Top 10 Budget MBA Programs in New York

Located in upstate New York, Binghamton may not boast close access to Wall Street giants such as Goldman Sachs or Morgan Stanley, like business schools in the Big Apple do, but the area is renowned for its superb manufacturing industry, a reputation is has held since the 1880s when Binghamton was a leading producer of cigars, computers and shoes. Binghamton University’s MBA is accredited by AACSB, so you can be sure its teaching standards are very high indeed. Graduate fees are relatively affordable, for both in-state and out-of-state students. 

The University at Buffalo’s School of Management has a bevy of awards that should serve as a quality stamp for prospective MBA students: it offers a top-20 public MBA, according to Forbes, and is also ranked by US News as one of America’s best schools. In terms of MBA programs in New York, it’s also one of the cheapest. Approximately 88 percent of the school’s MBA students found work within three months of graduation, earning an average salary of $61,301, so you’ll likely enjoy a very good return on your investment. 

What distinguishes the University at Albany’s MBA program, aside from the low cost, is that first-year students work on an intensive one-week capstone course called “going green globally”. They work with executives on sustainable solutions to global business challenges. In the second year, the MBA students work on field projects with local companies, so there’s great links to employers. 

Students at Baruch College’s Zicklin School of Business enjoy all the benefits of being in the Big Apple, but without the high fees you’d find at larger schools, such as NYU or Columbia. As a public (non-profit) university, Baruch College offers affordable fees: the school was ranked by Forbes as among the best value colleges in the US last year. 

The O’Malley School of Business’s MBA program is designed for working professionals: students study in the evenings and online, so you can complete the course in a breezy 18 months. That means you’ll pay much less in tuition fees and forgo less salary than with a traditional, two-year, campus-based MBA.

Studying at the Frank G. Zarb School of Business, at Hofstra University on Long Island, means you’ll be in touching distance of one of the world’s most important economic capitals, but without the high housing and other costs associated with living, studying, or working in Manhattan. 

One advantage to studying at the Whitman School of Management is that the MBA focuses on real-world, practical learning experiences. You can also specialize in one of seven concentrations, including accounting, business analytics, entrepreneurship and emerging markets, or real estate. So you’ll have the experience and niche knowledge that will no doubt be valued by employers. 

Located at the Rochester Institute of Technology, the Saunders College of Business is renowned for infusing digital technology into its MBA courses. You’ll still get a strong foundation of business skills, but leveraging RIT’s innovation excellence, you also can study design and information systems, product or service innovation, supply chain management and other tech-focused subjects.

In 2015, the University of Rochester’s Simon School made the headlines when it cut its MBA tuition by over 13 percent to $92,000. As of 2018, the fees remain unchanged at $46,000 per year for the two-year course. The school, located close to Lake Ontario, is known for its focus on quantitative coursework. So if you want to work in, say, finance or accounting, this may be the program for you. What’s more, the Simon MBA is ranked as one of the world’s best by The Economist.

Fordham University’s Gabelli School of Business is ranked by the prestigious US News and World Report, putting it in a small(ish) club of America’s best business schools with MBA degrees.