Australia’s 10 Biggest Online MBA Programs

Demand for online learning has skyrocketed over recent weeks as employees look to up-skill or re-skill for the post-COVID economy. A number of Australian online MBA programs have already reported an upswing in applications.

While official 2020 enrolment data will not be available until next year, new statistics from the Federal Government’s Department of Education has identified the 10 biggest online MBA programs from 2018 by students numbers. In reverse order the 10 biggest MBA programs in Australia are:

SP Jain School of Global Management
Duration: 18 months Total
Fees: $15,000

Enrolled Students (2018): 386 (797 total MBA students)

SP Jain Global’s Executive MBA (EMBA) is an 18-month part-time program that offers you all the benefits of an on-campus MBA, without having to leave the comfort of your home, job or city.

Delivered using SP Jain’s Engaged Learning Online (ELO), the program uses a blend of some of today’s most cutting-edge technologies to bring the dynamism and engagement of the SP Jain Global classroom online and in real-time.

The program is flexible and structured in a way to help you find a balance between your personal and professional life while you pursue your MBA.

The University of Newcastle
Duration: 18 months full-time (up to five years part-time)
Total Fees: $23,435
Enrolled Students 2018: 437 (779 total MBA students)

The University of Newcastle Online MBA is designed to provide students with a range of analytic, strategic and leadership skills which will prepare them for increasingly competitive careers in business management in the corporate and public sectors. The program offers a grounding in fundamental business areas such as accounting, organisational behaviour, marketing and management.

Analytic and problem solving skills are emphasised through an applied understanding of the theoretical framework within which today’s managers must operate, as well as the acquisition of practical skills in teamwork, writing, presentation and time-management.

The ability to cope with rapid organisational and technological change is developed through and understanding of organisational behaviour, information systems and organisational change and development.

AGSM @ UNSW MBAx
Duration: 24 months
Total Fees: $59,760
Enrolled Students 2018: 442 (1,539 total MBA students)

Australia’s top-ranked online MBA and one of the best ranked courses in the world, AGMS @ UNSW’s MBAx program has set the standard for online postgraduate education in Australia.

READ MORE: AGSM Online Among World’s Best In Latest Global Rankings

The MBAx was born from the enduringly popular and innovative MBT program which commenced in 1992. MBAX is AGSM’s next generation online MBA. A unique online management degree that also allows students to specialise, the MBAx will prepare them to seize the opportunities in front of them and give students the edge they need to succeed.

Kaplan Business School
Duration: 24 months
Total Fees: $40,800
Enrolled Students 2018: 451 (1,044 total MBA students) 

A Kaplan Business School Online MBA will provide you with valuable practical skills that will allow you to excel in a dynamic and ever-changing professional environment and to become a successful leader.

The Kaplan MBA can be studied 100% online or blended with face-to-face lectures at one of Kaplan’s four campuses around Australia. The online component is delivered via and Advanced Online Platform that is available 24/7 and offers nine modes of weekly refreshed interactive content for each subject.

Lecturers can be readily contacted over email and are available to online students on campus. You can view in-class workshops in real time, watch separately recorded lecture videos at any time and collaborate  through interactive online forums with other online and in-class classmates from all around the world.

Kaplan operates in over 30 countries and maintains relationships and partnerships with more than 1,000 school districts, colleges and universities, and over 2,600 corporations.

University of Southern Queensland
Duration: 18 months
Total Fees: $35,280 (Domestic), $42,600 (International)
Enrolled Students 2018: 500 (520 total MBA students)

The University of Southern Queensland (USQ) MBA program is designed to enhance students’ analytical skills related to management, people, markets, finance, and technical knowledge. 

The MBA was ranked 11th in the world for best online MBA and achieved a Tier One rating (CEO Magazine, 2018). The program focuses on how to demonstrate leadership in global sustainability and how to understand the nature of ethical decisions across contemporary business practice.

The USQ MBA program will enable graduates to work in virtual and non-traditional work environments and increase personal mastery in oral and written communication. USQ is a global Registered Education Provider (R.E.P.) accredited by the US-based Project Management Institute (PMI)®, which is the largest professional body for project managers in the world with over 450,000 members.

Griffith University
Duration: 12 months (in accelerated mode)
Total Fees: $51,750 (domestic), $56,250 (International)
Enrolled Students 2018: 512 (584 total MBA students)

The Griffith University Online MBA is based around values of responsible leadership; sustainable business practices; and a global perspective with the aim of making you an effective globally responsible business leader.

