Sponsored School(s)
It’s true that the best business analytics master’s degree program for each student is unique to their situation, but some programs are much more sought-after than others. Only the cream of the crop made our selection of finalists from the 250-plus colleges and universities that offer master’s degrees in business analytics, and even fewer were chosen for inclusion in this list.
Our Selection Criteria
We scored all business analytics master’s degree programs in the U.S. on more than 15 variables across four categories to find the best of the best.
Reviewed: 250+
Curated: 63
Top Picks: 21
- Reputation: How the university and program are thought of by peers.
- Credibility: How well the school ranks in major ratings publications.
- Value: Comparison of the educational quality to total tuition costs.
- Popularity: A measure of search volume about the university and degree program.
A graduate education in business analytics is unlike a similar degree in business alone or a comparable degree in data science. That’s because business analytics education pairs these two fields, allowing graduates to bring the power of data to bear on issues facing businesses large and small.
Some programs are more technical, some skew more toward business and management, while still others strike an equal balance. Whatever their curriculum, the programs that made our list will enable students to use cutting-edge technical skills in the pursuit of a greater mission.
Best Master’s in Business Analytics Programs for 2021
Check out the unique aspects of each of our top selections to see if they might be right for you, and if you’re interested in learning more, consider contacting admissions officers who can help you through the application process.
SCHOOLS IN THIS RANKING
- Harvard University
- Massachusetts Institute of Technology
- University of Pennsylvania Wharton School of Business
- University of Southern California
- Columbia University
- University of California Los Angeles
- University of Texas Dallas
- Boston University
- Cornell University
- New York University
- University of California San Diego
- Duke University
- Georgia Tech
- Iowa State University
- San Jose State University
- University of California Davis
- University of California Irvine
- Southern Methodist University
- Wake Forest University
- Seattle University
- University of Miami
#1 Harvard University
A joint endeavor among three academic departments, Harvard’s online business analytics program gives students a chance to jump-start their careers with an unsurpassed educational experience that they can complete in as little as nine months. Combining the power of Harvard Business School, the Faculty of Arts and Sciences, and the John A. Paulson School of Engineering, this program is delivered in a blended format in which online coursework is supported by two annual immersion events at the Boston campus of Harvard Business School.
Program Overview
- Degree: Graduate Certificate
- Total expected tuition cost: $51,500
- Credits required: 30
- Program length: 9 months full-time, 18 months part-time
- Online: Yes
Admission Requirements
- Work experience: None, but program is designed for experienced professionals
- GRE/GMAT: No scores required
Contact
- Phone: (855) 624-8222
- Email: [email protected]
#2 Massachusetts Institute of Technology
The Sloan Management School at MIT is home to a 12-month Master of Business Analytics degree that culminates in a unique seven-month capstone project that immerses students in real-world data science problems. Students work in teams, first on the MIT campus, and then taking the show on the road, spending the summer in a full-time internship at one of the host organization’s sites. While the Master of Business Analytics degree is designed for early-career professionals, MIT’s Sloan school also offers robust MBA education that students can pair with analytics courses.
Program Overview
- Degree: Master of Business Analytics
- Total expected tuition cost: $82,368
- Units required: 111-141
- Program length: 12 months
- Online: No
Admission Requirements
- Work experience: None required; program is designed for early-career professionals
- GRE/GMAT: GMAT or GRE score required but waived through 2020-21 because of pandemic
Contact
- Phone: (617) 253-1000
- Email: [email protected]
#3 University of Pennsylvania Wharton School of Business
Among the 19 total majors and specializations available in the MBA program at the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School of Business is a STEM-certified Business Analytics Major that gives students state-of-the-art tools like data mining and decision analysis to solve business problems. Other majors that might apply for students interested in business analytics include business economics and public policy, entrepreneurship and innovation, and operations, information, and decisions.
