10 Best Online MBAs in Entrepreneurship in 2027

Launching a business, or driving innovation inside an existing one, takes more than a good idea. An online Master of Business Administration (MBA) with an entrepreneurship concentration gives you the financial, operational, and leadership skills to turn that idea into something sustainable, while still giving you the flexibility to work on your venture as you study.

The schools below stand out for combining genuine entrepreneurship expertise with a fully online format, so you don't have to choose between building a business and earning a graduate degree. Below, you'll find 10 of the best online MBA programs with a dedicated entrepreneurship track.

What Is an Online MBA in Entrepreneurship?

An online MBA in entrepreneurship builds on the same core business curriculum as a general MBA, covering finance, marketing, operations, and leadership, but adds coursework specifically focused on identifying opportunities, building a business plan, and securing funding. You'll typically study topics like new venture creation, venture capital, business model design, and the practical realities of scaling a startup or launching a new product line within a larger company.

Many programs also build in hands-on components, whether that's a required capstone project, an optional startup lab, or a consulting-style engagement where you apply what you've learned to a real venture. That applied focus sets an entrepreneurship concentration apart from a general MBA track, since much of the coursework is built around actually developing a business idea rather than studying business in the abstract.

Delivery format varies by school, much like any other online MBA. Some programs run entirely asynchronous, while others include live class sessions or optional in-person intensives for students who want more direct engagement with faculty and classmates. Whichever format you choose, an entrepreneurship-focused MBA gives you a structured path to develop both the mindset and the technical skills entrepreneurship demands.

Best Online MBAs in Entrepreneurship

Entrepreneurship is a common concentration for online MBAs. We’ve highlighted ten of the top options for these programs below.

1. Arizona State University

Arizona State University, based in Tempe, Arizona, is regionally accredited by the Higher Learning Commission (HLC), and its W. P. Carey School of Business holds accreditation from the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB). The school offers an entrepreneurship concentration within its fully online MBA, covering coursework in business management, decision-making with business analytics, financial management, and new product development.

The 49-credit program requires no standardized testing for admission, just a bachelor's degree in any field and a 3.0 GPA. ASU's entrepreneurship track blends broad business fundamentals with a focus on bringing new products and ventures to market, giving students a practical foundation for launching something of their own.

2. Babson College

Wellesley, Massachusetts is home to Babson College, ranked the top MBA program for entrepreneurship for more than two decades running. Its F.W. Olin Graduate School of Business holds AACSB accreditation, and the college itself is regionally accredited by the New England Commission of Higher Education (NECHE).

Babson's online MBA brings its signature Entrepreneurial Thought & Action methodology to a fully remote format, with students able to pick up to two concentrations, including entrepreneurship, alongside electives spanning topics like new venture creation, food entrepreneurship, and leading business turnarounds. Live class sessions integrate online students directly into Babson's in-person classroom experience, giving remote students real-time interaction with faculty and classmates.

3. Carnegie Mellon University

Pittsburgh's Carnegie Mellon University brings a tech-and-data-driven approach to its entrepreneurship offerings through the Tepper School's Online Hybrid MBA, which combines live online coursework with periodic in-person "Access Weekends" held at Carnegie Mellon locations around the country. Tepper holds AACSB accreditation, and the university is regionally accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE).

After completing core coursework, students customize the second half of the program with a concentration in entrepreneurship alongside business technology, marketing, finance, operations, and organizational behavior electives. That blend of flexibility and Carnegie Mellon's broader reputation for innovation gives the program a distinct edge for students building a tech-oriented venture.

4. Indiana University

Few online MBA programs can match the track record of Indiana University's Kelley School of Business, whose Kelley Direct Online MBA has consistently ranked among the very best online programs in the country. Kelley holds AACSB accreditation, and the university, based in Bloomington, is regionally accredited by the HLC.

The program offers a dedicated concentration in Entrepreneurship and Corporate Innovation, built to help students develop both the mindset and practical skills needed to launch new ventures or drive innovation within an existing organization. Test scores are optional, and students choose from seven majors and more than 80 electives, giving the entrepreneurship track real depth alongside Kelley's broader curriculum.

