Obtaining an MBA provides students with a significant bargaining chip when applying for jobs and finding the best value MBA degrees in Alabama may help a student earn the best education for the best price. Alabama is home to many colleges with nationally recognized MBA programs that require exceptional performance from students in demanding curriculums. Most students enter MBA programs with the expectation that a high income in management positions in business will help defray the cost of the degree; however, it’s a smart financial move to consider programs that won’t put a decades-long dent in a student’s financial future.
Alabama A&M University
College of Business & Public Affairs
Located in Normal, Alabama, AAMU was established in 1875 and offers students a historic campus with many buildings listed in the National Register of Historic Places. The school has around 5,500 students attending at the undergraduate and graduate levels and routinely obtains accolades and grants for its high performing students. The school first opened its doors with just $1,000 in funds from the state and 61 students enrolled. By the time the 1890s arrived, the school’s administration was able to purchase more land and expansion and improvement of the school would occur over the next century. The school would get its modern name in 1949.
MBA Program
Graduates of the MBA program at Alabama A&M are expected to seek out positions in the non-profit, public, or government sectors and take classes with several additional objectives. In addition to readiness for the workplace, students may also choose to study further after graduation in a doctoral program. The school prides itself on a highly qualified and diverse faculty which is dedicated to ensuring each student graduates the program with a valuable degree and real-world knowledge of modern business. The university’s business school is a member of the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB), which ensures that the program adheres to the high standards required of this business school. The school also strives to maintain an ethnically and socioeconomically diverse student body. In addition to a vigorous classroom environment, students also gain experience in the many student organizations on campus which provide important social skills connected to the business world and work after school.
Contact
Alabama A&M University
P.O. Box 998
Normal, Alabama 35762
Phone: 256.372.5000
info@aamu.edu
Website
Tuition Out-of-State: Out of State: $12,774 In-State: $7,182
Auburn University
Raymond J. Harbert College of Business
Located in Auburn, Alabama, this university boasts over 25,000 students and is one of the biggest institutions of higher learning in the state. Established in 1856, the school was originally a school affiliated with the Methodist Episcopal Church, but became a four-year coeducational college in the 1890s, and was the first of its kind in the state. The school has routinely landed on “best of” lists for public universities in the United States and was on the 2011 edition of the “U.S. News & World Report” list of universities in the nation. The school has also been recognized by “Peterson’s Guides to America’s 296 Most Competitive Colleges.”
Master of Business Administration
Auburn describes its MBA as a vital part of becoming competitive in a business environment. There are many options for students looking to obtain an MBA from Auburn including an on-campus degree or video-based education. In addition, the school also features an Executive MBA and a Physicians Executive MBA, which provides an educational experience that’s appropriate for a student’s specific needs. The college boasts that its program has been recognized by publications like the “Financial Times” and “Forbes Magazine” as an institution for a quality MBA. The curriculum is designed to allow graduates to enter the workplace with the knowledge they need to become leaders in their chosen industry. The program features hands-on training throughout the program and students also receive guidance on a career through the Office of Professional and Career Development. Students also speak with the Director of Graduate Career Services to develop a post-graduation plan. The school provides various concentrations in areas like supply chain, business analytics, and human resource management.
Contact
Auburn University
College of Business
415 W. Magnolia Ave
Auburn, AL 36849
Phone: 334.844.4835
parrijw@auburn.edu
Website
Tuition: Out-of-State: $26,364 In-State: $9.852
Columbia Southern University
Business
Located in Orange Beach, Alabama, Columbia Southern University is a large private school with over 28,000 students in attendance. Some of its programs are considered the most affordable in the United States and the university also provides distance and online learning for a variety of courses of study. The school was recently founded in 1993 and the first degrees offered were in Environmental Engineering and Occupational Safety and Health. The founder of the school held the position of president until his death in 2005 when his son took over the role. The school is one of many universities approved by the U.S. Army’s program to provide up-front tuition assistance to students.
Master of Business Administration
Columbia Southern University knows that today’s job market is a competitive environment that requires the advanced knowledge and value that a college degree can offer. The MBA degree at Columbia Southern University offers several concentrations like human resource management, public administration, and health care management. In addition, students may choose to concentrate in finance, marketing, or project management. Some of the classes students may expect to take include Advanced Marketing, International Business, Business Ethics, and Strategic Management & Business Policy. Students should expect to take three years to earn their MBA degree, and will be very prepared to enter the work force in their chosen area of specialization. For example, students who decide to concentrate in finance will receive guidance and instruction on managing and administering the funds held by a business, as well as obtaining those funds. Alternatively, an MBA in health care management will focus upon the ever-evolving world of health care and how it impacts business.
