Key Information:
- Bellevue University is the #1 school for a fast online business administration bachelor’s degree.
- Programs allow completion in less time than traditional paths, focusing on core business disciplines.
- Designed for professionals aiming to quickly boost their qualifications and leadership potential in various business sectors.
Looking for the fastest online Bachelor’s in Business Administration? Accelerated programs are perfect for the student who is looking to achieve success on their own terms.
This article was originally published in July 2021 and was updated in February 2024.
There is a variety of different online Bachelor’s in Business programs and many of those online programs and schools offer accelerated program options. These courses are designed to help students earn their degrees more quickly and often include heavy class loads.
In many cases, these accelerated program options make obtaining a degree easier and more viable. Working students, students with children, and many others take advantage of accelerated business degree programs.
Another option students have to help earn a business degree online quickly is using credit for work experience options. Many schools and online business programs offer credit for work experience which allows students to exchange work experience for class credit hours. These options are quite valuable for working students who are interested in pursuing a degree within their field.
Related Rankings:
- Top Bachelor’s in Business Administration
- Top Online Bachelor’s in Business Administration
- Most Affordable Bachelor’s in Business Administration
- Scholarships for Business Administration
Methodology: Ranking the Fastest Online Bachelor’s in Business Management Programs
Speed isn’t everything, so the editors at Bachelor’s Degree Center feature only reputable, accredited institutions in our ranking of the best, accelerated business management programs. Programs are ranked according to tuition rate, reputation, and graduate salary.
1. Bellevue University
Bellevue University offers a BS in Business Administration (BSBA) degree program that is one of Nebraska’s most affordable Accelerated Business Management program options.
Degree at a Glance
Acceptance Rate: 100%
Graduation Rate: 65%
Undergraduate Population: 5,673
Course Delivery Method: 100% online
Credits Required: 127 total credits; Breakdown: 37 General Education, 63 Major, 27 Electives
Can I Transfer In Credits?: Yes, up to 90 eligible credits
Tuition Costs: $449 per credit hour; Military: $250 per credit hour
Financial Aid: Available
You can customize your BSBA with any of the following specializations:
- Accounting
- Finance
- Human Resourcesyes
- International Management
- Marketing
- Interdisciplinary Business
- Business Analytics
- Supply Chain Management
Its business administration baccalaureate degree is IACBE accredited. Classes for this undergraduate business degree include:
- Principles of Management
- Business Communication
- Business Ethics
- Managing Operations in a Changing Economy
What We Like: Additional academic facilities are also located in Omaha and the Lakeside Center.
2. Columbia Southern University
Columbia Southern University (CSU) offers a BS in Business Administration (BSBA) degree program in which you may choose a general track or up to four specializations.
Degree at a Glance
Acceptance Rate: 100%
Graduation Rate: 54%
Undergraduate Population: 6,866
Course Delivery Method: Online
Credits Required: 120 Total Credits; Breakdown: 30 General Education, 51 Major, 39 Electives
Can I Transfer In Credits?: Yes. Up to 90 eligible credits maximum.
Tuition Costs: $270 per credit hour; Military: $250 per credit hour
Financial Aid: Scholarships available
You can customize your BSBA with any of the following tracks:
- Hospitality and Tourism
- Human Resource Management
- Marketing
- Information Technology
In addition, CSU’s Accelerated Business Management program can be completed with multiple start dates offered each year.
Degree candidates enrolled in Columbia Southern University’s Bachelor of Science in Business Administration degree program will learn fundamental procedures and skills in business management that are essential to landing that dream job!
What We Like: Columbia Southern University is organized into three colleges/schools offering about fifty academic degrees and certificate programs through its distance learning platform.
3. Eastern Kentucky University
Eastern Kentucky University offers a Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) degree program and is ranked among Kentucky’s best Accelerated Business Management program options.
Degree at a Glance
Acceptance Rate: 98%
Graduation Rate: 44%
Undergraduate Population: 12,072
Course Delivery Method: 100% online from anywhere
Credits Required: 120 credit hours
Can I Transfer In Credits?: Yes, up to 90 transfer credits, if eligible.