Program Overview
- Degree: Master of Business Administration, Business Analytics Major
- Total expected tuition cost: $149,000
- Credit-units required: 19
- Program length: 24 months
- Online: Yes
Admission Requirements
- Work experience: No format requirement, four years on average
- GRE/GMAT: GMAT required; accepted scores range from 570 to 760
Contact
- Phone: (215) 898-6183
- Email: [email protected]
#4 University of Southern California
USC’s Marshall School of Business is home to a STEM-designated Master of Science in Business Analytics that empowers students to apply a data science lens to business problems. The program is one of the oldest MSBA degree paths in the country, and today it offers rigorous education in three crucial areas — computer science; statistics, machine learning and optimization; and business strategy.
Program Overview
- Degree: Master of Science in Business Analytics
- Total expected tuition cost: $70,000
- Units required: 33
- Program length: 18 months
- Online: No
Admission Requirements
- Work experience: No formal requirements, but a few years of experience is preferred
- GRE/GMAT: GMAT or GRE scores required, but requirement was previously waived for fall 2021 admissions cycle because of pandemic
Contact
- Phone: (213) 740-7846
- Email: [email protected]
#5 Columbia University
Offered in collaboration between the schools of engineering and business, Columbia University’s Master of Science in Business Analytics culminates in a capstone project that pairs students with clients facing real-world challenges. Students who attend full-time can earn their degree in just a single calendar year, and participants choose one of four concentration areas — financial analysis and fintech, marketing analytics, healthcare analytics, or analytics algorithms and methodology.
Program Overview
- Degree: Master of Science in Business Analytics
- Total expected tuition cost: $50,496
- Credits required: 36
- Program length: 12 months
- Online: No
Admission Requirements
- Work experience: No formal requirements
- GRE/GMAT: GRE scores required
Contact
- Phone: (212) 854-2993
- Email: [email protected]
#6 University of California Los Angeles
UCLA’s Master of Science in Business Analytics is offered through the Anderson School of Management, enabling students to complete their degree in just 15 months. In addition to their on-campus coursework, UCLA’s MSBA students will complete an internship as well as an experience-based project to display the real-world skills they’ve gained.
Program Overview
- Degree: Master of Science in Business Analytics
- Total expected tuition cost: $66,709
- Units required: 48
- Program length: 15 months
- Online: No
Admission Requirements
- Work experience: No formal requirement
- GRE/GMAT: GMAT or GRE scores required; overall expected GMAT score of 710, GRE quantitative score of 167
Contact
- Phone: Phone: (310) 206-2862
- Email: [email protected]
#7 University of Texas Dallas
Business analytics students at the Dallas campus of the University of Texas can earn their Master of Science in Business analytics through the Naveen Jindal School of Management in as little as one year, and the program’s data science cohort track is offered entirely online. For those opting for a more customizable path, the flex program allows them to join at the start of any semester rather than proceeding on a cohort track.
Program Overview
- Degree: Master of Science in Business Analytics
- Total expected tuition cost: $32,000 in-state; $46,500 out-of-state
- Credits required: 36
- Program length: 12-24 months
- Online: Yes
Admission Requirements
- Work experience: No formal requirement
- GRE/GMAT: GRE or GMAT scores required; no minimum published
Contact
- Phone: (972) 883-2750
- Email: [email protected]
#8 Boston University
The Questrom School of Business at Boston University is home to a Master of Science in Business Analytics that’s designed to be completed in about one calendar year. Students begin with foundational training in data science, eventually getting a chance to consider electives in areas like marketing, operations, HR and more.
Program Overview
- Degree: Master of Science in Business Analytics
- Total expected tuition cost: $56,854
- Credits required: 45
- Program length: 12 months
- Online: No
Admission Requirements
- Work experience: No formal requirement
- GRE/GMAT: GMAT or GRE score required; no minimum published
Contact
- Phone: (617) 353-9720
- Email: [email protected]
#9 Cornell University
The second Ivy League degree in our top 10, Cornell University’s SC Johnson College of Business is home to a super-charged one-year MBA that offers among 12 focus areas a major in data modeling and analytics. Specific courses offered change, but typical offerings in the major include Designing Data Products, Financial Modeling, and Supply Chain Analytics, while students can opt for a fintech intensive in New York City.
