A Master of Business Administration degree can be a valuable credential to advance your career and keep up with the changing business environment, or to gain extra knowledge at the start of your career to give you a leg up. According to U.S. News and World Report, MBA graduates have an average starting salary of $79,000, more than $20,000 higher than graduates with a bachelor’s degree in business. Oregon is a great place to earn an MBA because the state is home to a thriving business community and several top-ranked business schools.
What is a Master of Business Administration?
An MBA is a graduate degree that can benefit professionals in various fields of business and nonprofit management by increasing their knowledge of areas such as finance, business leadership, strategy, marketing, and other technical and managerial skills. Some people earn MBAs right after graduating from undergraduate school, but it’s common for students to return to college to get an MBA later in their career. Because of this, many schools offer online MBA or evening programs to provide working professionals flexibility.
MBA programs are nationally accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business. There are five AACSB-accredited schools in Oregon: Oregon State University, Portland State University, University of Oregon, University of Portland, and Willamette University. Other programs are regionally accredited.
What Schools Have the Best MBA Programs in Oregon?
We’ve compiled a list of the best MBA degrees in Oregon. These colleges are ranked based on their graduate tuition (lowest is best) and faculty-student ratio (lowest is best). We included a mix of both large, well-known universities and less-famous institutions.
| Rank | School | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | University of Portland (25.5 points) | Portland, Oregon |
| 2 | Warner Pacific University – Portland, OR (20.5 points) | Portland, Oregon |
| 3 | Corban University – Salem, OR (20.5 points) | Salem, Oregon |
| 4 | Pacific University – Hillsboro, OR (19 points) | Forest Grove, Oregon |
| 5 | Bushnell University – Eugene, OR (18.5 points) | Eugene, Oregon |
Our Top 12 Oregon Schools for Master of Business Administration Degrees
University of Portland (25.5 points)
The University of Portland offers a flexible MBA with evening courses taught once per week. Students can choose a concentration in Finance, Marketing, Strategy, Operations and Technology Management, or Sustainability. Portland also offers a Nonprofit Administration MBA that can be completed in two years.
School Overview
Warner Pacific University – Portland, OR (20.5 points)
Warner Pacific University is a small Christian university that offers an MBA that prepares students to succeed in business leadership and strategy. Courses include Strategic Marketing, Corporate Finance, and Business Innovation.
School Overview
Corban University – Salem, OR (20.5 points)
The Hoff School of Business at Corban University offers a one-year MBA with an emphasis in case studies based on real-world situations. Faculty have an average of 23 years of experience. Students can earn this MBA completely online.
School Overview
Pacific University – Hillsboro, OR (19 points)
Pacific University offers an MBA designed for working professionals with an alternating weekend schedule. Students can complete the degree in 15 months and can choose a Healthcare Management or interdisciplinary track.
School Overview
Bushnell University – Eugene, OR (18.5 points)
Bushnell University (formerly Northwest Christian University) offers a one-year online MBA. Two concentrations are available: Management and Nonprofit Leadership. There are six starts per year, giving flexibility for students to start their degree.
School Overview
Eastern Oregon University – La Grande, OR (17points)
Eastern Oregon University (EOU) offers a flexible, accredited, award-winning, and value-added online MBA with small class sizes where students learn and apply management strategies to optimize professional career entry and advancement. With its focus on creativity and innovation, the EOU MBA offers a solid business core geared toward advanced techniques in management, marketing, finance, global business, sustainability, economics, and decision making. Students also choose from an array of career-ready electives aligned with their career interests and aspirations. With rolling admissions, the program is designed to be completed in 18 months of part-time or one year of full-time study.
School Overview
Willamette University – Salem / Portland, OR (15.5 points)
Willamette University’s early career MBA is ranked as the top in the country and can be taken in combination with a JD or BA degree. Ten concentrations are available: Accounting, Entrepreneurship, Finance, Global Management, Human Resources, Management Science and Quantitative Methods, Marketing, Operations, Analysis & Systems, Organizational Analysis, and Public & Not-for-Profit Management. Willamette also has an evening MBA for professionals, which is the most common executive MBA in Oregon.
School Overview
George Fox University – Portland / Newberg, OR (14 points)
George Fox University offers a one-year full-time MBA in Newberg and a two-year part-time MBA in Portland. The part-time program has classes of 20-22 students, and the full-time program admits 25 students in each cohort. Both programs emphasize real-world experience and learning soft skills necessary in business.
School Overview
University of Oregon – Eugene / Portland, OR (10.5 points)
The University of Oregon’s esteemed Lundquist College of Business offers a variety of MBA program options and specializations, including the top Sports Business program in the nation. Other specializations available are Sustainable Business Practices, Innovation and Entrepreneurship, Finance and Securities Analysis, and Advanced Strategy and Leadership. Oregon offers strong experiential learning opportunities, including the top-rated business plan competition, the New Venture Championship. Students can earn their degree in several ways: the executive MBA (taught in Portland), full-time, accelerated, flex, or concurrently with a JD, MS in Finance, or other graduate degrees.
School Overview
Southern Oregon University – Ashland, OR (10.5 points)
Southern Oregon University offers MBAs both online and through evening classes. Students can specialize in the following areas: General, Accounting, Business Analytics, Marketing, Finance, Healthcare Administration, Information Analysis and Decision Making, Human Resources, Nonprofit Management, and Arts Management. Some specializations are only available either online or in-person. The program takes 18 months of part-time study or one year full-time starting in the fall.
School Overview
Portland State University (9 points)
Portland State University offers a top-ranked MBA with a strong emphasis in environmental sustainability. Students have access to strong Portland-area industry connections. The Portland MBA is available online or in-person. Portland State also offers a Healthcare MBA taught through part-time hybrid courses (80% online).
School Overview
Oregon State University – Portland / Bend / Corvallis, OR (8.5 points)
Students can earn an MBA from Oregon State University in the format that fits their schedule: online, hybrid (in Portland or Bend), or in-person, full-time or part-time (in Corvallis). Specializations available are: Business Analytics, Supply Chain and Logistics Management, Organizational Leadership, Marketing, Corporate Finance, and Human Resources Management. Finance and HR management are only available in person. Oregon State emphasizes project-based experience to give graduates a competitive edge in the marketplace.
School Overview
How Did We Rank this List?
Our ranking was based 60% on faculty-student ratio and 40% on graduate tuition.
From each institution’s website, we gathered in-person graduate tuition rates for out-of-state domestic students in the different programs. Where tuition was only listed on a per-year or per-semester basis, the year was assumed to consist of two semesters, twelve credits each. Tuition figures do not include fees or other expenses. Where tuition rates differed between MBA programs, the cheapest rate was used for the ranking.
Each school was given a score from 1 for the highest tuition to 12 for the lowest. Schools were also scored from 1 to 12 for faculty-student ratio based on data from U.S. News and World Report.
Then, faculty-student ratio points were multiplied by 1.5. The weighted scores were added together to produce the final ranking.
Problems with your Ranking?
If your school isn’t on this list and you think it deserves consideration for an update, please contact us. Also, if you work for one of the schools on this list and you notice an error, please let us know. We always seek to provide the most accurate information available and let readers know about the best schools across the country.
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