Tuition Costs: $434 per credit hour: Military: $258 per credit hour for Active Military
Financial Aid: Available
Additionally, EKU’s undergraduate business administration degree has received AACSB accreditation and is delivered in an accelerated eight-week class format, with no required residencies. Eastern Kentucky University is considered a military-friendly school.
Eastern Kentucky University (EKU) is a public university that was founded in the 1870s. The university now operates as a space-grant school with multiple campuses in Richmond, Manchester, Corbin, Lancaster, and Hazard, Kentucky. Forbes Magazine ranks among the best colleges for veterans, according to US News and World Report.
What We Like: Eastern Kentucky University offers a rich campus life with more than two hundred organizations on campus for students.
4. University of Maryland Global Campus
The University of Maryland Global Campus offers a BS in Business Administration (BSBA) degree program that allows degree candidates to complete 120 undergraduate credit degree programs entirely online.
Degree at a Glance
Acceptance Rate: 92%
Graduation Rate: 28%
Undergraduate Population: 10,425
Course Delivery Method: Online but, hybrid classes are available
Credits Required: 120 credits; Breakdown: 41 General Education, 33 Major, 46 Elective courses
Can I Transfer In Credits?: Yes, you can transfer up to 90 eligible credits!
Tuition Costs: $318 per credit hour Military: $250 per credit hour
Financial Aid: Available
The University of Maryland Global Campus’s accelerated business management program offers a generous transfer credit policy for transfer students – equal to a maximum of 90 credits if the credits meet eligibility requirements. Classes for this Bachelor of Science in Business Administration degree include:
- Management and Organization Theory
- Marketing Principles
- Business Law
- Business Ethics
- Strategic Management
The University of Maryland’s global campus represents the school’s online academic initiative. Founded in the 1940s as UM’s University College, the global campus officially was born in 2019.
What We Like: The University of Maryland Global Campus holds the distinction of being one of the top ten schools that receive GI Bill educational benefits.
5. University of Colorado Colorado Springs
The University of Colorado Colorado Springs offers a BS in Business Administration degree (BSBA) program that can be completed 100% online and recognized by US News among the top online business administration programs in the country.
Degree at a Glance
Acceptance Rate: 95%
Graduation Rate: 44%
Undergraduate Population: 9,450
Course Delivery Method: Online
Credits Required: 128
Can I Transfer In Credits?: 90 credits
Tuition Costs: $659
Financial Aid: It’s available!
This accelerated business management program allows for up to 90 eligible credits to be transferred and is AACSB-accredited. Additionally, according to US News & World Report, the University of Colorado — Colorado Springs campus is ranked among the top military-friendly schools.
The University of Colorado’s campus in Colorado Springs was founded in the 1960s as a research institution of higher education.
What We Like: The University of Colorado is home to the Center for Space Studies and the National Institute for Science, Space, and Security Centers.
6. Mercy College
Mercy College offers a Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) degree program that requires students to complete a minimum of 120 undergraduate credits to graduate.
Degree at a Glance
Acceptance Rate: 86%
Graduation Rate: 61%
Undergraduate Population: 4,859
Course Delivery Method: Completely Online
Credits Required: 120 Breakdown: General Education: 60, Business Administration Core: 30, Specialization: 18, Open Electives: 12
Can I Transfer In Credits?: Yes
Tuition Costs: $474
Financial Aid: Available
The college’s Bachelor of Science in Business Administration (BSBA) degree has a 15-credit residency requirement for coursework in the major. Classes for Mercy College’s accelerated business management program allow transfer students to transfer up to 90 eligible credits. Classes for this undergraduate degree include:
- Principles of Management
- Data Analytics
- Business Law
Established in the 1950s, Mercy College is a private school with multiple campuses in the greater NYC area that once operated as a Roman Catholic school but is now non-sectarian.
What We Like: Mercy College is organized into five colleges/schools offering education in health, business, social/behavioral sciences, and liberal arts programs.
7. Southern Illinois University — Carbondale
Southern Illinois University Carbondale’s College of Business and Analytics offers a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration (BSBA) degree program that is ranked among the best accelerated business management program options in Illinois.
