The Best MBA Programs in Houston for 2026
The best MBA programs in Houston are the accredited schools that graduate their students and charge honestly for it, not the ones with the biggest name on the building. Hakia analyzed 8 accredited MBA programs in Houston and ranked 8 schools on graduation rate, selectivity, cost, and outcomes. Tuition across the 8 ranked schools runs from $6,126 to $60,314 a year, a $54,188 spread for the same credential.
Rice University leads with a 94.2 Hakia Score on a 95% graduation rate, at $60,314 a year. Across all 8 ranked MBA programs in Houston the average graduation rate is 49%, ranging from 5% to 95%. 4 of the 8 are public and 4 are private, a split that drives most of the price gap below. National median pay for the field is $105,770 a year per the BLS, the benchmark every school on this list feeds into regardless of what it charges.
Below is the full ranked table, followed by a school-by-school look at what actually separates the MBA programs in Houston: cost, completion, selectivity, and where the degree leads. Every school here sits inside Houston city limits. Every figure is drawn from federal IPEDS and BLS data, and no school pays for placement.
Key Takeaways on the Best MBA Programs in Houston
- Rice University ranks first among MBA programs in Houston with a 94.2 Hakia Score and a 95% graduation rate.
- Tuition across the 8 ranked MBA programs in Houston spans $6,126 to $60,314 a year, a $54,188 gap for the same credential.
- The 8 ranked MBA programs in Houston graduate 49% of students on average, from 5% to 95%.
- 4 of the 8 ranked schools are public, where the in-state rate is what Texas residents actually pay.
- 3 of the 8 offer a confirmed online option, which matters in a city where commuting time is the real cost.
- National median pay in the field is $105,770 (BLS), the same benchmark whichever Houston school a student picks.
Hakia analyzed 8 accredited MBA programs in Houston reported to IPEDS, scoring each on graduation rate, selectivity, cost, and outcomes, then ranked one entry per school on its strongest program. No school is rewarded for sticker price alone, and none pays for inclusion.
The 8 Best MBA Programs in Houston, Ranked for 2026
| # | Program | Type | In-state tuition | Grad rate | Admit rate | Hakia Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Rice UniversityHouston, TX | Nonprofit | $60,314 | 95% | 8% | 94.2 |
| 2 | University of HoustonHouston, TX | Public | $8,685 | 65% | 74% | 87.3 |
| 3 | University of St ThomasHouston, TX · online option | Nonprofit | $33,784 | 69% | 90% | 73.6 |
| 4 | University of Houston-Clear LakeHouston, TX | Public | $6,600 | 52% | 91% | 71.1 |
| 5 | Houston Christian UniversityHouston, TX · online option | Nonprofit | $36,750 | 49% | 84% | 70.3 |
| 6 | University of Houston-DowntownHouston, TX · online option | Public | $6,126 | 33% | 90% | 67.2 |
| 7 | Texas Southern UniversityHouston, TX | Public | $6,941 | 22% | 97% | 59.2 |
| 8 | American InterContinental University-HoustonHouston, TX | For-profit | $14,169 | 5% | NR | 54.2 |
NR — not reported by the institution in the latest IPEDS collection.
The Top MBA Programs in Houston at a Glance
Each program scores 0 to 100 on the Hakia Score, a composite of graduation rate, cost, selectivity, and outcomes. Longer bars rank higher.
Inside the Top MBA Programs in Houston
Rice University
Houston, TX · Nonprofit
- Grad rate
- 95%
- Admit rate
- 8%
- In-state
- $60,314
- Out-of-state
- $60,314
Rice graduates 95% of its students, above the 49% average across this ranking, on a 94.2 Hakia Score.
- Hakia Score 94.2, #1 of 8
- 95% graduation rate
- $60,314 tuition
- Most selective program here
Rice is a private, nonprofit institution in Houston, TX. Its MBA program ranks #1 of the 8 analyzed here with a 94.2 Hakia Score, a composite of graduation rate, cost, selectivity, and graduate outcomes. That is the highest score in the ranking, well above the 72.1 group average. The program graduates 95% of its students, above the 49% average across the ranked schools. Rice admits 8% of applicants, more selective than the 76% average for the group. Its completion rate lands among the strongest in a group where graduation runs from 5% to 95%. The university enrolls 8,961 students overall.