Contact
Columbia Southern University
21982 University Lane
Orange Beach, AL 36561
Phone: 800.977.8449
admissions@columbiasouthern.edu
Website
Tuition: $4,895
Jacksonville State University
The College of Commerce and Business Administration
Established in 1883, Jacksonville State is a medium-sized institution with around 9.500 students in attendance. The school underwent a variety of name changes over the last century and offers several programs that are accredited by important education associations. The business school at Jacksonville State was placed in the top tenth percentile by ranking publication “The Princeton Review.” Additionally, the College of Commerce and Business Administration was ranked highly for providing the best opportunities for women in business. Jacksonville State’s campus is a beautiful 459-acre location nestled in the Appalachian foothills in the northern part of the state and has nearly 60 buildings on the campus.
Master of Business Administration (M.B.A.)
The MBA program at Jacksonville State is accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business, and students are afforded the opportunity to engage in research and case studies as part of the program. Students benefit from being able to learn at the Small Business Development Center where many real-world case studies offer information to students. Anyone seeking an MBA at Jacksonville State also receives assistance in getting a relevant internship during school so as to ensure graduates receive a diploma having already gained some real-world business experience. Accredited since 2003, the program at JSU is designed to offer valuable, basic business skills alongside classes on international business and the changing technologies currently present in many industries. Students may complete their degree in a variety of methods including online, traditional, or a combination approach. Additionally, students may choose to specialize in a concentration of economics or business administration as part of their degree path.
Contact
Jacksonville State University
Room 110 Merrill Building
700 Pelham Road North
Jacksonville, AL 36265-1602
Phone: 256.782.5780
lclark@jsu.edu
Website
Tuition: Out-of-State: $13,884 In-State: $7,092
Samford University
Brock School of Business
Established in 1841 as Howard College, Samford University is a private school located near Birmingham. The school was ranked highly for schools in the south by “U.S. News & World Report” in 2014. The school was originally organized and developed by members of a local Baptist church and the institution was named after a man who was involved in prison reform in England. Over the century-and-a-half of its existence, the school has expanded and enhanced its degree offerings, and it became a university in 1965. The school was renamed Samford after one of the university’s biggest benefactors. The school encourages its students to donate time and volunteer in local programs.
Master of Business Administration
Students enrolled in the MBA program at Samford University take classes in the evening and online. Graduates are prepared to take on a variety of leadership and managerial roles in different fields of business. In addition, students may choose to expand their degree through an MBA concentration in areas like accounting, finance, and marketing. Students may also choose to specialize in entrepreneurship or international business. Areas in which all students receive instruction include problem solving and the practical application of business strategies in today’s corporate environment. Students must successfully conquer a variety of learning goals during enrollment such as critical thinking, decision making, effective communication, and teamwork. The university boasts that employers value job applicants with degrees from the Brock School of Business because the school features a demanding curriculum and requires its students maintain dedication to their education and future career. The flexibility of evening classes allows students who already work to enter the program and further their careers.
Contact
Graduate Programs
Brock School of Business, Samford University
800 Lakeshore Dr.
Birmingham, AL 35229
Phone: 205.726.2040
gradbusi@samford.edu
Website
Tuition: $26,328
South University
Graduate Programs
The Montgomery branch of South University is part of a nationwide for-profit system of colleges that focus upon providing degrees in different health professions and in business. The school was originally opened in 1899 as Draughon’s Practical Business College. Today, about half of the students attending South University are enrolled online at one of the system’s 11 campuses. The college was a secretarial school until the 1970s when a man named John South purchased the school and started making changes to the school that would transform it into its modern incarnation. Overall, there are around 18,000 students in the system.
Master of Business Administration Degree Program
The MBA program at South University, Montgomery is designed to provide broad education on several important business concepts like economics, strategic environments, behavioral sciences, and decision-making. At the end of a student’s educational tenure, he or she may undertake employment in a variety of venues including federal, state, and county business organizations as well as non-profit and for-profit environments. The educational approach used by the university is different from many other programs in that the school uses a “process based curriculum” for training rather than a “functional approach.” The foundation students receive in business helps with what the university calls long run decisions and short run decisions. The school recommends that each student come to class with a laptop because of the intense multimedia approach offered within the program. Additionally, the school says a laptop helps students with business research and with communication with professors on important learning topics each semester.