5. Johns Hopkins University

Johns Hopkins University's Carey Business School, based in Baltimore, holds AACSB accreditation, and the university is regionally accredited by the MSCHE. Its flexible online MBA offers two entrepreneurship-adjacent specializations: entrepreneurial marketing, which focuses on consumer behavior and marketing strategy, and entrepreneurship, innovation, and technology, which covers new ventures, finance, and project management.

No GRE or GMAT is required for admission, and students can choose whichever specialization more closely matches their venture, whether that's a marketing-heavy startup or a technology-driven one. That dual-track structure gives Johns Hopkins more specificity than a single, general entrepreneurship concentration.

6. Rice University

Houston's Rice University delivers its online MBA through the Jesse H. Jones Graduate School of Business, which holds AACSB accreditation; Rice itself is regionally accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC). The entrepreneurship focus area includes coursework in brand and business development, an optional hands-on lab, and mandatory capstone courses covering new enterprise creation and enterprise acquisition.

The 54-credit program typically takes about two years to complete, and students with at least three years of full-time work experience can skip the GRE or GMAT entirely. That capstone requirement in particular sets Rice apart, ensuring every student in the entrepreneurship track leaves with direct experience building and evaluating a real venture.

7. University of Florida

The University of Florida's Warrington College of Business, based in Gainesville, has delivered MBA content online since 1999, giving it one of the longest track records of any program on this list. Warrington holds AACSB accreditation, and the university is regionally accredited by the SACSCOC.

Students can choose a dedicated Entrepreneurship Online concentration, and both the one-year and two-year Online MBA tracks include a required experiential component that lets students travel to another metro area, domestically or internationally, to see how business is conducted elsewhere. That built-in travel requirement gives Warrington's entrepreneurship students a broader view of how markets and ventures operate outside their home region.

8. University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

The University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign's Gies College of Business offers the iMBA, a fully online program requiring no on-campus commitments at all. Gies holds AACSB accreditation, and the university is regionally accredited by the HLC.

Entrepreneurship and strategic innovation is one of five focus areas available, covering strategic innovation and creative thinking before concluding with a capstone project applying that knowledge to real-life case studies. Self-paced coursework and multiple start dates throughout the year give students real control over how quickly they move through the entrepreneurship track. The program is also one of the most affordable master’s degrees in entrepreneurship, making it a smart choice for budget-conscious students.

9. University of Massachusetts Amherst

UMass Amherst's Isenberg School of Management, located in Amherst, holds AACSB accreditation, and the university is regionally accredited by the NECHE, the same body that accredits Babson. Its online MBA offers a focus in entrepreneurship, with coursework covering new venture finance, project management, and digital marketing.

Applicants need at least three years of professional experience, a bachelor's degree, and GRE or GMAT scores, though qualifying students may receive a waiver. That finance-heavy entrepreneurship curriculum makes Isenberg a solid fit for students who want to pair venture creation with a strong grounding in how new businesses actually get funded.

10. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Chapel Hill's Kenan-Flagler Business School has built one of the most consistently well-regarded online MBA programs in the country, with an entrepreneurship concentration covering business innovation, business strategy, new venture discovery, and sales and marketing. Kenan-Flagler holds AACSB accreditation, and the university is regionally accredited by the SACSCOC.

The program is designed to prepare graduates for roles like business owner, consultant, founder, and funder, reflecting how directly the curriculum ties back to actually starting or backing a company. Multiple start dates throughout the year give students flexibility in when they begin the entrepreneurship track specifically.

How We Rank Schools

To create this list, we review data from the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard and the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), along with program-level details published by each university.

For this list specifically, we prioritized programs where entrepreneurship is a genuine, dedicated concentration rather than a single elective buried within a general MBA. The following criteria reflect what matters most when evaluating an online MBA in entrepreneurship:

• Accreditation: We prioritize regionally accredited universities with AACSB-accredited business programs, ensuring the degree carries recognized value with employers and other institutions.
• Online availability: Programs must offer a genuinely online MBA, with asynchronous or flexible coursework that allows working professionals and founders to build coursework around a demanding, unpredictable schedule.
• Career alignment: We consider how directly each program's entrepreneurship curriculum, capstone projects, and experiential components prepare graduates to actually launch or fund a new venture.
• Student outcomes: We look at indicators like graduation rates, reported salary outcomes, and program reputation to identify schools that deliver strong long-term value for the cost of the degree.

Learn more about our ranking methodology. 