On cost, Rice charges $60,314 a year in-state. That puts it at the higher end on this list, where annual in-state tuition runs from $6,126 at Houston-Downtown to $60,314 at Rice. As a private institution, its tuition does not change with residency, unlike the public universities on this list. For prospective students, the draw here is above-average completion paired with genuine selectivity.
University of Houston
Houston, TX · Public
- Grad rate
- 65%
- Admit rate
- 74%
- In-state
- $8,685
- Out-of-state
- $21,515
UH graduates 65% of its students, above the 49% average across this ranking, on an 87.3 Hakia Score.
- Hakia Score 87.3, #2 of 8
- 65% graduation rate
- $8,685 in-state vs $21,515 out-of-state
- Largest campus in this ranking
UH is a public institution in Houston, TX. Its MBA program ranks #2 of the 8 analyzed here with an 87.3 Hakia Score, a composite of graduation rate, cost, selectivity, and graduate outcomes. That sits above the 72.1 group average, in the top third of the 8 ranked programs, 6.9 points behind top-ranked Rice. The program graduates 65% of its students, above the 49% average across the ranked schools. UH admits 74% of applicants, more selective than the 76% average for the group. That is more open than the 8% rate at Rice, the most selective program on this list. Its completion rate lands among the strongest in a group where graduation runs from 5% to 95%. It is one of the larger campuses in the ranking, enrolling 47,980 students.
On cost, UH charges $8,685 a year in-state, roughly 2.5x the $21,515 out-of-state rate. That puts it mid-pack on price on this list, where annual in-state tuition runs from $6,126 at Houston-Downtown to $60,314 at Rice. The spread makes the program a clearer value for TX residents than for out-of-state students. For prospective students, the draw here is above-average completion paired with genuine selectivity.
University of St Thomas
Houston, TX · Nonprofit · online option
- Grad rate
- 69%
- Admit rate
- 90%
- In-state
- $33,784
- Out-of-state
- $33,784
St Thomas graduates 69% of its students, above the 49% average across this ranking, on a 73.6 Hakia Score.
- Hakia Score 73.6, #3 of 8
- 69% graduation rate
- $33,784 tuition
- Online option available
St Thomas is a private, nonprofit institution in Houston, TX. Its MBA program ranks #3 of the 8 analyzed here with a 73.6 Hakia Score, a composite of graduation rate, cost, selectivity, and graduate outcomes. That sits above the 72.1 group average, in the middle third of the 8 ranked programs. The program graduates 69% of its students, above the 49% average across the ranked schools. St Thomas admits 90% of applicants, less selective than the 76% average for the group. That is more open than the 8% rate at Rice, the most selective program on this list. Its completion rate lands among the strongest in a group where graduation runs from 5% to 95%. The university enrolls 4,301 students overall. The degree is also offered online, which widens access for working students.
On cost, St Thomas charges $33,784 a year in-state. That puts it at the higher end on this list, where annual in-state tuition runs from $6,126 at Houston-Downtown to $60,314 at Rice. As a private institution, its tuition does not change with residency, unlike the public universities on this list. For prospective students, the draw here is above-average completion paired with an online option.
University of Houston-Clear Lake
Houston, TX · Public
- Grad rate
- 52%
- Admit rate
- 91%
- In-state
- $6,600
- Out-of-state
- $20,544
At $6,600 a year in-state, Houston-Clear Lake is among the more affordable mba programs ranked here, holding a 71.1 Hakia Score on a 52% graduation rate.
- Hakia Score 71.1, #4 of 8
- 52% graduation rate
- $6,600 in-state vs $20,544 out-of-state
- Admits just 91% of applicants
Houston-Clear Lake is a public institution in Houston, TX. Its MBA program ranks #4 of the 8 analyzed here with a 71.1 Hakia Score, a composite of graduation rate, cost, selectivity, and graduate outcomes. That sits below the 72.1 group average, in the middle third of the 8 ranked programs. The program graduates 52% of its students, above the 49% average across the ranked schools. Houston-Clear Lake admits 91% of applicants, less selective than the 76% average for the group. That is more open than the 8% rate at Rice, the most selective program on this list. Its completion rate lands in the middle of the pack in a group where graduation runs from 5% to 95%. The university enrolls 8,137 students overall.
