Best Online MBA Programs in the South

The University of Maryland–College Park (Smith) does not require GMAT or GRE scores for its online MBA application, but candidates may submit one to enhance their submission. Incoming students had an average GMAT score of 591 and a 3.25 undergraduate GPA. In 2021, Smith accepted 76.92% of applicants to its online MBA program, and 925 students are currently enrolled. Prospective students must apply by July 14 and submit one letter of recommendation with their application. Smith requires 54 credits completed for graduation.

West Texas A&M University’s online MBA program requires applicants to submit a GMAT or GRE score unless the students have an undergraduate GPA of 3.0 or higher, hold a graduate or postgraduate degree with a cumulative GPA or 3.0 or higher, or have 10 years of post-graduation, professional experience that shows significant, upward career progression. Three letters of recommendation are required and incoming online MBA students had an average undergraduate GPA of 3.55. The acceptance rate into the university’s online program was 83% last year, and the program had a graduation rate of 94% within three years. Students must complete 31 credits to graduate.

George Washington University does not require GMAT or GRE scores to apply to its online MBA program, though it will accept and consider them as a part of a student’s application. Incoming students had an average undergraduate GPA of 3.16 and a 560 GMAT score. One letter of recommendation is required with an application. In 2021, the school accepted 81.64% of online MBA applicants, and the program currently enrolls 337 students. The program in 2021 had a one-year retention rate of 81.4%. Students must complete 46.5 credits in order to graduate.

Samford University (Brock)’s online MBA program waives the GMAT requirement for students with a 3.0 GPA or higher. No letters of recommendation are required and incoming online MBA students had an average undergraduate GPA of 3.38. The acceptance rate into the university’s online program was 56.29% last year, and the program had a graduation rate of 86% within three years. Students must complete 36 credits to graduate.

Standardized entrance exams (GMAT and GRE) are indefinitely waived for all applicants to the University of Southern Mississippi’s online MBA program. Three letters of recommendation are required and incoming online MBA students had an average undergraduate GPA of 3.5 and an average of more than 13 years of work experience. The acceptance rate into the university’s online program was 75% last year, and the program had a graduation rate of 89% within three years. Students must complete 33 credits to graduate.

The University of Louisiana–Lafayette BI Moody III College of Business Administration requires a GMAT or GRE without a waiver. Students with a 3.0 undergraduate GPA; 2.75 to 2.99 GPA with three years of work experience; or 2.5 to 2.74 GPA with five years of work experience may request a waiver. Incoming students had an average undergraduate GPA of 3.07. The acceptance rate into the public university’s online program was 61.4% last year. The college of business currently enrolls 1,487 online MBA students, and they must complete 30 credits to graduate.

The University of Texas–Dallas does not require GMAT or GRE test scores from applicants to its online MBA program. Three letters of recommendation are required and incoming online MBA students had an average undergraduate GPA of 3.04 and an average of 14 years of work experience. The acceptance rate into the university’s online program was 89% last year, and the program had a graduation rate of 81% within three years. Students must complete 53 credits to graduate.

At the University of Texas of the Permian Basin, the GMAT or GRE is required if an applicant’s undergraduate GPA is below 2.5. Two letters of recommendation are required and incoming online MBA students had an average undergraduate GPA of 3.5. The acceptance rate into the university’s online program was 82% last year, and students must complete 30 credits to graduate.

Kennesaw State University (Coles) does not require a GMAT or GRE score to apply to its online MBA program, in most cases. In fact, the university encourages applicants to apply without submitting a test score. Incoming students had an average GMAT score of 525 and an undergraduate GPA of 3.2. Two letters of recommendation are required. Candidates must apply to Kennesaw State University (Coles) by July 1 to be considered for admission. In 2021, the program accepted 77% of applicants. Coles currently enrolls 196 online MBA students, and has a one-year retention rate of 98.5%.

At Texas Tech University (Rawls), the GMAT or GRE is required, but there is a waiver offered to applicants with 3.75 GPA or above. One letter of recommendation is required and incoming online MBA students had an average undergraduate GPA of 3.33 and an average GMAT of 463. The acceptance rate into the university’s online program was 90.96% last year, and the program had a retention rate of 84%. Students must complete 42 credits to graduate.