Program Overview
- Degree: MBA in Data Modeling and Analytics
- Total expected tuition cost: $147,059
- Credits required: 32
- Program length: 12 months
- Online: No
Admission Requirements
- Work experience: No formal requirement; average applicant has six years’ experience
- GRE/GMAT: GRE scores required; median GMAT 695
Contact
- Phone: (800) 847-2082
- Email: [email protected]
#10 New York University
NYU’s Stern School of Business is home to a Master of Science in Business Analytics that’s designed to be completed on a part-time basis over the course of just one year, allowing students to limit the disruption in their lives and careers. The unique program is offered across a total of five modules that condense the program, though this doesn’t give students a chance to specialize in any areas.
Program Overview
- Degree name: Master of Science in Business Analytics
- Total expected tuition cost: $81,400
- Modules: 5, including capstone
- Program length: 12 months
- Online: Yes, but online option may be removed after end of pandemic
Admission Requirements
- Work experience: At least five years’ experience required
- GRE/GMAT: Not required
Contact
- Phone: (212) 998-0442
- Email: [email protected]
#11 University of California San Diego
UCSD’s Rady School of Management offers a Master of Science in Business Analytics that for motivated students can be completed in less than one year. A capstone project will complete the student’s journey and give them a chance to show off their real-world problem-solving skills.
Program Overview
- Degree name: Master of Science in Business Analytics
- Total expected tuition cost: $60,750
- Units required: 50
- Program length: 11 months
- Online: No, but this is subject to change due to pandemic
Admission Requirements
- Work experience: None
- GRE/GMAT: GMAT or GRE scores required; no minimum published
Contact
- Phone: (858) 534-9000
- Email: [email protected]
#12 Duke University
Duke University’s Fuqua School of Business offers a Master of Science in Quantitative Management with an emphasis in business analytics that can be completed online in under two years. Kicking off with an on-campus intensive in North Carolina, the program covers a total of five online class terms in addition to an optional leadership intensive partway through the proceedings.
Program Overview
- Degree name: Master of Science in Quantitative Management
- Total expected tuition cost: $65,975
- Courses required: 16
- Program length: 19 months
- Online: Yes
Admission Requirements
- Work experience: No formal requirement; average student has 8 years of experience
- GRE/GMAT: GRE or GMAT scores required; no minimum published
Contact
- Phone: (919) 660-7705
- Email: [email protected]
#13 Georgia Tech
The Master of Science in Analytics offered at Georgia Tech is a joint effort by the Stewart School of Industrial Systems & Engineering, the Scheller College of Business and the College of Computing, which underscores the multidisciplinary approach. Three tracks are possible, all of which may appeal to business analytics, but one more obviously than the others — Analytics Tools, Business Analytics and Computational Data Analytics.
Program Overview
- Program name: Master of Science in Analytics, Business Analytics Track
- Total expected tuition cost: $10,836
- Credit requirements: 36
- Program length: 12 months
- Online: Optional
Admission Requirements
- Work experience: None
- GRE/GMAT: GRE or GMAT score required; minimum not published
Contact
- Phone: (404) 894-2000
- Email: [email protected]
#15 Iowa State University
The Debbie and Jerry Ivy College of Business at Iowa State University offers a Master of Business Analytics that students can earn mostly online in less than two years. The curriculum is heavily skewed to the technical side of things, and students complete an on-campus business analytics capstone that gives them a chance to display their skill and problem-solving ability.
Program Overview
- Degree: Master of Business Analytics
- Total expected tuition cost: $25,000
- Credits required: 30
- Program length: 21 months
- Online: Yes, three on-campus events required
Admission Requirements
- Work experience: None
- GRE/GMAT: Not required
Contact
- Phone: (515) 294-8118
- Email: [email protected]
#15 San Jose State University
San Jose State University’s Master of Science in Data Analytics is housed in the university’s College of Professional and Global Education. Designed to be completed in no more than two years, the MSDA immerses students in the life cycle of data, and electives give learners a chance to focus on their interest areas.
Program Overview
- Degree: Master of Science in Data Analytics
- Total expected tuition cost: $22,500
- Credits required: 30
- Program length: 24 months
- Online: No
Admission Requirements
- Work experience: No formal requirements
- GRE/GMAT: Not required
Contact
- Phone: (408) 924-1000
- Email: [email protected]
#16 University of California Davis
UC Davis offers a Master of Science in Business Analytics that students can complete in as little as 12 months, making it barely a bump in their career path. In the heart of Silicon Valley, few universities offer such a literal connection to the tech industry, and a program-long real-world challenge project pairs students with classmates to showcase their hands-on business analytics skills.
