Nucleus, epicenter, hub – whatever you want to call it, there’s no debating the fact that Los Angeles County is the beating heart of Southern California, financially, commercially, and culturally.
Entertainment and digital media, the biosciences and big ag, technology, fashion, pharma—whatever the industry or sector, there are endless opportunities to sink your teeth into LA’s diverse economy, fill your belly, and come up grinning.
Fortune 500 companies? Yeah, Los Angeles County has its share. The City of Angels is where the Walt Disney Company, Mattel, and Warner Brothers were born. It’s where companies like Space X (Hawthorne) and Hulu (Santa Monica) rule the region’s economy. And it’s where tech startups are as common as a Monday morning backup on the Hollywood Freeway corridor.
The landscape’s competitive here, for sure, but the opportunities are limitless. Grit and perseverance are a must, but to make your mark, you’ve got to back that tenacity up with a formal education in global business.
And that’s where the MBA comes in.
Second to none in terms of preparing today’s leaders, changemakers, executives, and entrepreneurs, the MBA is still your best bet at a ticket to ride through LA’s hypercompetitive business landscape to your final stop in the land of milk and honey.
Crypto, Gaming, and Cleantech – The Magic of L.A.'s Startup Scene
Los Angeles has earned itself a global reputation as a startup powerhouse, coming in third in the U.S. for the strength of its startup ecosystem, according to the Global Startup Ecosystem Report 2024.
Crypto, gaming, cleantech, and more, talent and investment in LA County’s startup sector continues to find support from a creative business community and plenty of venture capital funding.
Westwood-based BAM Ventures has been the money behind successful startups like Glendale’s LegalZoom.com and El Segundo’s The Honest Co. VC companies in the Los Angeles region number more than 500.
Aerospace companies like SpaceX make their home here, an enterprise that’s graduated from the ranks of innovative startup to become one of the biggest government contractors in the world in just a few short years. Activision Blizzard Inc. is also among the once-small-now-huge startups that got its start in the Los Angeles startup scene.
Among the younger enterprises born here is Marina del Rey’s Dollar Shave Club.
Entrepreneurial pursuits also benefit from the steady stream of talent coming out of the region’s nationally renowned universities. At UCLA, budding entrepreneurs in the tech space are supported by the Anderon Venture Accelerator, while the Rothenberg Innovation Initiative is behind outstanding innovations at the California Institute of Technology.
Suburbs of Los Angeles like Glendale, home to more than 1,500 tech businesses, and Santa Monica, which serves as the headquarters for more than 3,000 tech and creative businesses, are busy making waves. And the most recent count has the region’s most spritely unicorns – those companies valued at no less than $1 billion – at 27.
Why Los Angeles County Has Some of the Best Online MBA Programs and Campus Options in California
You need only look as far as UCLA to know that Los Angeles County is a top dog in terms of MBA programs. Its Anderson School of Management boasts an alumni network of more than 44,000. In the last ten years alone, the school counts more than 550 companies founded by its alumni.
But UCLA’s not the only show in town. Far from it. More than two dozen public and private schools host MBA programs with entry-points for early- and mid-career professionals and top executives, along with specialized MBAs aimed at technology, consulting, financial services.
It’s no wonder MBA options here are impressive. Los Angeles County is the most populous county in the nation (10.5 million and counting) and has the largest county economy in the nation. If Los Angeles County were a nation, its economy would rank 19th in the world.
The Los Angeles Economic Development Policy Committee (Committee) has identified no less than seven, targeted industries here: healthcare services, manufacturing, trade/logistics, leisure/hospitality, film and digital media, bioscience, and construction. Los Angeles County is the largest manufacturing center in the U.S. and its seaport complex is the largest in the Western Hemisphere. No less than 244,000 businesses support a labor force of nearly five million here.
