fortune.com/education/careers/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><em>career paths</em></a><em>.</em></p>
</div>

Fortune compiled a list of MBA programs that are relatively affordable and help graduates earn more than the average base salary of $115,000.

4 of the most affordable full-time MBA programs where grads make more than the $115K average

F-Search

Education

Education Articles

Jasmine Suarez

Business

Fortune earns a commission for purchases made from affiliate partners via some links on our site; other links are not affiliate partner links. <a href='/affiliate-disclosure/'>Click here</a> to read the full Fortune advertiser disclosure and how we earn commissions.

We have independently evaluated the products and services below. We may earn affiliate revenue from links in the content.

Fortune Editors

Fortune Education is designed to be your guide to navigating this new, rich and somewhat overwhelming world of education. Our team of experienced editors is committed to scouring the universe of online offerings in order to rank, rate, provide comparisons and recommend the right solutions for you and your career.

Fortune Education

Uncategorized

homepage

articles

Articles Hub

By Region

By State

By Cost

Career Hub

Health and Wellness

Tech

EDUCATION

4 OF THE MOST AFFORDABLE FULL-TIME MBA PROGRAMS WHERE GRADS MAKE MORE THAN THE $115K AVERAGE

4 of the most affordable full-time MBA programs where grads make more than the $115K average | Fortune Education

Rich Griset

10 free data analytics courses you can take online

https://fortune.com/education/articles/free-data-analytics-courses/?itm_source=parsely-api

Preston Fore

2024 real estate school review: AceableAgent

https://fortune.com/education/articles/real-estate-school-review-aceableagent/?itm_source=parsely-api

Brad Haft

Best health coach certifications for 2024

https://fortune.com/education/articles/best-health-coach-certifications/?itm_source=parsely-api

Brit Morse

A law associate making $300,000 a year at Skadden Arps quit over the firm’s deal with Donald Trump

/article/rachel-cohen-making-300k-year-law-associate-skadden-arps-quit-protest-firms-deal-trump/

Get ready to pay more than $2,000 for a new iPhone: Experts say Trump’s 125% tariff on China is a ‘complete disaster for Apple’ akin to ‘Armageddon’

/2025/04/10/apple-iphone-16-price-complete-disaster-china-trump-tariffs/

It’s about to get a lot harder for job seekers as tariffs are set to make the hiring landscape even more daunting

/2025/04/07/trump-tariffs-labor-market-more-challenging-job-seekers-economists-say/

This company does peer performance reviews—And then lets everyone read each other’s evaluations

/2025/03/24/performance-review-process-company-allows-all-workers-read-garner-health-workplace-culture/

2024 health coach certification review: Catalyst Coaching Institute

/education/articles/health-coach-certification-review-catalyst-coaching-institute/

A guide to a nurse’s salary: Broken down by all 50 states and industry type

/education/careers/nurse-salary/

2024 health coach certification review: Institute for Integrative Nutrition

/education/articles/health-coach-certification-review-institute-for-integrative-nutrition/

10 high-paying public health jobs right now

/education/careers/public-health-jobs/

Jason Del Rey

Is eBay actually sexy again as the ecommerce old-timer’s stock surges to an all-time high?

/2025/07/31/ebay-earnings-live-sports-cards-trading-pokemon/

Erik German

Meet the CIA-backed venture fund behind Palantir, Anduril—and a spy tool that might be on your phone

/2025/07/29/in-q-tel-cia-venture-capital-palantir-anduril/

Dana Hull

Kiel Porter

Bloomberg

Tesla engineering VP Moravy says company in ‘big swing moment’

/2025/07/27/tesla-engineering-vp-lars-moravy-big-swing-moment-musk-robotaxi-optimus-semi/

Christiaan Hetzner

Volkswagen seeks audience with Trump, dangling more than $10 billion in U.S. investments in exchange for tariff exemptions

/2025/07/25/volkswagen-trump-tariffs-exemptions/

Whether you’ve just completed your undergraduate degree or you are a professional with years of experience, Fortune is here to guide you on the next step of your educational journey.

4 of the most affordable full-time MBA programs where grads make more than the $115K average

About the Contributors

Top Articles

10 free data analytics courses you can take online

2024 real estate school review: AceableAgent

Best health coach certifications for 2024

UNC Kenan-Flagler’s top-ranked online MBA