Chippewa Valley Times

The UW MBA Consortium, which includes the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire, University of Wisconsin-La Crosse, and University of Wisconsin Oshkosh, has been recognized as the top-ranked online MBA program in Wisconsin and 20th nationwide. Since the rankings began in 2015, the program has consistently placed in the top 20. The latest ranking positions it among the top 5.6% of online MBA programs in the United States.

"Being ranked among the top 20 out of 355 online MBA programs is a significant achievement," said Jessica Franson, managing director of the UW MBA Consortium. She noted that "the point spread within the top 20 is minimal," underscoring intense competition among leading programs, each with its own strengths.

Key attributes contributing to this ranking include high-quality faculty, affordability, class size, and flexibility. The consortium achieved the second-highest score for Faculty Credentials and Training in 2025. Faculty members actively engage in activities to maintain strong academic qualifications and undergo annual training to stay current with best practices in online teaching. On average, they have eight years of experience teaching online MBA courses.

In terms of cost, the UW MBA Consortium charges approximately $31,500, less than half of the average $70,000 for other top programs. The average class size is 24 students compared to an average of 36 among peer institutions. This smaller size emphasizes personalized interactions between students and instructors.

Flexibility is another advantage; it is one of few programs among the top-ranked that can be completed entirely online with asynchronous delivery, allowing students to complete coursework at their convenience.

Dr. Paula Lentz, academic director of the consortium, emphasized that "our highly qualified faculty" and "innovative core curriculum" set them apart by providing a collaborative environment for education tailored to students' academic and professional goals.

Unique among its peers as a collaborative program drawing on expertise from multiple institutions, Dr. Lisa Jepsen, dean of UW-Eau Claire’s College of Business stated: “Collaboration is key... Students benefit from collaborations among faculty from UW-La Crosse, UW Oshkosh, and UW-Eau Claire."

The consortium currently enrolls about 390 students from across 35 states and three countries; half hail from Wisconsin and neighboring states Illinois, Iowa, Michigan, and Minnesota.

It also ranked 15th in U.S. News & World Report's Best Online MBA Programs for Veterans list this year and was rated highly by Poets&Quants’ ranking for best online MBA programs.

For further details about the program contact Jessica Franson at fransonj@uwec.edu or call 715-836-3880.