The online program can be completed in two years part-time with each course delivered over a 6 week period. These two delivery styles allow you to choose the method of study that suits you best and both programs are assessed authentically meaning that you can apply what you learn to your workplace with immediate benefit.

You will study courses in sustainability, accounting and reporting, finance, people management, strategy and innovation and managing change through responsible leadership. Through study you will be equipped with an understanding of the key functional areas within a business and the challenges facing businesses.

Southern Cross University
Duration: 16 months
Total Fees: $41,440 (domestic), $50,406 (International)
Enrolled Students 2018: 593 (1,428 total MBA students)

With a Southern Cross University online MBA, you’ll develop both the business know-how and the practical skills to advance your career or build your own business. You’ll examine contemporary management and develop solutions to complex commercial situations all through the prism of the fast-paced, ever-evolving global digital economy.

The course is designed to enable you to get the most out of the program while fitting study seamlessly around work, family, and other priorities. It is 100% online.

Deakin University
Duration: 18 months
Total Fees: $50,700 (Domestic), $60,600 (International)
Enrolled Students 2018: 803 (1,277 total MBA students)

Deakin’s distinctive business administration course is one of Australia’s premier business education programs. For over 30 years, the Deakin MBA has been helping students build relevant skills and contemporary knowledge while developing them into the business leaders of tomorrow.

The MBA course structure provides an integrated experience designed to reflect the foundational business knowledge required of an MBA program, career development and employability, leadership and management skills, and an integrative capstone experience.

Torrens University
Duration: 12 months
Total Fees: $32,700 (Domestic), $36,900 (International)
Enrolled Students: 910 (1,401 total MBA students)

The Torrens University Online MBA is provided by Chifley Business School and delivered by Torrens University Australia. The MBA is designed by high-achieving industry experienced academics for future-focused, ambitious individuals, who are serious about leading their careers and businesses to new heights.

The MBA is industry focused, with an emphasis on developing your cognitive, technical and creative skills to make effective business decisions in a global context. During the course, you will strengthen your business acumen to lead people as well as teams.

The skills that you gain will have a practical impact and drive real change in your professional life. The expected workload is 12.5 hours per week per subject over a 12-week trimester and 25 hours per week, per subject in Accelerated mode.

Australian Institute of Business
Duration: 18 months
Total Fees: $35,970 
Enrolled Students 2018: 3,216 (3,216 total students)

The Australian Institute of Business (AIB) is Australia’s No. 1 MBA provider. AIB has over 30 years of excellence in tertiary education, and a global network of more than 16,000 students and alumni in over 90 countries. AIB’s programs are internationally recognised and fully accredited in Australia.

It’s specifically designed for busy working adults, so it’s delivered 100% online with interactive, ‘snackable’ content. The AIB MBA offers genuine flexibility, industry insights, practical skills and the support you need to become irreplaceable.


The fees listed are provided as a general guide only. They have been sourced from publicly available information or individual universities and business schools. In relying on the list above potential students should be aware:

  • The fees were sourced in September 2019 for students commencing in 2020 but may change in the future at each school’s discretion; and 
  • Where schools have not provided full degree fees Online MBA Australia has made a judgement on the full degree costs based on information available. For instance, many schools provide on indicative annual fee for degrees which take 1.5 years to complete. In these cases Online MBA Australia has used current year indicative fees extrapolated over 1.5 years (ie $30,000pa x 1.5 years = $45,000); and
  • Current fees for units (variably called courses, subjects, credit points etc) may increase in the future before the completion of your degree, increasing the overall cost of your degree; and
  • The fees listed may or may not include incidentals like textbooks and other learning materials. In the case of study tours these additional fees can be substantial.
  • Fees for international students may be different; and
  • While all care has been taken to ensure their accuracy please consult your school on your full fee liability before commencing your MBA.

Ben Ready
Ben Ready founded MBA News in 2014 and is the Managing Editor. He is a former business and finance journalist with Australian Associated Press (AAP) and Dow Jones Newswires in London. Ben completed his MBA in 2012 and was awarded the QUT GMAA Entrepreneurship Prize. He is also the founder and Managing Director of RGC Media & Mktng (rgcmm.com.au).