Contact
South University, Montgomery
5355 Vaughn Road
Montgomery, AL 36116-1120
Phone: 334.395.8800
sumonadm@southuniversity.edu
Website
Tuition: $16,360
University of Alabama
Manderson Graduate School of Business
Established in 1831, the University of Alabama is the flagship of the state’s university system and is also the oldest and largest of universities in the state. The university was one of the first established in the southeastern United States and as such, carries a long and impactful tradition in Alabama and around the south. The school’s football program is known nationwide for its excellence and is one of the most successful programs at colleges around the country. The university also features a volatile history as the campus was burned to the ground during the Civil War, just before General Lee’s surrender to the Union.
Masterson Master of Business Administration (MBA)
The University of Alabama suggests that its degree offers students outstanding value in advancing a career in business and that the school has gained a nationwide reputation for academic excellence. The school says its program is nationally ranked as one of the best in the nation for return on investment and also says that around half of the students in attendance receive some type of scholarship or financial support. In addition, the school offers students strong support for finding a job after graduation and is in close communication with major businesses and corporations around the country. The school ensures the viability and value of its program by keeping classes small and ensuring that all students receive personalized attention from an attentive faculty and staff. The university suggests that it is selective with its candidates for the MBA program and that it’s important to the integrity of the school that students who are committed to future positions of leadership in business are accepted.
Contact
University of Alabama
Box 870118
Tuscaloosa, AL 35487
Phone: 205.348.6517
pewilson@cba.ua.edu
Website
Tuition: Out-of-State: $23,950 In-State: $9,450
Troy University
Sorrell College of Business
With over 31,000 students in attendance, Troy University in Troy, Alabama is part of a statewide system of schools offering an education in several different areas of undergraduate and postgraduate degrees. The school is actually comprised of four different campuses around the state with the business school located in Troy. The school had humble beginnings as an educational facility dedicated to training new teachers in the 1800s. Today, the university offers a total of 46 different bachelor’s degrees and 22 different master’s degrees. In addition, there are two doctoral programs. The school counts itself as moderately selective with a 68% acceptance rate of new students.
Master of Business Administration
The curriculum at Troy in the college’s MBA program is broad and focuses upon preparing students to work in a global business environment. Students must become proficient in a variety of areas including technical, analytical, and behavioral concepts within the business realm. Troy offers many different concentrations for its MBA program including accounting & finance, international information systems, international management, and a professional MBA designed for working students. Students will feel confident upon graduating from the program that they will be able to successfully lead businesses and understand the ever-changing environment of today’s corporate world. The accredited program at Troy offers instruction from a highly qualified faculty with real-world experience, which is committed to offering each student an exceptional experience in the program. The university also offers students the opportunity to obtain an MBA on an accelerated timeline as long as students are able to come into the program with certain prerequisites met before admittance.
Contact
Sorrell College of Business
Troy University
151 Bibb Graves Hall
Troy, Alabama 36082
Phone: 334.670.3989
scobdean@troy.edu
Website
Tuition: Out-of-State: $13,612 In-State: $7,276
University of Alabama at Birmingham
Collat School of Business
As a public university in Birmingham, UAB has around 18,500 students enrolled and provides employment for over 50,000 people in Birmingham in the form of faculty positions, administration jobs, and other areas. Established in 1969, the university is one of three institutions within the University of Alabama system and offers 140 different programs of study to students. Initially, the university was an extension center from the University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa in the 1930s, but the popularity of the facility influenced expansion in the 1960s and development of a university. The university grew rapidly in the 1970s and was voted a strong “up and coming” university in the 1990s by “U.S. News & World Report.”
Master of Business Administration (MBA) Program
The MBA program at UAB is designed to prepare students for roles of leadership in the business world and students may expect to excel in many areas of business such as industry, government, and social services. Students are given the tools and instruction they need to work as strong, analytical managers capable of adapting and changing with the fast-paced evolution of today’s business world. The program is designed to meet the needs of working students by providing evening classes and online classroom access. The program is also accredited with the AACSB and boasts that its tuition rates make it an exceptional value for students in Alabama. The school concentrates on admitting a diverse student body with different educational and experiential backgrounds, which helps create a dynamic and exciting classroom experience. In addition, the program offers ways for students to customize their degree and to specialize in certain areas of business such as finance, information technology, and healthcare management.
Contact
UAB Collat School of Business
BEC 216
1720 2nd Ave S.
Birmingham, AL 35294-4460
Phone: 205.934.8800
chooseuab@uab.edu
Website
Tuition: Out-of-State: $16,398 In-State: $7,206
University of South Alabama
Mitchell College of Business
As a public research university in Mobile, the University of South Alabama has been offering classes to students since 1964. Classes given in Mobile were originally part of extension courses given by the University of Alabama, but popularity of the courses soon led to a decision by the state’s legislature to replace those extension programs with a university. The school is the only such university along the Gulf Coast and has around 15,000 students. The university has been named as one of the fastest-growing universities in the state and reportedly provides the immediate geographical area with about $2 billion in jobs, revenue, and business opportunities. In addition, the school owns hospitals that provide care to at least a quarter of a million patients each year.
