Poets&Quants published an updated methodology for its 2026 ranking of online MBA programs, centering the list on three equally weighted pillars: admission standards, academic experience and career outcomes. The outlet surveyed 61 programs and adjusted metrics to reflect pandemic-era shifts—most notably the rise of test-optional admissions—and continued emphasis on alumni career results. The methodology note clarifies how schools report institutional data and how changes in testing and enrollment behavior affect comparative scores. Program leaders and prospective students use these methodological details to interpret rankings when making recruitment, tuition and investment decisions for online graduate education.