Best Online MBA Programs in California 2025

By Dr. James Barham
Reviewed By Chloe Dembski

Updated: Oct 23, 2024

Your most affordable online MBA options will usually be those offered in your home state. Find the online MBA program in California at a school you and employers will trust.

Key Takeaways

Many online MBA programs in California offer flexible scheduling options, allowing students to balance their studies with work or personal commitments, including part-time and accelerated tracks.
The best online MBA programs in California often incorporate the latest in virtual learning platforms, interactive case studies, and real-time collaboration tools, ensuring an engaging and practical learning experience that mirrors the fast-paced business world.
These programs often provide extensive networking opportunities with California’s diverse industries, especially in tech, entertainment, and finance, offering valuable connections for career advancement.

Table of Contents

California's Best Online MBA Programs in 2025

University of Southern California
+1
Pepperdine University
–1
Biola University
+1
University of Redlands
+1
Golden Gate University
–2
Azusa Pacific University
National University
Notre Dame de Namur University
+5
California State University, San Bernardino
+3
California State University, Stanislaus
–2

2025 Ranking Update

Our Influence Ranking Engine™ leverages machine learning to track the real-world influence of colleges and universities over time. Below you’ll see which schools gained or lost ground for the 2025 school year.

In 2025, the top ten schools in our ranking of the best online MBA programs in California saw a fair amount of movement. Notre Dame de Namur University gained the most ranking positions as the university expanded its MBA program to include more specialized concentrations, such as sustainability management and digital transformation, which cater to emerging trends in the business world.

Additionally, the MBA curriculum now places a stronger emphasis on real-world applications through partnerships with local businesses and organizations, offering students practical experience and networking opportunities. The program has also enhanced its online learning platform, providing greater flexibility for working professionals while maintaining high academic standards and collaborative learning environments.

Featured Programs

What’s the Difference between an Online MBA and Traditional MBA?

Learn more about what you can do with an MBA.

Best Online MBA Programs in California

Career Outlook for Students with MBA Degree

Go to Degree Finder tool

Business Administration And Management

Degree Level: Master's

Location: California (Private Schools)
Avg. Cost of Degree*: $9,490
Avg. Expenses*: $21,811
Avg. Starting Salary*: $94,419
Avg. Cost Recoup Time**: 4 years
Job Growth: 6.72%
Number of Jobs: 12,486,499
* denotes ‘annually’
** denotes ‘at 15% of annual salary’

Data from The Bureau of Labor Statistics, The Department of Education College Scorecard, The Department of Education NCES, and The Council for Community and Economic Research.

California is just one of many states offering excellent online MBA programs. To check out our rankings, look into the best online associate’s degrees in Massachusetts, Indiana, New Hampshire, and more!

Students’ Submitted Questions on Online MBA Programs in California

David asks, “How do online MBA programs in California stay current in sectors such as tech and innovation?”

Dr. James Barham’s answer: Many schools will have faculty members involved in the industry. This means that they will bring real world experience and their knowledge of the current industry into their classes. The best programs will also make frequent curriculum updates to ensure that what students are learning is relevant. Look for courses in artificial intelligence, data analytics, and blockchain, just to name a few. It’s wise to look over the curriculum before you commit to a school to make sure this you’ll be receiving the education you’re hoping for.

Because of the nature of the California business industry, many schools with partner with tech companies so that students learn from the best. Look into networking opportunities or alumni networks to make sure you are seeing all that is available. Competition for internships in general, and specifically in the tech and innovation sector, is fierce, so you want to make sure you’re doing everything you can to land a prime opportunity. The programs might require students to find their own internship opportunity, but professors usually want to help guide students and provide recommendation letters.

Lizzy asks, “Given the unique real estate market in California, are there electives focusing on real estate management or urban development?”

Dr. Jed Macosko’s answer: Many programs will offer electives focusing on real estate management or urban development. My recommendation is to check out what concentrations your program offers so that you can become an expert in your chosen area. In a real estate concentration, you will most likely study topics such as real estate finance and investment, urban and regional development, real estate laws and ethics, property management, sustainable development and green building, and technology in real estate. California’s real estate market tends to have diverse geography and high demands, making the industry particularly competitive. This means it’s important to pick a top program if real estate is your chosen career path.

Lawson asks, “Are there specializations or electives available that focus on the entertainment industry?”

Dr. James Barham’s answer: Yes, given California’s entertainment industry, many of the state’s MBA programs will include concentrations in entertainment management or media. Students will most likely study topics such as entertainment business strategy, media and entertainment finance, digital media and technology, and marketing and branding in entertainment. To find which programs offer concentrations in media, check out the program’s curriculum and course description. You might also find it helpful to talk to a faculty member or someone at the admission’s office.

