The best 1-year MBA programs 2024  

Topping our list of the best accelerated MBA programs, Northwestern is a private research university located in Evanston, Illinois, just north of Chicago. Its Kellogg School of Management offers a one-year MBA that lasts from “June to June,” allowing you to hit the ground running back at work as soon as you earn your degree.  

Rather than packing 2 years of material into 1 year, this program allows you to build on your existing expertise and bypass core classes, focusing on the electives you need to succeed. You can choose from among 200 different elective courses. 

Students who didn’t major in business as undergraduates can take pre-enrollment courses to ensure they’re prepared for the MBA.  

At Northwestern, you’ll choose between 8 majors, such as accounting, economics, marketing, strategy, etc., and several cross-functional “pathways,” including data analytics, growth and scaling, and more. 

Second on our list of the best 1-year MBAs is NYU, a prestigious private institution. The college offers several excellent 1 year MBA programs: the Andre Koo Technology and Entrepreneurship MBA, the Fashion & Luxury MBA, and the Stern at NYUAD MBA.  

The Tech MBA consists of 4 major components: the business core, the technology core, Stern solutions (where students solve real-world problems), and electives. During the program, which runs from May to May, students prepare to take on leadership roles in the tech industry. 

Students of the Fashion and Luxury MBA learn the ins and outs of the fashion world, Like the Tech MBA, its curriculum consists of 4 components (business core, fashion/luxury core, Stern solutions, and electives).  

Meanwhile, the Stern at NYUAD MBA is a more classic option that takes place at NYU’s Abu Dhabi campus.  

Duke is a private research university in Durham, North Carolina. Its Fuqua School of Business enrolls more than 1,300 students. 

Duke is home to one of the best accelerated MBA programs in the country: its 10-month daytime MBA offers the perfect opportunity to build on your existing experience, skipping fundamental courses and getting right to what’s most important: electives and experiential learning. This degree is highly customizable, allowing you to design your own MBA based on 100+ electives. 

You can choose between several concentrations, including energy & environment, finance, leadership & ethics, and much more.  

To be eligible for this program, you must already have a master’s in management or equivalent degree. 

This private research university is located in bustling Atlanta, Georgia. Historically affiliated with the Methodist Church, Emory is a secular institution open to people of all faiths and creeds.  

Emory’s Goizueta Business School offers an accelerated STEM MBA that can be completed in 12 months. It is one of the best 1 year MBA programs in the country. Students work to solve real-world business cases and can even study international business in a different country. 

During the summer, students spend 6 weeks taking part in an IMPACT program where a team works together to solve a business challenge, taking the form of an academic competition. 

The University of Washington rounds out the top 5 best 1 year MBA programs. UW is a large, public university in Seattle, Washington. Located in the city’s vibrant U-District, the Foster School of Business is home to one of the best business programs on the West Coast. 

Not a typical accelerated one year MBA program, UW offers a Technology Management MBA that lasts 18 months (a year and a half). It is perfect for individuals who are passionate about harnessing the power of technology to transform businesses. The program is offered partly at UW’s Seattle campus and partly on its Kirkland campus.  

Courses include entrepreneurship, strategic management of technology innovation, customer experience, making a pitch, and much more. 

A well-regarded private research university in Los Angeles, USC offers several MBA options through its Marshall School of Business.  

Its top ranked one-year MBA program is known as the International Education and Research MBA (IBEAR), which is geared especially towards mid-career professionals with a focus on international business. Students work together with their peers and faculty to complete a 4-month consulting project. The program’s curriculum is flexible, allowing you to pick classes most relevant to your career. 

The program’s web page notes that most of its cohorts have 12 years of work experience and are between 32 and 40 years old. This is a STEM certified MBA. 

One of the top one year MBA schools, this private business school is located in Wellesley, a small town just outside of Boston, Massachusetts. The college offers several different MBAs through its Olin Graduate School of Business.  

Its full-time MBA can be completed in 12 or 21 months. Most students have 6-8 years of working experience. One advantage of this program is that the GMAT and GRE are not required.  

Students of the 1-year program take a full course load during the summer, which involve hands-on classes. You choose between 2 STEM MBA concentrations: quantitative finance, or business analytics/machine learning. 

A private institution, Lehigh University is located in Bethlehem, a city in Eastern Pennsylvania. Its business college is recognized throughout the world. 

The one-year MBA at Lehigh is a 1-year, on-campus program that is a designated STEM MBA. Applicants must have at least 2 years of professional experience before applying.  

The curriculum starts with core courses like project management that allow you to review the fundamentals of business. There are also classes taught from the stakeholder’s point of view and “societal shift” courses. During the program, students complete consulting practicum EXTERNSHIPseries projects. The program culminates in a capstone course. 

Students can take a trip to Silicon Valley, and a dual degree option in public health is also available too. 

Southern Methodist University is a private research university near Dallas, Texas. Founded in 1911, it is affiliated with the Southern Methodist Church.  

SMU’s Cox School of Business offers a full-time one-year MBA that is one of the best accelerated MBAs in Texas and the South. The university is proud of its culture, which features small class sizes and multiple MBA student clubs, like the Energy Club and the Women in Business Club.  

With 40% of its student body being international, Southern Methodist is a vibrant, cosmopolitan place to get your MBA. 

Thanks to the program’s modular approach, students have access to a wide range of electives in several concentrations, including marketing, finance, ITOM business analytics, real estate, and more. Students also complete applied leadership projects. 