Program Overview
- Degree: Master of Science in Business Analytics
- Total expected tuition cost: $58,916
- Units required: 44
- Program length: 12 months
- Online: No
Admission Requirements
- Work experience: No formal requirement
- GRE/GMAT: GMAT or GRE scores required; average GRE quantitative score 165
Contact
- Phone: (530) 752-7658
- Email: [email protected]
#17 University of California Irvine
The Paul Merage School of Business at the University of California’s Irvine campus is home to a Master of Science in Business Analytics designed to be completed in about a year. This accelerated degree is ideal for international students, as it’s STEM-designated and offers up to three years of optional additional practical training.
Program Overview
- Degree: Master of Science in Business Analytics
- Total expected tuition cost: $55,000
- Units required: 52
- Program length: 12 months
- Online: No
Admission Requirements
- Work experience: No formal requirement
- GRE/GMAT: Not required, but recommended for those with GPA below 3.3
Contact
- Phone: (949) 824-4909
- Email: [email protected]
#18 Southern Methodist University
SMU’s Cox School of Business offers a STEM-certified Master of Science in Business Analytics that can be completed in about one year. SMU’s degree can be completed part-time as well, and students can choose from two possible specialty tracks — business process analytics and customer analytics.
Program Overview
- Degree: Master of Science in Business Analytics
- Total expected tuition cost: $43,278
- Credits required: 33
- Program length: 12 months
- Online: No
Admission Requirements
- Work experience: None
- GRE/GMAT: Not required unless undergraduate GPA is 3.3 or below; average GMAT 667
Contact
- Phone: (214) 768-2000
- Email: [email protected]
#19 Wake Forest University
Wake Forest’s Master of Science in Business Analytics is housed in the university’s business school, and the degree can be earned in less than a year with full-time on-campus attendance or two years if attending online. Students are urged to attend a summer programming bootcamp before beginning their formal training, which highlights the technical nature of this degree.
Program Overview
- Degree: Master of Science in Business Analytics
- Total expected tuition cost: $53,100
- Credits required: 37
- Program length: 10 months (on-campus), 24 months (online)
- Online: Optional
Admission Requirements
- Work experience: No formal requirements
- GRE/GMAT: GRE or GMAT required; no minimum score reported
Contact
- Phone: (336) 758-5301
- Email: [email protected]
#20 Seattle University
The Albers School of Business and Economics lets students earn a Master of Science in Business Analytics at its Seattle campus or fully online. The program’s twin strengths of building quantitative and business communication skills are built over the course of 24 months or more.
Program Overview
- Program name: Master of Science in Business Analytics
- Total expected tuition cost: $40,275
- Credit requirements: 45
- Program length: 24 months
- Online: Optional
Admission Requirements
- Work experience: None
- GRE/GMAT: Most students don’t need GRE or GMAT scores
Contact
- Phone: (206) 296-5700
- Email: [email protected]
#21 University of Miami
An intensive Master of Science in Business Analytics is included among several business degrees in the University of Miami’s Herbert Business School. Designed for full-time students to complete in under a year, Miami’s degree provides well-rounded education that can apply to about any industry.
Program Overview
- Program name: Master of Science in Business Analytics
- Total expected tuition cost: $69,440
- Credit requirements: 32
- Program length: 10 months
- Online: No
Admission Requirements
- Work experience: No formal requirements
- GRE/GMAT: GRE or GMAT scores are required
Contact
- Phone: (305) 284-2510
- Email: [email protected]
Conclusion
Pursuing a degree or certificate at any level is a big decision, and that’s certainly true when you’re considering the investment of time and money that comes with earning a master’s in business analytics. But since you’re the type to do the math anyway, you’ll also know that the return on your investment could be major, and finding the job of the future may depend on knowing how to crunch the numbers.
Published on February 1st, 2021 by Jennifer Gaskin. Reviewed by Robert Steele, staff at MastersofBusinessAnalytics.com.