This article from the NY Times is not specifically about distance learning but interesting in any case. http://www.nytimes.com/2012/08/12/magazine/is-michigan-state-really-better-than-yale.html?_r=1&ref=education
It's one spot, 20 vs. 21, In a ranking that doesn't carry the same weight as US News. Basic question, as someone searching for a job would you rather have Yale or Michigan State on your resume? Which do you think opens more doors? Plugs you into a better network? MSU isn't even the best program in the state of Michigan. MSU is a fine school, but given the choice, short of a full-ride to MSU, the choice is really a no brainer. Business school is gamble. There is no guarantee of a lucrative job, but your odds are better coming out of Yale.