What Will You Learn in an MBA in Entrepreneurship?

Alongside the core MBA curriculum, an entrepreneurship concentration adds coursework specifically built around identifying, launching, and scaling a business. Expect to build skills in:

• New venture creation: Identifying a viable business opportunity and building the plan needed to launch it.
• Venture finance and funding: Understanding how startups raise capital, from bootstrapping to venture capital, and how to value an early-stage business.
• Business model design: Developing and testing a sustainable business model before committing significant time or money to it.
• Corporate innovation: Applying entrepreneurial thinking within an existing organization, sometimes called "intrapreneurship," to launch new products or business lines.
• Marketing and brand development: Positioning a new venture or product in a way that resonates with its target audience.

Many programs also build in an applied, hands-on component, whether that's Rice's mandatory new enterprise capstone, Babson's elective-heavy structure, or Gies' real-life case study capstone. That applied focus is often what distinguishes an entrepreneurship concentration from the rest of a general MBA curriculum.

How Long Does it Take to Earn an MBA in Entrepreneurship?

Most online MBA programs with an entrepreneurship concentration take between one and two years to complete, depending on the school and your enrollment pace. On the faster end, University of Florida's one-year track and Johns Hopkins's flexible pacing can both move quickly for motivated full-time students, while Rice's 54-credit program typically takes closer to two years.

Self-paced programs like Gies' iMBA or Babson's online MBA give students real control over how quickly they move through the entrepreneurship track specifically, which can matter a lot if you're simultaneously trying to build or run a business. Part-time enrollment will stretch any of these programs out further, so it's worth weighing your available weekly hours honestly before committing to a specific pace.

How Much Does an Online MBA in Entrepreneurship Cost?

Tuition varies considerably across these 10 programs, with public universities generally offering a lower per-credit rate than private institutions like Babson, Johns Hopkins, or Rice. University of Florida's Online MBA runs about $59,807 in total cost, while a program like ASU's tends to be more moderately priced given its large public scale.

Because pricing structures differ so much between schools, some charging per credit and others a flat program rate, it's worth requesting a detailed cost breakdown directly from each program you're considering. Total cost will also depend on any additional concentration you add to the degree and what financial aid or scholarships you're eligible for.

Financial Aid for Online MBAs in Entrepreneurship

Paying for an online MBA typically means combining more than one funding source, and that's especially true if you're also trying to fund a new venture at the same time. Here's what's available:

• Federal student aid: Complete the FAFSA to see what federal loans you qualify for at the graduate level.
• Institutional scholarships and fellowships: Many schools, including several on this list, offer merit-based scholarships that are awarded automatically based on your application, without a separate submission required.
• Employer tuition assistance: If you're pursuing this degree to drive innovation within your current company rather than launch something entirely new, it's worth asking whether your employer offers partial or full tuition reimbursement.
• Military and veteran benefits: Programs that accept military benefits like the Post-9/11 GI Bill can meaningfully reduce costs for eligible service members and veterans.
• Startup and small business grants: Beyond traditional financial aid, some students fund part of their education through small business grants or startup competitions tied to their venture, particularly at schools with an entrepreneurship lab or pitch competition built into the program.
• Payment plans: Many schools let you spread tuition payments across a semester rather than paying in a lump sum, which can ease cash flow even without reducing the total cost.

How To Choose the Right MBA in Entrepreneurship

With 10 strong options to weigh, a handful of factors matter more than the rest when narrowing down the right fit for your goals.

Depth of the Entrepreneurship Curriculum

Look closely at whether entrepreneurship is a single concentration buried among electives or a genuine institutional focus, the way it is at Babson. A deeper curriculum typically means more electives, more faculty expertise, and more opportunities to apply what you're learning to a real venture.

Hands-On and Experiential Components

Consider whether a program builds in a capstone, lab, or consulting-style project, like Rice's mandatory new enterprise capstone or Gies' real-life case study project. These components can give you direct, applicable experience building or evaluating a business rather than just studying the theory behind one.

Format and Flexibility

Look closely at how each program delivers coursework, including whether it's fully asynchronous or includes live sessions like Babson's or Carnegie Mellon's. If you're simultaneously running a venture, a more self-paced format may matter more than it would for a typical working professional.

