CAREER CHANGERS
When we averaged all three categories of job changes (employers, industries, and job functions), Fairfield University (Dolan) (ranked 17th overall in our 2026 OMBA ranking) and Rice University (Jones) (No. 20) had the highest overall average of 50%.
Of all 61 ranked online MBA programs, eight had 40% or more of their responding alumni report career swaps in some form as a result of their degree.
Average Career Changes At The Top OMBA Programs |
|||||
2026 Rank |
School |
Changed Employers |
Changed Industries |
Changed Job Function |
Average |
| 17 | Fairfield University (Dolan) | 37.50% | 25.00% | 87.50% | 50.00% |
| 20 | Rice University (Jones) | 57.14% | 28.57% | 64.29% | 50.00% |
| 24 | Santa Clara University (Leavey) | 40.00% | 40.00% | 60.00% | 46.67% |
| 57 | Seattle University (Albers) | 54.55% | 36.36% | 45.45% | 45.45% |
| 3 | University of Michigan (Ross) | 42.42% | 33.33% | 57.58% | 44.44% |
| 8 | University of Southern California, Marshall School of Business | 41.18% | 23.53% | 58.82% | 41.18% |
| 1 | Indiana University (Kelley) | 40.26% | 27.27% | 53.25% | 40.26% |
| 41 | American University (Kogod) | 80.00% | 0.00% | 40.00% | 40.00% |
| 6 | Carnegie Mellon University (Tepper) | 40.00% | 25.00% | 50.00% | 38.33% |
| 29 | University of Denver (Daniels) | 42.86% | 28.57% | 42.86% | 38.10% |
| 47 | University of California-Davis | 26.67% | 25.00% | 62.50% | 38.06% |
| 13 | University of Utah (Eccles) | 33.33% | 33.33% | 44.44% | 37.03% |
| 2 | University of Texas at Dallas (Jindal) | 14.29% | 14.29% | 71.43% | 33.34% |
| 50 | Creighton University (Heider) | 28.57% | 28.57% | 42.86% | 33.33% |
| 45 | Southern Methodist University (Cox) | 30.77% | 30.77% | 38.46% | 33.33% |
| 37 | Syracuse University (Whitman) | 38.46% | 19.23% | 42.31% | 33.33% |
| 18 | University of Wisconsin MBA Consortium | 27.27% | 9.09% | 63.64% | 33.33% |
| 14 | Wake Forest University | 42.86% | 28.57% | 28.57% | 33.33% |
| 19 | Bryant University | 33.33% | 33.33% | 33.33% | 33.33% |
| 58 | University of Houston (Bauer) | 33.33% | 33.33% | 33.33% | 33.33% |
| 35 | Pepperdine University (Graziadio) | 42.31% | 15.38% | 38.46% | 32.05% |
| 40 | San Jose State University (Lucas) | 40.00% | 20.00% | 32.00% | 30.67% |
| 36 | University of Maryland (Smith) | 20.00% | 10.00% | 60.00% | 30.00% |
| 4 | University of Washington (Foster) | 33.33% | 14.58% | 39.58% | 29.16% |
| 10 | University of Florida (Warrington) | 29.09% | 16.36% | 41.82% | 29.09% |
| 12 | University of North Carolina (Kenan-Flagler) | 22.50% | 25.00% | 37.50% | 28.33% |
| 9 | Jack Welch Management Institute | 17.44% | 17.44% | 50.00% | 28.29% |
| 25 | University of Connecticut | 16.67% | 16.67% | 50.00% | 27.78% |
| 43 | Ohio University | 29.41% | 17.65% | 35.29% | 27.45% |
| 51 | Florida International University | 19.23% | 23.08% | 38.46% | 26.92% |
| 42 | Longwood University | 20.00% | 15.56% | 44.44% | 26.67% |
| 30 | Texas Tech University (Rawls) | 20.00% | 20.00% | 40.00% | 26.67% |
| 61 | University of North Texas (Ryan) | 23.53% | 17.65% | 35.29% | 25.49% |
| 22 | North Carolina State University (Poole) | 18.18% | 9.09% | 45.45% | 24.24% |
| 5 | Hofstra University (Zarb) | 14.29% | 0.00% | 57.14% | 23.81% |
| 46 | University of Massachusetts Lowell (Manning) | 25.42% | 18.64% | 27.12% | 23.73% |
| 38 | William & Mary (Mason) | 11.76% | 11.76% | 47.06% | 23.53% |
| 34 | Baylor University (Hankamer) | 24.00% | 12.00% | 32.00% | 22.67% |
| 44 | Rogers State University | 33.33% | 16.67% | 16.67% | 22.22% |
| 52 | Temple University (Fox) | 22.22% | 0.00% | 44.44% | 22.22% |
| 28 | Clemson University | 8.33% | 8.33% | 50.00% | 22.22% |
| 26 | University of Iowa (Tippie) | 18.09% | 12.77% | 34.04% | 21.63% |
| 23 | Bowling Green State University (Schmidthorst) | 25.00% | 15.00% | 20.00% | 20.00% |
| 11 | Case Western Reserve University (Weatherhead) | 20.00% | 0.00% | 40.00% | 20.00% |
| 15 | Villanova University | 29.41% | 11.76% | 17.65% | 19.61% |
| 7 | Auburn University (Harbert) | 13.33% | 6.67% | 36.67% | 18.89% |
| 16 | Lehigh University | 22.22% | 11.11% | 22.22% | 18.52% |
| 21 | University of Massachusetts at Amherst (Isenberg) | 17.28% | 7.41% | 29.63% | 18.11% |
| 56 | George Mason University (Costello) | 16.67% | 16.67% | 16.67% | 16.67% |
| 55 | University of Missouri (Trulaske) | 22.22% | 0.00% | 22.22% | 14.81% |
| 60 | Kennesaw State University (Coles) | 14.29% | 0.00% | 28.57% | 14.29% |
| 54 | Drexel University (LeBow) | 8.33% | 16.67% | 16.67% | 13.89% |
| 33 | University of Nebraska-Lincoln | 16.67% | 8.33% | 16.67% | 13.89% |
| 48 | MIssissippi State University | 13.33% | 6.67% | 20.00% | 13.33% |
| 27 | University of South Florida (Muma) | 20.00% | 10.00% | 10.00% | 13.33% |
| 31 | University of Cincinnati (Lindner) | 11.76% | 0.00% | 23.53% | 11.76% |
| 49 | Louisiana State University (Ourso) | 13.64% | 0.00% | 9.52% | 7.72% |
| 32 | University of Delaware (Lerner) | 11.11% | 0.00% | 11.11% | 7.41% |
| 39 | University of Michigan-Dearborn | 0.00% | 0.00% | 20.00% | 6.67% |
| 53 | SUNY Oswego | 0.00% | 0.00% | 16.67% | 5.56% |
| 59 | University of Tennessee at Chattanooga (Rollins) | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% |
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The post OMBA Ranking 2026: Will An Online MBA Help You Change Careers? appeared first on Poets&Quants.