The sheer number of businesses here means companies can’t stake a claim without a good fight. Everyone knows you have to be resilient to get your piece of the pie in a place that’s known to chew up and spit out its share of enterprises. If you’re not ahead of the game in Los Angeles County, chances are, you’re already behind. What that means is that strong, focused business leaders with a vision of what’s next are something companies are glad to pay a premium for.
Whether you have plans to branch out on your own and explore entrepreneurship in all its glory or you’ve set your sights on rising through the ranks and securing a C-suite position with a legacy enterprise, the MBA must be a consideration, especially in the cut-throat business landscape of SoCal.
Accredited Online MBA Programs and Campus Options in Los Angeles, Long Beach, Pasadena, and Throughout Los Angeles County
An MBA is an investment, so it comes as no surprise that colleges and universities are vying for ways to stand out from the crowd and provide a consistent, trusted course of education. In the world of business education. One way they’re doing this is through specialty accreditation.
The big three MBA accreditors are the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB), the Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs (ACBSP), and the International Accreditation Council for Business Education (IACBE).
To earn accreditation, MBA programs must meet some rigorous standards for student outcomes and curriculum development as outlined by each accrediting body. It’s not necessary to choose an accredited MBA program, but it’s a great indication of program quality.
There is no shortage of MBA programs in Los Angeles County, offering a diversity of formats and specializations for students to choose from. Some programs are aimed at emerging leaders, while others are targeted directly at those with significant management experience. Many of today’s programs are offered in flexible, hybrid and online formats to accommodate working professionals. Today’s MBAs also often include an international focus, with global study and travel opportunities.
California State University Northridge
David Nazarian College of Business and Economics
Northridge, CA
Website
- Nazarian Part-Time MBA (on-campus)
- Total Estimated Program Cost: $21,549
- Accreditation: AACSB
California State University Los Angeles
College of Business and Economics
Los Angeles, CA
Website
- MBA (Accounting, Business Analytics, Entrepreneurship, Entertainment Business Management, Finance, Healthcare Management, Human Resource Management, Information Systems, International Business, Management, Marketing, Real Estate, Supply Chain Management, Customized) (on-campus)
- Total Estimated Program Cost: $25,488
- Accreditation: AACSB
California State University Long Beach
College of Business
Long Beach, CA
Website
- Daytime MBA (on-campus)
- Evening MBA (Finance, Human Resources Management, Information Systems, Management, Marketing, Supply Chain Management, Human Resources Management, Health Care Administration, Health Science, Recreation and Leisure Studies) (on-campus)
- Saturday Hybrid MBA (hybrid)
- Online MBA (online)
- Accreditation: AACSB
California State Polytechnic University
Singelyn Graduate School of Business
Pomona, CA
Website
- MBA - Business Sustainability, Leading Organizational Transformation, Strategic Marketing, Self-Created Specialty (on-campus, hybrid)
- Accreditation: AACSB
Abraham Lincoln University
School of Business Administration
Glendale, CA
Website
- MBA (Business Law, Coaching, Cybersecurity Law, Finance, Law Enforcement Management, Legal Studies, Management, Project Management) (online)
Antioch University
Culver City, CA
Website
- MBA (Leadership and Teams, Healthcare Leadership, Nonprofit Leadership, Sustainable Business, Self-Designed) (online)
The Master’s University and Seminary
School of Business and Communication
Santa Clarita, CA
Website
- MBA (Sport Management, General) (online)
Fremont University
College of Business
Cerritos, CA
Website
- MBA (Business Development Leadership, Organizational Leadership) (online)
California Institute of Advanced Management
Alhambra, CA
Website