On cost, Houston-Clear Lake charges $6,600 a year in-state, roughly 3x the $20,544 out-of-state rate. That puts it among the most affordable on this list, where annual in-state tuition runs from $6,126 at Houston-Downtown to $60,314 at Rice. The spread makes the program a clearer value for TX residents than for out-of-state students. For prospective students, the draw here is low in-state cost paired with above-average completion.
Houston Christian University
Houston, TX · Nonprofit · online option
- Grad rate
- 49%
- Admit rate
- 84%
- In-state
- $36,750
- Out-of-state
- $36,750
Houston Christian graduates 49% of its students, above the 49% average across this ranking, on a 70.3 Hakia Score.
- Hakia Score 70.3, #5 of 8
- 49% graduation rate
- $36,750 tuition
- Online option available
Houston Christian is a private, nonprofit institution in Houston, TX. Its MBA program ranks #5 of the 8 analyzed here with a 70.3 Hakia Score, a composite of graduation rate, cost, selectivity, and graduate outcomes. That sits below the 72.1 group average, in the middle third of the 8 ranked programs. The program graduates 49% of its students, above the 49% average across the ranked schools. Houston Christian admits 84% of applicants, less selective than the 76% average for the group. That is more open than the 8% rate at Rice, the most selective program on this list. Its completion rate lands in the middle of the pack in a group where graduation runs from 5% to 95%. The university enrolls 4,276 students overall. The degree is also offered online, which widens access for working students.
On cost, Houston Christian charges $36,750 a year in-state. That puts it at the higher end on this list, where annual in-state tuition runs from $6,126 at Houston-Downtown to $60,314 at Rice. As a private institution, its tuition does not change with residency, unlike the public universities on this list. For prospective students, the draw here is above-average completion paired with an online option.
University of Houston-Downtown
Houston, TX · Public · online option
- Grad rate
- 33%
- Admit rate
- 90%
- In-state
- $6,126
- Out-of-state
- $15,978
At $6,126 a year in-state, Houston-Downtown is among the more affordable mba programs ranked here, holding a 67.2 Hakia Score on a 33% graduation rate.
- Hakia Score 67.2, #6 of 8
- 33% graduation rate
- $6,126 in-state vs $15,978 out-of-state
- Lowest in-state tuition here
Houston-Downtown is a public institution in Houston, TX. Its MBA program ranks #6 of the 8 analyzed here with a 67.2 Hakia Score, a composite of graduation rate, cost, selectivity, and graduate outcomes. That sits below the 72.1 group average, in the lower third of the 8 ranked programs. The program graduates 33% of its students, below the 49% average across the ranked schools. Houston-Downtown admits 90% of applicants, less selective than the 76% average for the group. That is more open than the 8% rate at Rice, the most selective program on this list. Its completion rate lands toward the lower end in a group where graduation runs from 5% to 95%. The university enrolls 13,730 students overall. The degree is also offered online, which widens access for working students.
On cost, Houston-Downtown charges $6,126 a year in-state, roughly 2.6x the $15,978 out-of-state rate. That puts it among the most affordable on this list, where annual in-state tuition runs from $6,126 at Houston-Downtown to $60,314 at Rice. The spread makes the program a clearer value for TX residents than for out-of-state students. For prospective students, the draw here is low in-state cost paired with an online option.
Texas Southern University
Houston, TX · Public
- Grad rate
- 22%
- Admit rate
- 97%
- In-state
- $6,941
- Out-of-state
- $19,737
At $6,941 a year in-state, Texas Southern is among the more affordable mba programs ranked here, holding a 59.2 Hakia Score on a 22% graduation rate.