Applicants to Virginia Commonwealth University’s online MBA program do not have to submit a GMAT or GRE test score, but they can elect to submit a score to bolster their competitiveness. Three letters of recommendation are required and incoming online MBA students had an average undergraduate GPA of 3.1 and an average of nine years of work experience. The acceptance rate into the university’s online program was 91% last year, and the program had a graduation rate of 90% within three years. Students must complete 45 credits to graduate.

Fayetteville State University does require all applicants to submit either a GMAT or GRE score, but some people may receive a waiver based on fulfilling other qualifications. Two letters of recommendation are required and incoming online MBA students had an average undergraduate GPA of 3.2 and eight years of work experience. The acceptance rate into the university’s online program was 83% last year, and the program had a retention rate of 85%. Students must complete 36 credits to graduate.

Campbellsville University does not require online MBA applicants to submit a GMAT score. Incoming students had an average undergraduate GPA of 3.26. The acceptance rate to the private university was 55% last year. Admissions to Campbellsville University’s online MBA program are rolling, and the school currently enrolls 62 students. The program has a one-year retention rate of 100%. Online MBA students must complete 36 credits to graduate.

Test scores for the GMAT or GRE are optional for students applying to American University (Kogod)’s online MBA program, though two letters of recommendation are required for admission. Incoming students had an average undergraduate GPA of 3.01, and an average GMAT score of 570. Kogod offers four application rounds per year for its online MBA program. In 2021, the program had an acceptance rate of 77.75%, and currently enrolls 373 students. Its current one-year retention rate is 90%. In order to graduate, a student must complete 48 credits. International students must submit a TOEFL score of at least 100.

Florida Southern College Barney Barnett School of Business and Free Enterprise requires online MBA applicants to complete the GMAT or GRE unless they qualify for a waiver. The college requires one letter of recommendation to apply to its online MBA program. Incoming students had an average undergraduate GPA of 3.3. The acceptance rate into the private college’s online program was 74% last year. Florida Southern currently has 72 online MBA students enrolled. The program’s one-year retention rate is 95%.

West Virginia University’s online MBA program is test-optional. The admissions committee reserves the ability to request a GMAT or GRE score if they determine they need more information to make an admission decision. One letter of recommendation is required and incoming online MBA students had an average undergraduate GPA of 3.25 and nearly nine years of work experience. The acceptance rate into the university’s online program was 88% last year and students must complete 37 credits to graduate.

East Carolina University requires a GMAT or GRE score to apply to its online MBA program, but waivers are available. Incoming students had an average GMAT score of 531. Letters of recommendation are not required to apply. The public university’s online program had a 67.54% acceptance rate last year, and currently enrolls 672 students. The deadline to apply to the program is June 1. Students must complete 33 credits to graduate.

Louisiana Tech University formulaically decides admissions based on a combination of the applicant’s previous academic record and the applicant’s score on the GMAT. GMAT scores are required, but GRE scores are accepted in some cases. Those applicants who have an undergraduate GPA of at least 2.75 and a GMAT score of at least 450 are eligible for unconditional admission. No letters of recommendation are required. Last year, 78% of online MBA applicants earned admission to the program, which currently enrolls 141 students. Online MBA students need 30 credits to graduate.

Oklahoma State University (Spears) requires a GMAT or GRE score to apply to its online MBA program, but waivers are available for applicants with five or more years of post-graduate professional experience and at least a 3.5 cumulative undergraduate GPA. Incoming students had an average GMAT score of 588 and a 3.4 undergraduate GPA. The acceptance rate into the public university’s online program was 63% last year. International applicants must submit a TOEFL score of at least 89 to be considered for admission. Oklahoma State University (Spears) currently enrolls 272 online MBA applicants.

Florida Atlantic University may require some applicants to submit GMAT or GRE scores if their undergraduate GPA is lower than the minimum requirement, and this is determined on a case-by-case basis. Two letters of recommendation are required and incoming online MBA students had an average undergraduate GPA of 3.18. The acceptance rate into the university’s online program was 69.9% last year, and the program had a retention rate of 76.9%. Students must complete 40 credits to graduate.

At Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge, a GRE or GMAT score is not required for application. For candidates who do not meet the requirements for GPA, a GRE or GMAT score may be requested at the department’s discretion. Two letters of recommendation are required and incoming online MBA students had an average undergraduate GPA of 3.2 and an average of 13 years of work experience. The acceptance rate into the university’s online program was 76% last year and students must complete 36 credits to graduate.

