Agriculture is the lifeblood of the Central Valley of California, and Fresno County is its beating heart. Anchored by the major metro area of Fresno, one of the largest in the state, Fresno County is a unique blend of rolling farms and picturesque orchards overflowing with market-ready crops and bustling urban centers that support agricultural technologies and services. Supply chain management, food technology, major food processing operations, and enterprises focused on solar, biofuels, and other forms of alternative energy are just a few of the areas shaping this dynamic ecosystem.
From the hungry, budding business professional to the established executive, Fresno County is ripe with opportunities to make smart ideas work. And for all of them, an MBA is the internationally recognized badge of business acumen and analytical skills that signals character and the confidence to lead.
Whether you’re vying for the chance to prove yourself with a major company like ConAgra, or you’re interested in landing your first or next managerial role with one of the many transportation and warehousing companies supporting the massive agricultural industry here, the skills you develop and connections you make while earning your MBA will be an ace up your sleeve that you can play again and again throughout your career.
High-Speed Rail to Revolutionize Fresno's Landscape
In just a few, short, years, Fresno is set to look dramatically different. The state’s third largest city will be a hub for one of the nation’s most exciting new infrastructure projects – a bullet train that will move passengers from San Francisco to Los Angeles in under three hours.
Consisting of 500 miles of track, this next-generation transportation system will weave its way throughout the Central Valley, a growing region of California that is expected to welcome nearly five million residents by 2060. The introduction of the bullet train, and its hub in Fresno, will be a much welcomed sight to this area, bringing business, industry, and economic growth to many of the rural regions throughout the Central Valley.
The bullet train will serve as an outstanding addition to Fresno’s newly revitalized downtown area, which includes the recent opening of The Monarch in Chinatown, a 57-unit apartment building. The State of California invested some $250 million to rebuild Fresno’s aging infrastructure in the downtown area, which is expected to inspire a flurry of new development – just in time for the introduction of the bullet train.
Officials are looking forward to the 119-mile stretch of bullet train track between Merced and Bakersfield being complete by 2026, with the construction of the rail hub in Fresno expected to begin in 2027. The system will begin testing in 2028, and passengers will begin using the system by 2030-2033.
Why Fresno County Has Some of the Best Online MBA Programs and Campus Options in California
Agriculture in Fresno County has produced a major economic ecosystem of business and industry that demands business leaders at all levels. The size of this network of growers, processors, distributors, and suppliers can’t be overvalued.
Fresno County remains the top agricultural county in the nation, with agriculture accounting for nearly $7.2 billion in annual economic output. In fact, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the county has agricultural sales that are larger than 23 individual states.
In the city of Fresno, for example, it’s estimated that about one in three jobs is tied to agriculture. Foster Farms, Cargil, Wawona Frozen Foods, and Tofuji are just some of the big names in food processing here.
Healthcare is also emerging as a major player here, with $330 million in new development projects currently in the works. And emerging markets like renewable energy, information technology, and advanced manufacturing continue to make their mark throughout the region.
Fresno has become ground zero for an industrial boom in recent years, too, with major companies like Amazon and Ulta Beauty setting up fulfillment and distribution centers here. Amazon’s new, 184,000-square-foot facility employs some 550 workers.
Home to about 13 colleges and universities, Fresno County has also become a hotspot for innovation, and startup success stories abound throughout the region. As of 2022, the county’s 400-plus tech companies accounted for $1.9 billion in economic output. Tech jobs in Fresno have long surpassed the national average, allowing this metro area to rank among the top cities in the nation for economic growth in recent years. From cybersecurity to software to ecommerce, there’s plenty of startup action in Fresno.
As expected, a good share of startups here are focused on agricultural innovations, like agtech companies FieldIn, which works to optimize pest management in orchards and vineyards through highly precise field data, and BeeHero, which tracks and monitors bee activity in crops.
In a region this ripe with opportunity, it’s no surprise that Fresno County is home to two nationally recognized MBA programs: Cal State Fresno and Fresno Pacific University. Both schools offer MBA programs that are delivered online and on-campus, thereby allowing students the freedom to earn their grad degree outside the walls of a traditional classroom.
Accredited Online MBA Programs and Campus Options Serving Business Students in Fresno, Clovis, Coalinga, and Throughout Fresno County
Today’s MBA programs are impressive, both in Fresno County and throughout California. Often boasting a variety of formats and designs to align with students at different points in their careers, MBA programs are specialized, personalized, and laser focused on the success of today’s and tomorrow’s business leaders and trailblazers. Whether the MBA serves as the foundation to a career in business management and leadership or as a stepping stone to your next big career move, you’ll find an outstanding selection of on-campus and online programs designed to get you where you want to be, both personally and professionally.
Though not all universities choose to pursue accreditation through one of the three, independent accrediting bodies, MBA accreditation serves as a clear indicator that a program has met specific criteria regarding program quality, student achievement, and faculty qualifications. For example, Cal State Fresno’s MBA was the first in the CSU system to earn accreditation through the AACSB, largely considered the gold standard of accreditation because it accredits fewer than 5 percent of all business programs worldwide.
California State University, Fresno
Craig School of Business
Fresno, CA
Website
- MBA (hybrid)
- MBA for Executives - EMBA (on-campus)
- Accreditation: AACSB
Fresno Pacific University
School of Graduate and Professional Studies
Fresno, CA
Website
- MBA (on-campus, online)
- Accreditation: ACBSP (candidate for accreditation)