The George Mason University School of Business, both online and in-person, is a living and dynamic community—much more than a number on a list or a set of criteria met. It is the sum of a plethora of parts. With that understood, rankings still matter in the world of education, and the School of Business has two programs that dramatically scaled the list compiled by U.S. News & World Report 2020 rankings for best online higher education programs.
The rankings for online programs and traditional programs are separate, but the increasing importance of online programs is a reflection of what the School of Business has known for years: the flexibility of an online program with the rigor of an in-person program is a potent and popular combination.
The rankings, released January 14, show that the business non-MBA master’s program in accounting climbed 20 spots from where it sat at 39 last year to its current place at 19 nationally. This leap upward is both a feather in Mason’s cap and a signal that programs like this have incredible potential. Perhaps even more remarkable, though, is the showing of the online MBA program. Still in its infancy, the program debuted barely two years ago and was unranked in the 2019 U.S. News & World Report list. This year, though, the program flew up the list to land at 123 of 335.
“The online option of our MBA is only in its second year, so it’s fantastic we jumped into the U.S. News rankings at No. 123,” said Maury Peiperl, dean of Mason’s School of Business. “Our online MBA offers an identical curriculum to our in-class MBA, which U.S. News ranks No. 32 among part-time MBAs. There are many ways students can achieve their academic and professional goals. The rankings demonstrate our commitment, and that of our outstanding faculty and staff, to deliver high-quality programs in formats that are flexible and convenient.”
As a community, the School of Business at George Mason University is diverse, and vibrant, and always evolving. The U.S. News & World Report rankings signal to the wider world of business education the level of commitment and innovation we have long seen at the School of Business.
Read more about the new U.S. News & World Report online program rankings in an article featured on Mason’s website, “Mason’s Online Master’s Programs Rise in U.S. News Rankings.”