Online MBA Programs in Illinois

Illinois MBA

A Master of Business Administration (MBA) is a comprehensive program that teaches students soft skills in problem-solving and time management as well as hard skills in market evaluation and financial forecasting. 

The best online MBA programs in Illinois take place in a remote learning environment while preparing graduates for leadership careers in the real world. Not only are online degrees worth your time, but an online master's degree can significantly boost your employability and salary.

There are many different types of Illinois MBA programs online. The best MBA in Illinois might feature accelerated MBAs that allow students to fast-track their graduation or executive MBAs, which are designed for students who already have work experience. MBA degrees in Illinois are available from a variety of institutions, each with different concentration options.  

Types of MBAs

More common than not, students choose an MBA specialization along with their Illinois MBA programs. Concentrations are great for students who want to develop specific skills that prepare them to work within a business niche. 

The best MBA programs in Illinois may feature the following concentrations:

• Accounting 
• Healthcare Management
• Finance 
• Human Resources
• Information Systems
• International Business
• Management
• Marketing
• Organizational Leadership
• Public Administration
• Technology Management

MBA Graduate Jobs in Illinois

Graduates of online MBA programs in Illinois will join a much larger job pool than neighboring states. From March to August of 2022, Illinois saw between 961,000 and 975,000 business job openings. Compare this to around 360,000 in Indiana and 230,000 in Kentucky. This is likely due to the high population and abundance of online MBA programs in Chicago. 

Among the five million individuals employed in Illinois during May of 2021, 368,050 worked in business and financial occupations. These roles included management and market research analysts, business operations specialists, and project managers. Among the roles listed under management occupations, general managers and operations managers had the highest employment count with over 140,000. Agricultural managers had by far the lowest employment number, which sat at just 90. All in all, this data suggests that there are plenty of career options for online MBA Illinois graduates.

MBA Graduate Jobs in Chicago

MBA graduate jobs in Chicago are more plentiful than anywhere else in the Midwest. This is largely thanks to the city's large population in comparison to the nearby cities of Indianapolis, Columbus, and Detroit. Chicago is made up of three metropolitan areas, including Naperville, Arlington Heights, and the city itself. Business sector employment in the area is growing year-over-year. The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reports that over 40,000 new jobs in professional and business services were added in Chicago from August 2021 to 2022. This was second only to the leisure and hospitality industry.

Furthermore, a collection of data compiled by the Chicago Tribune in 2016 showed that many Chicago MBA graduates stayed in the city for work. From 2012 to 2015, DePaul University and Loyola University Chicago saw over 70% of their MBA graduates remain in the city to seek local employment. Keep in mind, some of these graduates were studying part time, which means they likely held part-time jobs during the course of their program. This partly contributed to their high likelihood of staying in the city after graduation.

Other MBAs Near Me

An Illinois MBA online offers several benefits — including many options for employment in Chicago. However, if you don't find what you're looking for in Illinois, there are nearby options to choose from as well.