As you research MBA programs, you’ll come across accreditation labels that sound similarly impressive: regional accreditation, specialized business credentials and more. The difference matters. Accreditation shapes your job prospects, credit transfers and what your degree is actually worth once you graduate.
One accreditation designation stands above the rest in business education: Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB). The online MBA program from the University of Southern Indiana (USI) holds this distinction, which is held by fewer than 6% of business schools worldwide.
Knowing what it means, how it compares to other accreditations and why employers pay attention to it can help you evaluate any MBA program with confidence.
What Is AACSB Accreditation?
In an effort to hold academic institutions to the highest standards of education, AACSB conducts quality assurance evaluations of business school programs around the globe. AACSB is the largest business education association in the world and has accredited more than 760 business schools worldwide.
According to AACSB, its accreditation standards “challenge post-secondary educators to pursue excellence and continuous improvement throughout their business programs.” Using a rigid set of accreditation policies, AACSB evaluates business school programs for quality of the educational program provided, faculty qualifications, curricula and continuous improvement and dedication to furthering educational excellence. Universities must voluntarily seek out AACSB accreditation and go through a rigorous evaluation process of self-assessment, peer reviews, in-depth strategic planning and committee appraisal.
What Are the Different Types of AACSB Accreditation?
There are two forms of AACSB accreditation: institutional and specialized. The institutional accreditation process involves national and/or regional accrediting entities coming together to evaluate the entire university. Institutional accreditation also requires that a university maintain its standards of excellence by undergoing a review process every few years.
Specialized accreditation is a supplementary accreditation that academic institutions may seek out for one or more disciplines within the university. A university can only apply for specialized accreditation if it has already met all the standards for institutional accreditation. Specialized accreditations may evaluate specific departments, such as a department of economics, or whole vocational or specialty programs.
AACSB vs. ACBSP: How the Two Accreditations Compare
AACSB isn’t the only accreditation you’ll see attached to business programs. The Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs (ACBSP) is another recognized accrediting body and understanding how it differs from AACSB can help you weigh a program’s credentials accurately.
Founded in 1988, ACBSP built its accreditation process around the Baldrige Education Criteria for Performance Excellence, evaluating leadership, strategic planning, faculty credentials and academic quality. It accredits business programs, including those at two-year and teaching-focused institutions, from the associate through doctoral level. AACSB, founded decades earlier in 1916, evaluates both entire institutions and individual programs, with a mission centered on research-driven strategic management, learner success and thought leadership.
The practical difference comes down to selectivity and recognition. Fewer than 6% of business schools worldwide hold AACSB accreditation, making it the more exclusive of the two designations. Recruiters in finance, consulting and corporate management often lean on accreditation as a quick quality signal. Among these employers, AACSB accreditation tends to carry more weight than ACBSP.
The University of Southern Indiana’s online MBA program holds the more selective AACSB credential, not ACBSP. Either accreditation signals quality assurance, but if you’re weighing offers or comparing programs where employer recognition matters most, the selectivity gap above is a detail worth noting.
Why Employers Value an AACSB-Accredited MBA
Accreditation isn’t just an academic distinction; it shapes how employers evaluate your degree once you’re on the job market. According to AACSB, 96% of alumni from AACSB-accredited business schools hold jobs after graduation. Another 83% say their graduate business education increased their earning power and 87% say the skills they built in business school advanced their careers. A 2024 AACSB analysis also found that 73% of Fortune 100 CEOs hold a degree from an AACSB-accredited school.
That recognition runs strongest in industries where recruiters actively use accreditation as a screening filter. Fortune 500 companies, top-tier management consulting firms and leading investment banks concentrate much of their campus recruiting at AACSB-accredited schools. The designation signals a consistent standard of faculty quality, curriculum rigor and student outcomes, one that busy recruiters can trust without evaluating each school’s curriculum in detail.
AACSB reports that 86% of its accredited schools call their standards the most stringent of any accreditation they hold, a rigor employers count on when hiring. For a closer look at how this plays out for graduates specifically, see What Does AACSB Accreditation Mean for MBA Grads.
What Does AACSB Accreditation Mean for Students?
Students attending a university with AACSB accreditation are receiving business education of the highest quality. Because AACSB accreditation is an ongoing process, students can count on their AACSB-accredited university to provide them with up-to-date information, qualified faculty and the most well-rounded curricula.
Should students find themselves in a position where they need to transfer between universities during their program, AACSB accreditation will also be relevant. However, more often than not, AACSB-accredited institutions only accept transfer credits from other AACSB-accredited programs. The same principle also applies as you progress from undergraduate to graduate study. Earning an undergraduate degree from an AACSB-accredited institution can strengthen your application when you apply to a graduate program at an AACSB-accredited institution.
Is the USI Romain College of Business AACSB-Accredited?
Both undergraduate and graduate programs at the University of Southern Indiana Romain College of Business are AACSB-accredited. Additionally, the USI accounting program earned the honor of AACSB International Specialized Accreditation for the department’s dedication to quality education and continuous growth and improvement. As a result of USI’s dedication to top-quality education, the Romain College of Business appears on AACSB’s directory of accredited schools, and students regularly participate in prestigious business case competitions across categories, often walking away with awards.
Earning a Master of Business Administration degree is a life-changing accomplishment. For all the hard work and time you invest, you deserve the highest-quality education and resources, which the AACSB accreditation strives to identify in academic institutions around the world. This distinction places USI among fewer than 6% of business schools worldwide that hold AACSB accreditation, according to AACSB. The Romain College of Business continues to earn that standard year after year, with strong performance outcomes from its faculty and students.
Ready to earn your degree from an AACSB-accredited business school? Explore the University of Southern Indiana’s online MBA program today.
Frequently Asked Questions
Prospective students often have questions about AACSB accreditation and how it relates to MBA programs they are exploring. These answers and the information above should help you make an informed decision.
Does AACSB accreditation matter to employers?
Yes. Employers in finance, consulting and corporate management frequently use AACSB accreditation as a screening signal, and AACSB reports that 96% of alumni from accredited schools are employed after graduation.
What’s the difference between AACSB and ACBSP?
AACSB is the more selective of the two, accrediting fewer than 6% of business schools worldwide and evaluating both institutions and programs. ACBSP accredits programs only, including associate-level and teaching-focused programs, using a continuous-improvement framework based on the Baldrige Education Criteria.
Is USI’s MBA program AACSB accredited?
Yes. Both the undergraduate and graduate business programs at the University of Southern Indiana Romain College of Business, including the online MBA, hold AACSB accreditation.
About the University of Southern Indiana’s Online MBA Program
The University of Southern Indiana’s Romain College of Business offers an AACSB-accredited online MBA program designed for working professionals who want to build strategic, analytical and leadership skills on a flexible schedule without pausing their careers. Students can choose the general MBA track or select a concentration in areas such as accounting, artificial intelligence, data analytics, engineering management, healthcare administration, human resources, marketing, project management or supply chain management. Coursework is delivered fully online, with faculty support and a curriculum built around real-world business practice.
Based in Evansville, Indiana, USI is a public university whose Romain College of Business first earned AACSB accreditation for its business programs in 1998 and has been renewed every review cycle since, most recently in 2023. That distinction, combined with a curriculum built around applied, real-world business practice, makes the online MBA a strong option for working professionals who want a rigorous, widely recognized credential without relocating or pausing their careers.