- Hakia Score 59.2, #7 of 8
- 22% graduation rate
- $6,941 in-state vs $19,737 out-of-state
- Admits just 97% of applicants
Texas Southern is a public institution in Houston, TX. Its MBA program ranks #7 of the 8 analyzed here with a 59.2 Hakia Score, a composite of graduation rate, cost, selectivity, and graduate outcomes. That sits below the 72.1 group average, in the lower third of the 8 ranked programs. The program graduates 22% of its students, below the 49% average across the ranked schools. Texas Southern admits 97% of applicants, less selective than the 76% average for the group. That is more open than the 8% rate at Rice, the most selective program on this list. Its completion rate lands toward the lower end in a group where graduation runs from 5% to 95%. The university enrolls 8,704 students overall.
On cost, Texas Southern charges $6,941 a year in-state, roughly 2.8x the $19,737 out-of-state rate. That puts it among the most affordable on this list, where annual in-state tuition runs from $6,126 at Houston-Downtown to $60,314 at Rice. The spread makes the program a clearer value for TX residents than for out-of-state students. For prospective students, the main draw here is its low in-state cost.
American InterContinental University-Houston
Houston, TX · For-profit
- Grad rate
- 5%
- Admit rate
- NR
- In-state
- $14,169
- Out-of-state
- $14,169
American InterContinental-Houston ranks #8 of the 8 mba programs in this analysis, with a 54.2 Hakia Score and a 5% graduation rate.
- Hakia Score 54.2, #8 of 8
- 5% graduation rate
- $14,169 tuition
- Smallest campus in this ranking
Based in Houston, TX, American InterContinental-Houston is a private, for-profit institution. Its MBA program lands at #8 of the 8 ranked here, earning a 54.2 Hakia Score that weighs graduation rate, cost, selectivity, and outcomes. That sits below the 72.1 group average, in the lower third of the 8 ranked programs. The program graduates 5% of its students, below the 49% average across the ranked schools. Its completion rate lands toward the lower end in a group where graduation runs from 5% to 95%. It is one of the smaller campuses here, with 116 students.
On cost, American InterContinental-Houston charges $14,169 a year in-state. That puts it mid-pack on price on this list, where annual in-state tuition runs from $6,126 at Houston-Downtown to $60,314 at Rice. As a private institution, its tuition does not change with residency, unlike the public universities on this list. It earns its place in the top 8 on the balance of cost, completion, and outcomes.
What MBA Programs in Houston Cost
Tuition across the 8 ranked schools runs from $6,126 to $60,314 a year. University of Houston-Downtown anchors the low end at $6,126 a year, while Rice University sits at the top at $60,314. The cheapest public option among the MBA programs in Houston is University of Houston-Downtown at $6,126; the cheapest private is American InterContinental University-Houston at $14,169.
Over the two years the credential takes, that is roughly $12,252 in tuition at University of Houston-Downtown against about $120,628 at Rice University. Public figures here are the in-state resident rate, so an applicant moving to Houston from another state should read the out-of-state column before treating the cheap end of this list as cheap.
How Selective MBA Programs in Houston Are
Admission odds across the MBA programs in Houston are nowhere near uniform. Rice University admits 8% of applicants, the tightest on this list, while Texas Southern University admits 97%. A candidate with an uneven undergraduate record has real options here without leaving Houston.
That is an 89-point spread, wide enough that the MBA programs in Houston do not form a single tier. A file that is competitive at Texas Southern University will not necessarily clear Rice University, so applying across the range rather than within one band is the sensible strategy here. Completion does not follow the same order: Rice University finishes 95% of its students, the strongest on this list on an 8% admit rate, which is why selectivity is one input to the Hakia Score rather than the score itself.
Accreditation Across Houston Business Schools
4 of the 8 ranked MBA programs in Houston are public, which for a Texas resident makes accreditation and price a single question rather than two. University of Houston-Downtown charges $6,126 in-state and carries the same federal reporting obligation as every school above it. For an MBA the credential employers actually read is business-school accreditation from AACSB layered on the university's institutional accreditation, and the two are not the same thing. All 8 schools here report to IPEDS, so none of them reached this list by being cheap.
Why Study for an MBA in Houston
All 8 of the ranked MBA programs in Houston sit inside the city itself, Rice University, University of Houston, University of St Thomas among them, so the choice between them turns on the commute and the schedule rather than on which part of the metro a candidate lives in. Evening cohorts fill from the offices within a subway ride, which is the practical reason a Houston MBA is worth more here than the same credential taken remotely.