Georgia Southern University Parker College of Business does not require a GMAT or GRE score for applicants to its online MBA program. Letters of recommendation are also not required, but the school recommends that recent graduates submit two. Incoming studnets had an average undergraduate GPA of 3.03. The acceptance rate into the public university’s online program was 79% last year. Applications are due July 15, and Georgia Southern University Parker College of Business currently enrolls 187 online MBA students. The program’s one-year retention rate is 91%. Students need 30 credits to graduate.

At Texas A&M University, Kingsville, all online MBA applicants must submit GMAT or GRE scores, but the requirement may be waived according to academic excellence, work experience, and unique certificate completion. Students with previous graduate degrees do not have to submit test scores. Incoming online MBA students had an average undergraduate GPA of 3.28 and an average GMAT score of 460. The acceptance rate into the university’s online program was 92% last year, and the program had a graduation rate of 85% in three years. Students must complete 30 credits to graduate.

James Madison University requires a GMAT submission for applicants to its online MBA program, but waivers are available. Applicants are required to submit two letters of recommendation. Incoming students had an average GMAT score of 568 and a 3.1 undergraduate GPA. International students must submit a TOEFL score of at least 81 to be considered for admission. JMU currently has 154 online MBA students enrolled, and the program has a 94% one-year retention rate. Students need 42 credits to complete the program.

The University of Tennessee–Martin requires a GMAT or GRE score unless an online MBA applicant receives a waiver, which are granted based on undergraduate GPA. Recommendation letters are not required with applications. Incoming students had an average undergraduate GPA of 3.2 and a 440 GMAT score. The acceptance rate to the public university’s online program was 89% last year. Admissions are made on a rolling basis four weeks prior to courses starting, and the University of Tennessee–Martin currently enrolls 305 online MBA students. In order to graduate, students need to complete 30 credits.

University of North Carolina–Wilmington Cameron School of Business requires a GMAT or GRE score with its online MBA application, but waivers are available. Applicants with more than five years of professional experience or an undergraduate GPA of more than a 3.2 may waive the testing requirement. The average incoming student has a 3.28 undergraduate GPA. The acceptance rate to the public university’s online program was 75% last year. Applications to University of North Carolina–Wilmington Cameron School of Business’ online MBA program are due July 24. The program currently has 449 students enrolled.

Angelo State University Norris-Vincent College of Business requires a GMAT or GRE score to apply to its online MBA program. GMAT waivers are also available for candidates who earned at least a 3.0 undergraduate GPA or have three years of work experience. Incoming students had an average undergraduate GPA of 3.24. Admissions to Angelo State University Norris-Vincent College of Business are made on a rolling basis, and the program currently has 266 students. The program’s one-year retention rate is 73.8%, and students must complete 30 credits to graduate.

King University does not require GMAT or GRE scores with an application to its online MBA program. Two letters of recommendation are required with the application. International students must submit a TOEFL score of at least 84 to be considered for admission. Incoming students had an average 3.3 undergraduate GPA. The acceptance rate to the private university’s online program was 100% last year. Students are admitted on a rolling basis. To graduate from the program, students need to complete 36 credits.

Tennessee Technological University’s online MBA program will use GMAT or GRE scores for consideration for applicants who do not meet GPA requirements. One letter of recommendation is required and incoming online MBA students had an average GMAT score of 468. The acceptance rate into the university’s online program was 91.36% last year, and the program had a retention rate of 90%. Students must complete 30 credits to graduate.

The University of the Incarnate Word only requires the GMAT for students with an undergraduate GPA between 2.0 and 2.49. No letters of recommendation are required and incoming online MBA students had an average undergraduate GPA of 3.2. The acceptance rate into the university’s online program was 83% last year, and the program had a graduation rate of 72% within three years. Students must complete 30 credits to graduate.

At the University of Alabama, Birmingham, the GMAT application requirement is currently being waived for applicants to the online MBA program. However, students who need to strengthen their application may want to consider submitting a GMAT score of 480 or higher. Incoming online MBA students had an average undergraduate GPA of 3.13 and an average GMAT of 436. The acceptance rate into the university’s online program was 80.8% last year, and the program had a retention rate of 82%.

