The annual international consulting project is an essential element of UMSL’s Online MBA program. In 2023, the cohort traveled to Panama, and in 2024, the trip to Costa Rica (above) included meetings with local businesses along with plenty of cultural and natural stops, too. (Photos courtesy of Sierra Phipps)

Three and a half years after the University of Missouri–St. Louis’ Online MBA program welcomed its first cohort for the fall 2021 semester, the program has been recognized as one of the top 50 programs in the country by U.S. News & World Report.

The publication released its 2025 Best Online MBA Programs report on Tuesday morning, and UMSL ranks 46th out of 355 programs considered – higher than any other school in Missouri. Indiana University stayed in the No. 1 spot for the fourth consecutive year.

Ekin Pellegrini, the associate dean for graduate business programs in UMSL’s College of Business Administration, was thrilled with the Online MBA’s showing in the rankings.

“The MBA market is highly competitive and a top 50 national debut in the rankings is quite a notable achievement that delighted our entire college, campus and business community,” Pellegrini said. “I had high expectations, but this level of success exceeded all my expectations.”

The publication’s Best Online MBA Programs methodology uses five categories to compile the rankings: Engagement (30%), Peer Assessment (25%), Faculty Credentials and Training (15%), Student Excellence (15%) and Services and Technology (15%).

“Our Online MBA program offers a unique learning experience with leadership coaching and international consulting embedded throughout the curriculum,” Pellegrini said. “We designed a solid curriculum, which attracts a high caliber and professionally diverse student body from all over the country. The top 50 ranking is a seal of approval for our MBA program’s rigor and credibility, showcasing academic excellence to prospective students and employers.”

UMSL’s Online MBA program is AACSB accredited, a distinction only 6 percent of the business schools in the world have achieved. That factors into the rankings, too. The international consulting project – students went to Panama in 2023 and Costa Rica in 2024, and they’ll be going to Chile in 2025 – is something else that sets UMSL apart.

This was the first year UMSL submitted the Online MBA program for consideration; Pellegrini noted that it was important to graduate a few cohorts before submitting an application package. The ranking, tied for 46th, was the highest debut for any program in the country this year.

“We are all proud of our Online MBA program’s outstanding debut in the U.S. News ranking,” she said. “This recognition is a testament to our shared commitment to student success and the strength of our MBA community, including our excellent staff, faculty, alumni and employers. This recognition motivates us all to continue to foster impactful learning experiences in our efforts to provide accessible, innovative and research-informed public education for the next generation of leaders.”

Kevin Sansberry, the founder of KEVRA: The Culture Company, is an adjunct professor who teaches a class in the final semester of the 16-month program. He said he’s constantly impressed with the students in his virtual classroom.

“It’s been just an amazing experience,” he said. “They’re not just doing an online class, they’re actually engaged during the class and even engaged afterwards. I thought that’s really cool.”

UMSL scored particularly high in the Engagement category.

“The rankings recognize online MBA programs that offer students opportunities to interact with faculty, classmates and staff real-time, similar to an on-campus learning experience,” Pellegrini said. “The Engagement category also scores program policies on the Americans with Disabilities Act, anti-plagiarism, use of certified instructional designers, formal copyright policy and a system to track students after graduation, which we successfully monitor. Rankings also score class sizes, and our class sizes are carefully monitored and capped at 25 students.”

Sansberry is familiar with the excellence of UMSL’s graduate programs. He was part of the first cohort for the Doctor of Business Administration in 2017, and he’s been an adjunct professor for the Online MBA program since 2022. As with other faculty members involved in the Online MBA program, Sansberry uses his real-world experience to inform his class structure.

“When we talk about rigor and relevance, when we talk about the research about inclusion and equity and business and culture, I’m able to bring in experience and stories and real-life knowledge of how this plays out,” he said. “The main shortcoming of pure theory is people check out. But the fact that I have experience as a consultant working in professional sports, in higher ed, in municipalities, in Silicon Valley and a lot of different places. Having that real experience, I bring that into the classroom to share the ‘real’ with my students.”

In another U.S. News & World Reports ranking released Tuesday, UMSL placed 107th in the Best Online Bachelor’s Programs category.