Master of Business Administration (MBA) Program
The MBA program at the University of South Alabama is designed for students who wish to gain experience in the classroom after having already worked in the business world. The program is accredited by the ACSB and also caters to people in the workforce by providing classes in the evenings each week. Some of the classes that students may expect to take include Survey of Financial Accounting, Economic Theory, and Operations Management and Analytical Decision Making. The school has around 20 students enrolled in its MBA program at any given time and classes begin in the fall of each school year. The MBA program requires that students complete at least fourteen graduate courses of three credits each. The program must be completed within seven calendar years and the college only admits students who have maintained a grade point average above 2.5 on a 4.0 scale as well as having obtained at least a 1050 on the GMAT.
Contact
Mitchell College of Business
5811 USA Drive South
University of South Alabama
Mobile, Alabama 36688
Phone: 251. 460.7167
mmenon@southalabama.edu
Website
Tuition: Out-of-State: $13,596 In-State: $6,948
University of North Alabama
College of Business
The University of North Alabama is the state’s fourth oldest public university and has around 7,200 students enrolled. The college campus covers around 130 acres in Florence, Alabama, and was established in 1830. The school was ranked as a top tier public university by “U.S. News & World Report” in 2008 when it landed on the list of “America’s Best Colleges.” Originally called LaGrange College in the early 1800s, the school came about from the efforts of local Methodists who wanted to create a school for all denominations that weren’t specifically theological or religious. Over its history, the university spent time as a state “normal” school as well as a teacher’s college.
MBA Program
The University of North Alabama boasts that its MBA program is one of the top programs in the northern part of the state and was also ranked as a “Best Buy” in a 2012 list of “Best Online MBA Programs.” Students may enroll in a traditional MBA program or in an Executive MBA program, which offers educational opportunities for students of all scheduling needs. Each MBA program at the school requires 34 total credit hours for graduation and the traditional MBA program also offers eight different concentrations. Students may choose to concentrate in international business, project management, finance, or various other areas during their years of study at UNA. Additionally, the school’s college of business is accredited by the Association of Collegiate Business Schools and Programs (ACBSP). The school has also formed partnerships with business-centric associations like the American Institute of Banking and the American College of Life Underwriters so that students may form valuable professional connections before graduation.
Contact
UNA MBA
UNA Box 5077
Florence, AL 35632
Phone: 256.765.4103
mbainfo@una.edu
Website
Tuition: Out-of-State: $12,670 In-State: $7,078
Virginia College – Birmingham
Masters Degree Programs
Established in 1983, the Birmingham branch of Virginia College is part of a chain of nationally accredited universities spread around the southeastern United States. The institution grants a variety of certificates, diplomas, and degrees in areas like business, information technology, and health and medicine. The original location of the school was in Roanoke, Virginia and its first branch was in Birmingham. The school’s programs are accredited by the Accrediting Council for Independent Colleges and Schools. The college offers classes in several different states at its various branches as well as through online degree programs that students may take from any location.
Master of Business Administration (MBA)
The MBA program at Virginia College is designed to take 21 months to complete and provides a curriculum that deals with management theory as well as real-world applications. Students are taught valuable leadership skills during their time at the college which helps ensure students will be able to advance their careers into management positions in business after graduation. The college boasts instructors that have experience in the working world and who can provide valuable, updated lessons on the newest changes and trends in the business world. Many of the professors maintain a professional work life which means that Virginia College’s program features a valuable, modern curriculum. The program features daytime or nighttime classes so that students of any scheduling needs may attend and offers instruction on a wide array of important skills required of business professionals today. Students will learn about the importance of quantitative analysis, cross-disciplinary projects, and about various topics that impact today’s corporate business settings.
Contact
Virginia College – Birmingham
488 Palisades Blvd.
Birmingham, AL 35209
Phone: 205.802.1200
admissions@vc.edu
Website
Tuition: $12,250
One of the first questions that people ask about higher education is whether the tuition paid and the degree obtained are worth the cost and time. Statistics routinely suggest that the return-on-investment (ROI) of a business degree or MBA is one of the best investments for students today. However, with the increase in recent cost for business degrees, it’s important that students consider whether a particular program offers enough value for the price paid. For residents in the south, there are several best value MBA degrees in Alabama from respected and nationally recognized institutions of higher learning.
For more information on earning a MBA degree, please see The 20 Most Affordable Top-Ranked Business Schools and MBA Programs.