Cost and Value

Compare total program cost across schools, keeping an eye on whether a public university's tuition rate makes it meaningfully cheaper than a private alternative like Babson or Johns Hopkins. Since pricing can shift year to year, it's worth requesting a full cost breakdown before comparing options side by side.

Reputation and Network

Look past overall name recognition to program-specific data like alumni entrepreneurship outcomes, accreditation status, and the strength of a school's startup or venture capital network. A program with strong ties to investors and other founders can be just as valuable as the coursework itself.

Career Outlook With an Online MBA in Entrepreneurship

Starting a business carries real risk, and the data backs that up. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), an average of 78.7% of new business establishments survive their first full year, but by the sixth year, only around half remain in operation. That said, the businesses that make it past the early years tend to see meaningfully better odds of long-term survival and growth.

An MBA in entrepreneurship is designed specifically to improve those odds, giving founders formal training in the financial planning, market validation, and operational discipline that separate ventures that last from ones that don't. For students who use the degree to move into a corporate innovation role instead of launching independently, the BLS projects top executives, including general and operations managers, will see 4% employment growth from 2024 to 2034, with a median annual wage of $105,350 as of May 2024.

Whether you're launching your own venture or driving innovation within an existing company, the formal training an MBA provides, paired with the network and mentorship most programs offer, can meaningfully improve your odds of building something that lasts.

FAQs About the Best Online MBAs in Entrepreneurship

A few more questions come up often for students weighing an online MBA in entrepreneurship.

Is an Online MBA in Entrepreneurship Worth It?

For most students planning to launch a venture or drive innovation within an existing company, yes. The degree builds formal training in the financial planning, market validation, and operational discipline that meaningfully improve a new business's odds of surviving past its early years, while also giving students access to a school's alumni and investor network. Whether it's worth it specifically for you depends on your goals and the cost of the program relative to what you expect to gain, but for aspiring founders, the return often justifies the investment.

Is an Online MBA in Entrepreneurship Respected by Employers?

Yes, as long as the program carries proper accreditation. Employers generally focus on whether a school holds regional accreditation and business-specific accreditation from a body like AACSB, rather than whether the degree was earned online or in person. For founders launching their own business, the degree's value often comes less from employer perception and more from the network, mentorship, and practical skills the program provides.

Who Should Consider an MBA in Entrepreneurship?

An MBA in entrepreneurship tends to make the most sense for professionals who already have a business idea they want to develop, or who want formal training before launching one. It's also a strong fit for employees at established companies who want to drive innovation or lead new product development from within, sometimes called intrapreneurship. Because most programs value professional experience during admissions, the degree often delivers the most value to students who've already spent some time in the workforce and have a clearer sense of the venture or role they're working toward. 

What's the Difference Between an MBA in Entrepreneurship and a Master's in Entrepreneurship?

An MBA in entrepreneurship builds entrepreneurial training on top of a full general management curriculum, covering finance, marketing, operations, and leadership alongside venture-specific coursework. A standalone Master of Science in Entrepreneurship, by contrast, typically skips much of that broader business foundation and focuses more narrowly and intensively on venture creation, making it a faster, more specialized option for students who already have solid business fundamentals or don't need the broader MBA credential. Learn more about business administration vs. entrepreneurship degrees.

Do You Need a Business Background to Enroll in an MBA in Entrepreneurship?

No. Most programs accept applicants from a wide range of undergraduate backgrounds, and some, like Arizona State's, accept a bachelor's degree in any field without requiring standardized test scores. Programs with a foundation review course or leveling coursework can help non-business majors catch up on core concepts before diving into the entrepreneurship-specific curriculum.

Can You Start a Business While Earning an Online MBA in Entrepreneurship?

Yes, and many students do exactly that. Several programs on this list, including Rice and Babson, build coursework specifically around applying what you're learning to a real venture, so working on a business while enrolled isn't just possible, it's often part of the intended experience. A self-paced or asynchronous format, like Gies' iMBA, can make it easier to balance coursework with the unpredictable demands of building a company at the same time.

Discover Online MBAs in Entrepreneurship

Whichever program aligns with your goals, budget, and preferred format, an accredited online MBA in entrepreneurship can give you the financial, operational, and leadership skills to turn an idea into something that lasts. Learn.org's collection of business school profiles can help you dig deeper into any of these programs as you narrow down your options.