At Sam Houston State University, students with a GPA 2.75 and above are provided a waiver for the GMAT; students with a GPA below 2.75 may request a waiver based on their extent of managerial and professional experience. No letters of recommendation are required and incoming online MBA students had an average undergraduate GPA of 3.2. The acceptance rate into the university’s online program was 94.4% last year, and the school had a retention rate of 88%. Students must complete 36 credits to graduate.

Applicants to Troy University’s online MBA program must provide scores from the GMAT or GRE. One letter of recommendation is required and incoming online MBA students had an average undergraduate GPA of 3.108. The acceptance rate into the university’s online program was 49% last year, and the program had a graduation rate of 60% in three years. Students must complete 31 credits to graduate.

Auburn University–Montgomery waives testing requirements for online MBA applicants with an undergraduate GPA of at least 3.0. Applicants with a GPA between 2.75 and 2.99 are admitted on probation and are required to earn a 3.0 across the first 12 credit hours in the program. Those with graduate degrees are also not required to take the GMAT or GRE. Incoming students had an average undergraduate GPA of 3.1. Letters of recommendation are not required, but international students must submit TOEFL scores of at least 76. The program has 29 students currently enrolled.

Baylor University does not require applicants with more than four years of full time work experience to submit GMAt or GRE scores. For applicants with less than four years work experience, these test scores are suggested. Three letters of recommendation are required for incoming online MBA students. The program had a retention rate of 84% and students must complete 48 credits to graduate.

Delta State University does not require GMAT or GRE scores to apply to its online MBA program. Incoming students had an average undergraduate GPA of 3.14. International students do not have to submit a TOEFL or IELTS score to be considered for admission. Letters of recommendation are not required and applications are due August 23. The acceptance rate to the public university’s online program was 85% last year. Currently, the online MBA program enrolls 190 students and has a one-year retention rate of 66%. In 2021, 44 applicants were accepted to the program.

Stetson University’s online MBA program is test-optional and two letters of recommendation are required for application. Incoming online MBA students had an average undergraduate GPA of 3.1. The acceptance rate into the university’s online program was 99.2% last year, and students must complete 36 credits to graduate.

Loyola University New Orleans does not require a GMAT or GRE score with an application to its online MBA program. Incoming students had an average 3.137 undergraduate GPA, and two letters of recommendation are required with applications. The private university’s online program had a 95.7% acceptance rate last year. Applications to Loyola University New Orleans’ online MBA program are due June 30. The program currently enrolls 59 students. The program has a one-year retention rate of 69%. Students must complete 36 to 39 credits in order to graduate.

Florida Institute of Technology does not require GMAT or GRE scores to apply to its online MBA program. International students must submit a TOEFL score of at least 79 to be considered for admission. One letter of recommendation is required. Incoming students had an average undergraduate GPA of 3.1. The acceptance rate to the private university’s online program was 100% last year. Florida Institute of Technology offers admission to its online MBA program on a rolling basis, and currently enrolls 339 students. The program has a one-year retention rate of 54.9% and a graduation rate of 62.5%.

GMAT or GRE scores can be used on an application but they are not required for University of Louisiana–Monroe’s online MBA program. No letters of recommendation are required and incoming online MBA students had an average undergraduate GPA of 3.066. The acceptance rate into the university’s online program was 84% last year and students must complete 30 credits to graduate.

Morehead State University requires a GMAT or GRE score to be submitted by applicants, but this can be waived if applicants fulfill other requirements. No letters of recommendation are required and incoming online MBA students had an average undergraduate GPA of 3.4. The acceptance rate into the university’s online program was 62.5% last year. Students must complete 30 credits to graduate.

Regent University does not require GMAT or GRE scores for admission to the MBA program. No letters of recommendation are required and incoming online MBA students had an average undergraduate GPA of 3.1. The acceptance rate into the university’s online program was 76% last year. Students must complete 36 credits to graduate.

The College of William & Mary’s Raymond A. Mason School of Business does not require GMAT or GRE scores for admission to its online MBA program. However, applicants may submit scores if they believe that doing so will strengthen their application. Two letters of recommendation are required and incoming online MBA students had an average undergraduate GPA of 3.16. The acceptance rate into the university’s online program was 97.46% last year.