Another private, Christian institution, TCU is affiliated with the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ). It was established in 1873.  

TCU’s Neeley School of business offers a full-time MBA with 2  tracks: the traditional 2 year MBA or an accelerated 12-month MBA. It also offers another accelerated MBA that can be completed in 18 months. 

Its 12-month MBA is designed especially for mid-career professionals who want to move ahead. Electives focus on specific disciplines like finance, supply chain, healthcare, real estate, and more. The university is looking for candidates who already possess a BBA and at least 3 years of professional experience. 

Students choose between several field concentrations (brand management, investments, supply chain management) and industry emphases (consulting, energy, entrepreneurship, healthcare). 

Drexel University is a private institution located primarily in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It is an affordable option for businesspeople looking to jump start their careers. 

The university’s LeBow College of Business has a full-time accelerated MBA that’s perfect for mid-career professionals. The program’s timeframe is flexible, allowing students to complete it in 12, 15, or 18 months. It is also customizable to your goals and expectations. Beside the myriad electives, students can choose concentrations, graduate minors, and dual degree programs. There is also plenty of experiential learning opportunities. 

MBA concentrations include business analytics, corporate sustainability, effective leadership, finance, strategic technology & innovation management, and much more. 

UT, often referred to as UT Knoxville, is a large public university founded in 1794, before Tennessee was even a state. It is home to the highly respected Haslam College of Business. Because it is a public university, UT offers highly competitive prices for its MBA program.  

It offers an Executive MBA in Strategic Leadership (EMBA-SL) that is one of the top ranked one year MBA programs in the country. The program’s curriculum is based on 4 residencies and has significant distance-learning components. It is geared towards executives and entrepreneurs. 

Pepperdine is a private Christian University in Los Angeles County. It is affiliated with the Church of Christ.  

The university’s Graziadio Business School offers several accelerated MBA options: a 12-month track and a 15-month track. Both programs have study abroad opportunities. Applicants should note that the 12-month track require an undergraduate degree in business, while the 15-mont track accepts any bachelor’s degree. 

Students of both tracks can pick a concentration like finance and marketing (there are more options for the 15-month track). You can also get a SEER (Socially, Environmentally, and Ethically Responsible Business Strategy) Certificate. 

A large, public university in West Lafayette, Indiana, Purdue offers a high-value, affordable, STEM-focused master of business administration that can be completed in 1 year. 

The 1 year MBA’s curriculum consists of traditional core classes like business law, macroeconomics, marketing management, etc., and electives that are chosen with an advisor. Students have plentiful experiential learning opportunities that are geared especially toward STEM professionals. This allows them to apply what they learn in the classroom to a real business.  

University of Florida is a large public research university in Gainesville, a university town in the northern part of the state. It is home to the highly esteemed Warrington College of Business.  

Its prestigious 1-year MBA is the first on our list to be offered fully online, making it one of the most efficient and convenient ways to boost your business qualifications on the MBA market. 

The program length is approximately 16 months, and it has start times in September, January, and April. The average student of this MBA program has 6 years of work experience under their belt. The curriculum combines lecture hours with hands-on learning, and each student must fulfill 1 experiential learning requirement. 

SUNY Albany, aka the State University of New York at Albany, is a public institution with affordable MBA options that lead to impressive outcomes. It is home to the Massry Center of Business, which features technologically advanced classrooms and collaborative research centers. 

Its 1-year MBA program, which consists of 30 credits, is intended for top-notch students who already possess a bachelor’s in business. Students can choose between several concentrations like cybersecurity, entrepreneurship, finance, HR, information systems/business analytics, and marketing. 

This private university located in the eponymous town in Missouri was established by Jesuits and is affiliated with the Catholic Church. It is the oldest institution of higher learning west of the Mississippi.  

SLU’s Chaifetz School of Business offers a respected accelerated MBA program that con be completed in just 11 months. 

Courses are taught by a whole team of faculty from different fields, and there is an emphasis on cross-disciplinary integration of skills and knowledge. Besides theoretical learning, graduates will learn practical skills like R and Python. Students also have the opportunity to put their knowledge to the test with hands-on consulting experience and a 7-day international business emersion trip. 

University of Miami is a private research university in Miami-Date County, Florida. The UM Herbert Business School offers an exciting accelerated MBA program that can transform the career of motivated professionals. 

With a program length of only 10 months, it is a great way to turbo-charge your career. Some notable features of this program include the 1:1 career coaching service that can help you promote your personal brand. There is also a capstone project where you can put your newfound knowledge to work in the real world. 

UC, sometimes known as Cincy, is a public research university in Ohio. It is one of the oldest and largest institutions of higher learning in the state. 

Home to the Carl H. Lindner College of Business, its full-time MBA program can be completed in 1 year or 16 months with an internship. This MBA has 20+ specialization opportunities (including entrepreneurship, data analytics, and health care administration), meaning its curriculum holds appeal for businesspeople with a wide variety of interests.  

A public research university in the town of Eugene, UO was founded in 1876. It offers an accelerated MBA through its Lundquist College of Business. The program, which takes 15 months, is ideal for students who have a strong academic record with an emphasis on quantitative skills.  

The program features internship opportunities and an international learning tour. The curriculum consists of 7 MBA core courses, specialization/elective courses, and an MBA seminar.  

This MBA is hands-on and customizable, ensuring its relevance to your professional objectives. The student to faculty ratio is just 3:1.