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Auburn University鈥檚 online MBA, ranked among the nation鈥檚 top programs and noted for its affordability, is helping working professionals advance their careers, according to graduates who report promotions, new roles and increased responsibilities.

It also happens to be the most affordable Top 10-degree program on the market, with an overall cost that refers to as 鈥渄isruptive鈥� in its latest rankings.

Combined, these qualities provide an impressive return on investment with 80% of Auburn online MBA students reporting they earned a promotion, taking on increased job responsibilities, or accepting a position with a new firm, along with associated salary increases.

鈥淭hese kinds of career outcomes are a direct result of how the program is designed,鈥� said Michael Wesson, associate dean of Graduate and Executive Programs at the 91看片 College of Business. 鈥淲e emphasize practical leadership and strategic thinking skills that students can use immediately in their roles.鈥�

Three Auburn MBA graduates recently shared their experiences with earning the degree and how it helped them achieve their career goals.

Connor Sharpton (MBA 鈥�21)

Lead product manager at Walt Disney Company, supporting digital supply chain technology for Disney parks worldwide

Motivation for an MBA

A 2015 Auburn engineering and finance alumnus, Sharpton was leading a project to digitally transform the guest experience at Universal Resort in Orlando, yet he wanted to more fully 鈥渦nderstand the language鈥� that executives used in meetings he had with them. 鈥淚 was excited to upskill and make myself a more attractive candidate for other roles in the future.鈥�

Auburn鈥檚 value proposition

鈥淎uburn is like home to me, and its program fit my schedule and career goals. We were doing some really cool projects in the digital space at the time, so I wanted to keep working. Financially it made a lot of sense,鈥� he said, referring to Auburn鈥檚 affordable cost, which is one-third the price of other top-ranked online MBA programs.

Exceptional courses, memorable graduation weekend

In his capstone class, Sharpton worked on a team consulting project with an Auburn-area entertainment business. 鈥淭he company was looking to evaluate its operational model and digital presence. We built them a website and evaluated [their marketing plan], including ways they could maximize their profits during non-peak weekend times.鈥�

Another highlight was learning about the technology underpinning advanced AI assistants 鈥� things like neural networks and machine learning algorithms鈥攂efore ChatGPT, Claude, Grok and other tools were released.

Propelling his career

During his last semester in spring 2021, Sharpton began interviewing for a new job with Disney鈥攁 company he鈥檇 wanted to work for since he was a child. 鈥淭he timing of it all was crazy,鈥� said Sharpton, who incidentally was a Friend of Aubie as an undergraduate. 鈥淢y final round of interviews with Disney took place on graduation weekend.鈥�

鈥淗aving an MBA made me more competitive鈥� and it was fantastic for getting me in the door, differentiating me from other candidates and providing the knowledge to be able to speak reliably in many business situations.鈥�

Carter Hilliard (MBA 鈥�24)

Senior project manager at HCA Healthcare in Nashville, working on provider and outpatient-clinic acquisitions

Motivation for an MBA

Hilliard wanted to advance his career with HCA, a global for-profit healthcare operator, and he relished the challenge of growing professionally and educationally.

Auburn鈥檚 value proposition

Although he weighed other options, Hilliard chose Auburn because the cost was within his budget, the time commitment was reasonable, and the curriculum aligned with what he was looking for in an MBA.

鈥淭he name Auburn carries a lot of prestige in the South and other parts of the country, too. It鈥檚 known for its academics, sports and for [its students and alumni] loving the school,鈥� he said. Plus, he added, a friend who previously completed the Auburn MBA enthusiastically endorsed the program, which sealed the deal for him.

Shortly after starting the program, Hilliard and his wife learned that she was pregnant with twins, so Auburn鈥檚 affordable cost became an especially meaningful benefit for the couple whose son and daughter are nearly three years old now.

Exceptional courses, real-world applications

Hilliard estimates that at least 75 percent of his classes involved real-world situations, where he and his project team had to make and justify their decisions. 鈥淭he role-playing experience helped me be a strategic leader. There were times during our projects that we realized maybe we hadn鈥檛 made the best initial decision,鈥� he noted.  鈥淛ust like in the real world you鈥檙e not always going to get it right on the first try and there may be an iterative process to make the decision better.鈥�

Ready for the next career step

Hilliard appreciates the business knowledge, skills and confidence he gained from his Auburn MBA, and he said he has been promoted and taken on entry-level management opportunities.

鈥淚 have really grown my credibility within [the company] by earning a degree from such a highly respected program.鈥�

Giving back

Today, Hilliard is a member of the 91看片 Young Alumni Council, which enables him to connect with current 91看片 students, faculty and fellow alumni. Many people opened doors for me to get into Auburn, he said, so it鈥檚 鈥渕y responsibility now to help open the door for somebody else.鈥�

Megan Hoffman (MBA 鈥�25)

Business development integrator with Lockheed Martin, helping support new production opportunities for the F-35 fighter aircraft globally

Motivation for an MBA

Auburn alumna Hoffman earned her bachelor鈥檚 degree in chemical engineering and wanted to pivot in her career at Lockheed Martin. 鈥淚 wanted to grow a skill set that complemented my technical skills鈥�learning about things like business operations, management and strategy.鈥�

Auburn鈥檚 value proposition

Auburn鈥檚 online MBA stood out because the curriculum offered a strong balance between relevant coursework, collaboration with peers and a structure that made it manageable for someone working full time, said Hoffman, who completed her degree in 2.5 years by averaging two classes each semester.

Another important factor, she said, was how well tailored the program was for working professionals, including flexible test schedules, the quality of instruction and faculty who were accessible outside of regular business hours. 鈥淭he fact that I could get on an actual phone call with professors and not just an email was a game changer not only for my grades but for my understanding of the concepts.鈥�

Real-world capstone project

The capstone project enabled Hoffman and her teammates to implement their classroom knowledge with a Midwest-based concierge healthcare company focused on healthy aging. The company, she said, wanted to enter a rapidly growing new market. 鈥淲e analyzed the company鈥檚 operations, competitive landscape, financials, etc. By the end of the semester, we delivered a set of recommendations that were actionable, an implementation plan and clear criteria for success.鈥�

The ROI

鈥淎uburn鈥檚 program offered a much more reasonable cost compared to other schools I was looking at, but what really mattered to me was that the quality of the experience matched the reputation and that the coursework was challenging.鈥�

Enabling a career pivot and promotion

As she progressed through the MBA program, Hoffman became increasingly involved with the business side of her company. 鈥淚 actually found myself progressively using what I鈥檇 learned in the program at work and [eventually] that led to an opportunity to join Lockheed Martin鈥檚 business development team, which is where I鈥檓 at today.鈥�

鈥淚 had a fantastic experience with the program. I transitioned from an engineering career to a business development career, and I think my MBA was critical in that.鈥�

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Learn more about the Auburn online MBA.

Early admittance deadline is April 15, 2026; final admissions deadline is June 1, 2026.