***Online MBA ASU vs Indiana vs Auburn?

Question

Thank you for taking the time to read this, I am having trouble deciding on an online program. It will be used primarily to advance within my current org, as I have over 5 years there and 7+ total in marketing. Looking to round out my skill set and most likely concentrate in finance. My options are:

ASU $60,000
Auburn $34,000
Indiana $68,000

ASU $60,000
Auburn $34,000
Indiana $68,000

Any guidance would appreciated. I am leaning toward Auburn in terms of the biggest ROI since it is an online degree. But I do like ASU's format of one class for five weeks and then a week break. Indiana is tough since it requires two week long visits.

If it helps at all I am on the West Coast (Nevada) so ASU might look better and not as far fetched and not as clearly online on a resume as working in Nevada and having an Indiana MBA simultaneously may draw red flags.

Thank you for any thoughts.

yashbabu · Answer

Indiana might be difficult but its completely worth it
of course 2nd best is ASU according to me

ryangmat28 · Answer

Is Auburn's lower price not worth it?

teleste · Answer

I would go with the Auburn option here--and it isn't even close. Since you're staying in your current company/industry, I can see no reason you should pay double *for the exact same degree.*

It isn't like Indiana is going to be teaching you things that Auburn won't. (In all likelihood, the finance classes in both programs will use the same textbooks.) The only reason I would pay more for IU would be for greater recruiting options  if you were enrolling in the full-time program in Bloomington . Since you're keeping your job and doing an online degree, recruiting is a moot point. Do your future self a favor, invest that $34k (or travel the world! or buy a new car!) and enroll in Auburn.

**I'd also look into part-time/evening programs at UNLV or UNR if you're near them, they exist, and are the same price/cheaper than Auburn.

Good luck with the decision!

ryangmat28 · Answer

Thanks for the feedback. That does make a lot of sense. The price certainly makes it appealing.

My only concerns with auburn are that

1) it's ranked #83
2) it's geographically very far from Nevada, whereas ASU might make more sense on a resume and not be as big of a red flag as an Indiana or auburn. 
3) ASU has a format of one class for 5 weeks, and then a week off. I like this idea 
4) auburn has proctored exams which will be difficult to get someone to proctor for

teleste · Answer

1. Rankings mean very little when talking about online programs. Also, FWIW, even for full-time programs, the importance of rankings and prestige is often wildly over-exaggerated by B-School students. Sure, if you want to work for one of the elite "MBB" consulting firms or in Private Equity, you need to go to a top program where those firms recruit. If you don't have a specific goal though that would necessitate being at a higher ranking program, I don't think it is worth paying through the nose just to have some nod of approval from US News and World Report. (And again, this goes double for online programs.)

2. I don't think  distance  should be a big concern for an online program. That said, I would agree that if you plan to stay in the Great Basin/South West, ASU may be a bit better for recognition purposes and networking. I don't know if it is $25k+ better though...

3. This could be a compelling reason to pick ASU. If you like their program, and it will provide the best quality of life, and you'll enjoy it the most, it may be worth the extra $$$. That you'll have to decide.

4. I don't know how tricky this actually is...but I doubt that whatever inconvenience this may be is worth paying $25k+ more for to enroll in a different program (if this alone were the deciding factor).

ryangmat28 · Answer

Really great points. Thank you for the advice, it is definitely going to impact my decision. I am leaning Auburn at this point now.

teleste · Answer

If at all possible, you should try and get in touch with graduates of each of these three programs. Having gone through the respective programs, they will be able to honestly tell you the good, the bad, and the ugly of each option. It may end up being much more useful than the materials each program uses to recruit folks.

I bet you could scrape some folks up off LinkedIn if you can't reach anyone through your personal network.

Good luck!

I bet you could scrape some folks up off LinkedIn if you can't reach anyone through your personal network.

Good luck!

AtHomeMBA2005 · Answer

I disagree with the responses here. Now, if name recognition is your goal, Indiana's Kelley program is going to provide the best value on that attribute. However, ASU is the most up and coming program of the three. "You get what you pay for" is overused in this forum, but in this case, for these three schools, it does ring true.

ASU is the most up and coming program of the three, which is why it jumped to #25 in the US News. Their recent moves with funding full time scholarships has already had a drastic positive impact on their GMAT and selectivity scores. I wouldn't be surprised if ASU leapfrogs Indiana and jumps to #16 within the next two years.

The reason Auburn is ranked so low is simple: it's not that great of a program. If it was better, more people would be talking about it. Sure, it costs less than ASU or Indiana, and Auburn as an institution carries some recognition (although it is not prestigious). But if it were of a higher quality, you would be reading a lot more about how great it is. Search GMAT club for reviews of Auburn's online MBA - or even their full time program. You'll find nothing! The reason being their MBA program is pretty much a regional thing.

You should go ASU here, 100%. For an online program, it is going to be just as good if not better than Indiana. And If I am reading your resume and it says you worked in Nevada and went to ASU, it is not a red flag. But if you worked in Nevada and went to Indiana or Auburn, it looks kind of weird and at that point the online factor becomes my first thought. Good luck with your choice!

teleste · Answer

AtHomeMBA2005 is right about the B-School rankings. There's no disputing that USNWR has the IU and ASU full-time programs ranked way above Auburn. FWIW, I would definitely pay $25k+ more to attend the full-time programs at IU or ASU. Online programs are a different beast though IMO--especially when you're keeping your job and staying with your current company.

If OP's goal is to advance within their current org (as they stated), I suggest it may not be worth $25k more to get the exact same credential. I doubt future promotions or job opportunities will hinge on whether management sees "Arizona State Online MBA" versus "Auburn Online MBA" on OP's resume during the next promotion review. If they care about MBAs as a benchmark, that checkbox will be ticked either way. What they will definitely care the most about is work output and what OP knows (both of which are entirely independent of whether OP chooses to be a Tiger, a Sun Devil, or a Hoosier).

If it were me, I would choose not to (needlessly) shell out an extra $25k+ for the same three letters...unless there was a compelling case to make that the  quality of life doing the ASU program was significantly better  and/or there was a  very clear ROI on the $$$ for being a Sun Devil versus a Tiger  (which I doubt anyone could make a convincing case for). No one is going to be talking about how "prestigious" your  online MBA  is now, in five years, or 20 years down the line. It is the credential itself and knowledge you acquire that count...something that you can get from any of these three programs.

Again though, this is totally your call OP. Good luck!

***Online MBA ASU vs Indiana vs Auburn?

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