- MBA - Executive Management (Business Analytics, Project Management) (hybrid)
Azusa Pacific University
School of Business and Management
Azusa, CA
Website
- MBA (Accounting, Business Analytics, Entrepreneurship, Finance, Government Financial Management, Healthcare Management, International Business, Marketing, Public Administration, Organizational Science, Sport Management) (on-campus, online)
- Accreditation: IACBE
University of the West
Rosemead, CA
Website
- MBA (CIS, Finance, International Business, Nonprofit Organization Management) (on-campus)
- Professional MBA (CIS, Finance, International Business, Nonprofit Organization Management) (on-campus, online)
Alliant International University
California School of Management and Leadership (CSML)
Alhambra, CA
Website
- MBA - Business and Technology Track (Information and Technology Management, Marketing and Digital Trends, Management Leadership and Decision Sciences, Hospitality Management) (on-campus, online)
- Accreditation: ACBSP
DeVry University
Keller Graduate School of Management (campus locations across CA)
Long Beach, CA
Website
- MBA (Business Intelligence and Analytics Management, Entrepreneurship, Global Supply Chain Management, Human Resources, Information Systems Management, Marketing, Project Management) (hybrid, online)
- Accreditation: ACBSP
University of La Verne
College of Business
La Verne, CA
Website
- MBA (Accounting, Finance, Health Services Management, IT, International Business, Management and Leadership, Supply Chain Management, Marketing, HR Management, Nonprofit Management, Organizational Development) (on-campus, online)
University of California-Los Angeles
John E. Anderson School of Management
Los Angeles, CA
Website
- Full-Time MBA (Accounting, Brand Management, Corporate Finance, Easton Technology Leadership, Entertainment, Entrepreneurship, Global Management, Healthcare Management, Kayne Investment Management, Leaders in Sustainability, Marketing Analytics, Real Estate, Leadership Development, Social Impact, Consulting) (on-campus)
- Fully Employed MBA (FEMBA) (hybrid)
- Executive MBA (on-campus, hybrid)
- Executive MBA+NUS (National University of Singapore)
- Accreditation: AACSB
University of Southern California
Marshall School of Business
Los Angeles, CA
Website
- Full-Time MBA (on-campus)
- Part-Time MBA (on-campus, hybrid)
- Executive MBA (hybrid)
- One-Year MBA (on-campus)
- Online MBA (online)
- Accreditation: AACSB
Pepperdine University
Graziadio Business School
Malibu, CA
Website
- Full-Time MBA (Business Analytics, Digital Innovation and Information Systems, Entrepreneurship, Finance, Leadership and Managing Organizational Change, Marketing) (on-campus)
- Full-Time (12 Month) MBA (Finance, Marketing, SEER Certificate) (on-campus)
- Part-Time MBA (online, hybrid)
- Presidents and Key Executives MBA (on-campus)
- Executive MBA (on-campus)
- Accreditation: AACSB
Claremont Graduate University
Drucker School of Management
Claremont, CA
Website
- Full-Time MBA in Management Sciences (Marketing, Finance, Supply Chain Management, Information Technology Management, Leadership, Entrepreneurship, HR Management) (on-campus)
- Online MBA (Leadership) (online)
- Drucker MBA (Flex) (Marketing, Finance, Supply Chain Management, Information Technology Management, Leadership, Entrepreneurship, HR Management) (on-campus, online, hybrid)
- Early Career MBA (Marketing, Finance, Supply Chain Management, Information Technology Management, Leadership, Entrepreneurship, HR Management) (hybrid)
- Accreditation: AACSB
Loyola Marymount University
College of Business Administration
Los Angeles, CA
Website
- MBA (General, Finance, Marketing, Entrepreneurship) (on-campus)
- Accreditation: AACSB
Woodbury University
School of Business
Los Angeles, CA
Website
- MBA (Accounting-Finance, Global Strategy-Leadership, Entertainment, Entrepreneurship, Sustainability) (offered in intensive, evening, and hybrid formats)
- Accreditation: AACSB, ACBSP
Mount Saint Mary’s University
Department of Business Administration
Los Angeles, CA
Website
- MBA (Entrepreneurship, Finance and Accounting, Organizational Leadership, Project Management) (hybrid)
- MBA in Entertainment Management (hybrid)
- Accreditation: ACBSP