QS Ranks UC Davis Online MBA in Top 10 in North America, No. 16 Globally

QS reviews 126 programs in 27 locations worldwide

News
September 22, 2025
Tim Akin
Source: QS

UC Davis Online MBA Ranked No. 9 in North America on laptop screen

The first-of-its-kind in the University of California system, the UC Davis Graduate School of Management’s Online MBA program ranks No. 9 in North America and No. 16 globally in the latest QS rankings.

It's the third consecutive year that QS has ranked the UC Davis Online MBA among the top 10 in North America/The Americas.

Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) is the world's largest global higher education network, connecting universities, business schools and students.

This year’s QS Online MBA rankings included 126 programs from 27 locations around the world. Their rankings methodology is based on 10 criteria that form the basis of four weighted key indicators that programs were evaluated: faculty and teaching (35%), employability (30%), class profile (30%) and class experience (5%). The rankings were released on September 17, 2025.

In addition to the overall top 10 ranking in North America, the UC Davis Online MBA placed among the top programs in the region for these key indicators:

No. 1 for female representation among students.
No. 7 for the one of the highest weighted factors: the quality of the class profile based on applicants, enrollments, student work experience and diversity.
No. 12 for employability based on responses from tens of thousands of global employers over the last five years.
No. 14 for class experience, which includes physical meet ups; the share of live classes; regular synchronous classes; live group discussions; access to learning app available on mobile/tablet; and engaged tech support.

The Online MBA is an increasingly relevant degree that can offer high-quality management training for professionals who are often balancing work and family commitments. As more schools offer the degree format and innovate on its delivery, it is important for applicants to understand what options are available and what they can expect when pursuing an Online MBA.

— QS Editors

UC Davis Position on Rankings: Weigh All Factors

A world-class university, UC Davis is highly ranked for how it transforms students’ lives, the impact of its research, the excellence of its academic programs, sustainability and more. The university performs self-evaluations and also appreciates the value of third-party assessments.

However, ranking methods vary, change over time and can be subjective. UC Davis focuses on those rankings that most closely align with its mission and values—including serving the public good, inclusiveness and equity, and social mobility—and in national rankings looks most closely at its standing among public universities.

UC Davis encourages prospective students and their families to weigh rankings among other factors in their college decision, talk with counselors and UC Davis admissions advisors, and, if possible, visit the campus.