Frequently Asked Questions About MBA Degrees

MBA degrees are the most popular advanced degree in American higher education. This versatile degree offers a variety of specializations that can help working professionals build leadership skills, expand their network, and enhance their overall business knowledge. MBA degrees are excellent options for anyone needing business fundamentals covered while having the chance to study more in a selected concentration. An MBA in Marketing is different than a MS in Marketing because the MBA degree doesn’t assume previous business education, whereas the MS program likely would.

Go to Online MBA programs with no GMAT requirements

The GMAT (Graduate Management Admission Test) is a computer responsive test designed to assess certain analytical, writing, quantitative, verbal, and English reading skills used by graduate management programs, such as MBA programs, to assist with admissions selections.

The GMAT is still required by many graduate schools of all shapes and sizes – elite research universities, public universities, liberal arts colleges, online colleges, etc. There’s no real common denominator for which types of schools require the GMAT, or don’t.

If you are considering a graduate business school that requires the GMAT, then you certainly want to do well on the exam. Even if schools you’re considering don’t require it, you may want to take the test because a high score could still help your application, and because there may be another college that suddenly interests you, and it might require successful completion of the GMAT.

If you’re going to take the test, at minimum you’ll want to study with solid guidance provided by quality resources. People have many different opinions about which GMAT test prep resources are the best, therefore we recommend that you start looking at and comparing the best-selling GMAT test guides.

On the other end of the spectrum, if you are aspiring to be admitted into an elite university’s program, you may want to work with a graduate or business school admissions expert. An admissions consultant can give you the most customized information about your prospects and many will work with you on whatever specific need you might have – test prep, applications, personal essays, and even help with finding meaningful internships.

There is a growing number of high quality MBA programs that don’t require the GMAT. Furthermore, there are a lot of highly reputable colleges and universities offering online MBA programs that do not require the GMAT. If standardized testing simply isn’t a strength of yours, you may want to move your search to focus specifically on online MBA programs with no GMAT requirements.

Typically, online MBA degrees can be earned in about 2 years. However, specializations range from healthcare management to entrepreneurship to international business. Because MBAs offer so many educational paths, program requirements can vary greatly, from 30 to 60 credits, which means this degree may take anywhere between two and four years to complete.

MBA courses are available both online and on campus, and many programs require a thesis or professional experience component. Students will study topics like corporate law, organizational behavior, and negotiations. Most online MBA programs will be asynchronous for maximum flexibility. This means students watch lectures and read when they can, and likely join web forums for class discussions. While online MBA courses can be “self-paced”, there usually are still mid-term and end of term deadlines. Typical online MBA courses will have multiple deadlines throughout the semester for various assignments.

MBA graduates can advance to leadership roles in accounting, finance, human resources, organizational administration, and more. MBAs are popular because of their versatility. With so many choices of concentrations, your MBA can prepare you for leadership or executive roles in virtually any industry.

Online Degree Frequently Asked Questions

If this is your first time taking an online course, the experience may require some adjustment. While you’ll generally learn the same content and take the same exams as your on-campus peers, the medium will likely require you to manage much of this experience independently. You’ll be accountable for your own time management, your ability to harness the technology at your fingertips, and your ability to focus on the lectures, lessons, and assignments at hand. This means you’ll need to create a suitable workspace for yourself, maintain a realistic schedule, and take it upon yourself to build relationships with your instructors and classmates. With online college, your goal is to find a balance between independence and engagement.

No. The only part of online education that’s easier is actually getting there. Taking the commute out of the equation means getting to class should be a lot more manageable. But that’s where it ends. In general, your online courses will incorporate the very same materials, concepts, and testing methods as would a traditional classroom.

And in many cases, you’ll even have the same instructors as your on-campus counterparts. In fact, if you are adjusting to the experience of independent learning or working with remote learning technology for the first time, online college may even be a little more challenging for you. For a few insights on how to manage this new experience, check out our 10 Tips for Adjusting to School Online.

Accreditation is especially important when it comes to online college. This is because the online education landscape is a mix of highly-reputable institutions and less-than-reputable for-profit schools. Accreditation gives you the power to differentiate between the two. Accreditation is a stamp of approval from an independent accrediting agency which indicates that a college or university is meeting standards of quality, credibility, and currency. School-wide accreditation falls into two major categories: regional and national accreditation. Regional accreditors generally hold jurisdiction only over schools in the states comprising their region, whereas national accreditors hold jurisdiction over schools in all states. Regional accreditation is widely regarded as a more rigorous standard of quality and credibility than national accreditation.