3 of the 8 also run a confirmed online option, which keeps the credential but gives up most of the local access that justifies studying in Houston in the first place.
Careers and Pay After a Houston MBA
Every one of the MBA programs in Houston points toward the same national labor market. The Bureau of Labor Statistics puts national median pay for the field at $105,770 a year, a figure that describes the profession rather than any single school here, and it holds whether a graduate paid $6,126 at University of Houston-Downtown or $60,314 at Rice University. That is the tradeoff this ranking exists to expose: in the federal wage data, a higher price does not buy a higher salary.
Set against a single national benchmark, the 10-fold tuition spread on this page is the reason to look hard at the cheap end before the famous end. University of Houston-Downtown and Rice University feed graduates into the same wage distribution, and nothing in the federal data attaches a higher salary to the higher price. Pay in a metro the size of Houston generally runs above the national median, and so does the cost of living that absorbs it. Full occupational detail, including job-growth projections and metro wage breakdowns, is published by the BLS.
MBA Programs in Houston: Your Questions, Answered
What is the best MBA program in Houston?
By Hakia Score, Rice University ranks first among the 8 ranked MBA programs in Houston, with a 94.2 score and a 95% graduation rate. The score weighs graduation rate, selectivity, cost, and outcomes together, so the top school balances all four rather than winning on any one of them.
Do MBA programs in Houston require the GMAT?
Fewer of them every year, and the 8 ranked here are not uniform about it. Rice University is the tightest on this list at 8% and Texas Southern University the most open at 97%, so the answer depends on which of them a candidate is applying to. Many programs now waive the GMAT or GRE for applicants with several years of relevant work, and the terms differ program by program, so check them on each school's admissions page before registering for a test. A waiver saves the fee and the study time, and it does not loosen the rest of the file.
How much does an MBA cost in Houston?
Tuition among the ranked Houston schools runs from $6,126 to $60,314 a year. Public schools publish the in-state resident rate, so students moving in from another state should check the out-of-state column before comparing. Neither figure includes Houston living costs, which are a real part of the total.
How many MBA programs in Houston does this ranking cover?
We analyzed 8 accredited MBA programs across Houston and ranked the top 8 schools, listing one entry per school on its strongest program. Every school here sits inside Houston city limits.
Is it worth doing an MBA in Houston instead of online?
3 of the 8 ranked schools run a confirmed online option, so in Houston this is a live choice rather than a hypothetical one. An accredited online program carries identical standing on a transcript, since accreditation attaches to the school and the program rather than to the delivery format. What a campus adds is proximity to the employers that school recruits into, and at $6,126 in-state, University of Houston-Downtown is what that proximity costs at the low end here. The honest comparison is local access against the cost of being here.
What salary can graduates expect?
The BLS reports a national median of $105,770 a year for the field. It is a national benchmark rather than a Houston figure or a promise from any school on this page. Its use is scale: the same median sits behind University of Houston-Downtown at $6,126 a year and Rice University at $60,314, and that is the comparison worth making before committing to the second.
How the MBA Programs in Houston Are Scored
Every program earns a Hakia Score from 0 to 100, built only from federal data (IPEDS, the U.S. Department of Education, and BLS) and scored against its true peers: programs in the same field at the same degree level. No reputation surveys, no pay-to-play. Here is how the score is weighted:
- Outcomes44%
Graduation rate (26%) and real per-school graduate earnings (18%). Does the program get students to the finish line, and where do they land?
- Selectivity & academics38%
Admissions selectivity (24%) and the academic profile of admitted students (14%).
- Scale & value18%
Enrollment (7%), cost-to-earnings value (6%), and the number of graduates a program produces (5%).
Weights renormalize over the data each program actually reports, so a school missing a metric (many open-access colleges do not publish entrance scores or earnings) is never penalized for it. Scores are percentiles within the peer group, curved to a 0-to-100 scale. What the score does not measure: individual instructor quality, specific course content, or campus culture. Verify those directly with the program.