DL MBA from Tier 3,4,5..... School

Will it make any difference if a DL MBA is from Tier 3 or 4 or 5 school?

 

Nothing I've ever come across indicates that employers make such fine discriminations. I doubt if they carry a copy of US News and World Report around while reading resumes.

That said, it is very common for employers to recruit from schools they know. There are schools with varying national, regional, and local reputations. I think there might be some discriminating among lower tier schools at the local level, but any perceived or real differences would be all but invisible outside the local area.

I live in Virginia. Employers don't know the difference between San Diego State University and National University, and don't care. But they DO care in San Diego, where SDSU has a stronger reputation. (So does the University of San Diego, for that matter.) But employers in Virginia would be more likely to notice and appreciate an MBA from UCLA or USC.

Tier 3, 4, or 5? There might be differences, but there are also differences in costs, scheduling, prerequisites, delivery media, course content, etc. that are even more significant to the consumer.

It is not a question that can be answered simply.

 

As with any degree: what do you want to do with it?

If you want to go to work for a high power investment house, then any degree that is not form Harvard, Stanford, Haas (Berkeley), or similar would take a lot of selling (DL or full time).

If you wan to work for a local company in management then it is a different story and almost any degree would carry equal weight (Harvard or U of Phx (except any big name school would sound better (IMHO)).

If you want to go into teaching then the rank of the school again has more weight. Want to teach at Harvard then an Ivy League degree would carry more weight than Indiana State. want to teach at Indiana State - a degree from an Indian or Illinois school would count more than from Arizona (example).

So: If you want to work onWall Street as an investment banker, but can only afford U of Phx (time & money) then you better be a world beater because (IMHO) the bottom of the class at Harvard will get wined and dined way before they answer your e-mail.

Recommendation: Pick the best rated school that you can afford (time & money) that meets your goals.