Attending a college or university which is not regionally accredited could limit your opportunities. When seeking an online education, we strongly recommend that students opt for regionally accredited schools. Regional accreditation ensures eligibility for federal loans and grants, ensures your college credits can be transferred between schools, and ensures that your degree credits can be accepted if you wish to earn an advanced degree.

As long as your online college degree is regionally accredited, you should have little difficulty transferring most of your credits or credentials to another regionally accredited undergraduate school. Every school carries its own standards and procedures for granting a transfer. In many cases, you will be required to navigate a bureaucracy in which some of your credits will be transferred and others will be jettisoned. However, provided that you have attended an online school with the proper regional accreditation, you should have plenty of options for transfer.

In most cases, as long you graduate from a well-regarded, regionally-accredited online college, prospective employers won’t look sideways at your degree. In fact, unless you attend an exclusively online college or university, there will likely be no specific indicator on your degree, transcript or resume differentiating your school from its brick-and-mortar counterpart. This means that your employer will likely only differentiate between an online and in-person degree if you mention this distinction.

While some employers may express concern about making the adjustment from online education to in-person workplace collaboration, many other employers will view your online degree as evidence of valuable 21st Century professional skills such as independence, self-motivation, time management, and tech savvy.

If you are a student who thrives on the dynamic energy of in-person discussion, who requires the physical surroundings of a classroom to feel engaged, or who considers the social aspects of education to be of equal importance to the actual content of your courses, online education will require some adjustment.

While there is much that can be supplanted or simulated through the online medium, some students may find that there is nothing which can replace the conversation, collaboration, and motivation that occur in an actual classroom setting. As you make the adjustment to online education, one of the biggest challenges you will likely face is overcoming this difference in order to the get the most out of your classes. Fortunately, we’ve got some great Tips for Online Education Beginners.

The advantages of online classes are many. First and foremost, online courses give you the freedom and flexibility to attend class from anywhere that works for you, whether you’re at home, in a coffee shop, or in a quiet conference room at work. In many cases, you’ll also enjoy the convenience of asynchronous learning opportunities-educational experiences that you can complete on your own schedule. This may include pre-taped lectures, ongoing chat-board discussions, and 24/7 access to digital materials. And of course, just as there are some learners who prefer the energy of a live classroom, there are those who learn best when working in their own personal space, free from distractions. If this sounds like you, you might find the solitude of online learning to be a major advantage.

Whether you’re just getting started on your college search, you’re looking for survival tips on your way to a bachelor’s degree, or you’re preparing for the transition into grad school, we’ve got guides, how to’s and tons of other valuable resources to keep you moving forward in your educational journey.

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Best Online MBA Programs in California 2025

Key Takeaways

California's Best Online MBA Programs in 2025

2025 Ranking Update

Featured Programs

What’s the Difference between an Online MBA and Traditional MBA?

Best Online MBA Programs in California

Last Year’s Ranking:

Career Outlook for MBA degree at University of Southern California

Online Master’s Degrees

Career Outlook for MBA degree at Pepperdine University

Online Master’s Degrees

Career Outlook for MBA degree at Biola University

Online Master’s Degrees

Career Outlook for MBA degree at University of Redlands

Online Master’s Degrees

Concentrations

Career Outlook for MBA degree at Golden Gate University

Online Master’s Degrees

Concentrations

Career Outlook for MBA degree at Azusa Pacific University

Online Master’s Degrees

Career Outlook for MBA degree at National University

Online Master’s Degrees

Career Outlook for MBA degree at Notre Dame de Namur University

Online Master’s Degrees

Career Outlook for MBA degree at California State University, San Bernardino

Online Master’s Degrees

Career Outlook for MBA degree at California State University, Stanislaus

Online Master’s Degrees

Concentrations

Career Outlook for MBA degree at California Baptist University

Online Master’s Degrees

Concentrations

Online Master’s Degrees

Career Outlook for MBA degree at California State University, Monterey Bay

Online Master’s Degrees

Career Outlook for MBA degree at The Master's University

Online Degrees

Career Outlook for MBA degree at Fresno Pacific University

Online Master’s Degrees

Career Outlook for MBA degree at Jessup University

Online Degrees

Online Degrees

Career Outlook for Students with MBA Degree

Business Administration And Management

Degree Level: Master's

Students’ Submitted Questions on Online MBA Programs in California

Frequently Asked Questions About MBA Degrees

What is an MBA?

Do Online MBA Programs Require the GMAT?

How long does it take to get an MBA?

What are the courses like?

What can you do with an MBA?

Online Degree Frequently Asked Questions

What can I expect from an online college course?+

Is online college easier?+

Why does accreditation matter in online college?+

Will I be able to transfer my online college degree?+

Will employers respect my online degree?+

What are the disadvantages of online classes?+

What are the advantages of online classes?+

Resources for Prospective Grad Students