Degree at a Glance
Acceptance Rate: 95%
Graduation Rate: 49%
Undergraduate Population: 11,359
Course Delivery Method: Online
Credits Required: 120; Breakdown: University Core: 39, Business Core Prerequisites: 20, Major Requirements: 60, Approved Electives: 1
Can I Transfer In Credits?: 60 earned credits
Tuition Costs: $460.40
Financial Aid: Available
This program is a completion degree that can be completed in only 1.5 years, but applicants to Southern Illinois University’s undergraduate degree in business must have a minimum of 60 earned credits to be eligible for admission. Coursework for Southern Illinois University at Carbondale includes:
- Managerial Accounting
- Business Law
- Small Business Financing
- Business Data Analysis
The Carbondale campus of Southern Illinois University was founded as a normal school for teacher training in 1869. The university’s college-town campus and online platform serve more than 11,250 undergraduate and graduate students.
What We Like: SIU Carbondale is recognized to be among the best Midwestern schools by the Princeton Review.
8. University of Massachusetts — Lowell
The University of Massachusetts Lowell’s Manning Business School offers a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration (BSBA) degree program.
Degree at a Glance
Acceptance Rate: 85%
Graduation Rate: 66%
Undergraduate Population: 12,391
Course Delivery Method: Online, Part-time and Full-time available
Credits Required: 120
Can I Transfer In Credits?: 90 semester credits can be transferred
Tuition Costs: $655
Financial Aid: Available
Business foundational classes for UMass’s accelerated business management program include:
- Statistics for Business & Economics
- Introduction to Statistics
- Business Analytics
- Marketing Principles
The University of Massachusetts Lowell was founded as a normal school in the 1890s. UMass Lowell operates dual campuses in western Massachusetts and a robust online platform.
What We Like: The University of Massachusetts in Lowell is recognized to be the largest in western Massachusetts’ Merrimack Valley and the second largest in the state.
9. Missouri Baptist University
Missouri Baptist University offers a BS in Business Administration(BSBA) degree program that is considered among the most innovative accelerated business management program options in Missouri.
Degree at a Glance
Acceptance Rate: 62%
Graduation Rate: 55%
Undergraduate Population: 18,837
Course Delivery Method: 100% online
Credits Required: 57 credit hours
Can I Transfer In Credits?: up to 96 credit hours
Tuition Costs: $499
Financial Aid: Available
Classes for Missouri Baptist University’s accelerated business management program include:
- Business Economics
- Managerial Accounting
- Financial Management
- Organizational Behavior & Leadership
- Legal and Ethical Environment of Business
- Management Applications of Information Technology
- International Business
- plus a capstone project
Founded in 1957, Missouri Baptist University is a Southern Baptist Institution of Higher Learning that serves campuses in Town and County and Creve Coeur and also through its distance-learning platform.
What We Like: Missouri Baptist University is HLC accredited and offers undergraduate and graduate degrees in business, education, and nursing, among others.
10. McKendree University
McKendree University offers a Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA Degree) program that is available entirely online or on one of McKendree University’s campuses.
Degree at a Glance
Acceptance Rate: 78%
Graduation Rate: 60%
Undergraduate Population: 1,483
Course Delivery Method: Entirely online
Credits Required: 120 credits
Can I Transfer In Credits?: 90 credits
Tuition Costs: $1,060
Financial Aid: Available
This Bachelor of Science in Business Administration includes classes in:
- Consumer Behavior
- Business Strategy and Policy
- International Business
- Business Ethics & Social Response
McKendree University’s accelerated business management program prepares graduates for rewarding careers in business, government, or industry, and is recognized to offer one of the top business administration programs available online.
Affiliated with the United Methodist Church, McKendree University (MU) was established in the 1820s as a private school, originally called Lebanon Seminary. McKendree University is recognized to be Illinois’s oldest institution of higher education.
What We Like: All classes are delivered over an eight week period. Many enrolled students choose to take two courses during each eight week session making it the most flexible program offered.
Frequently Asked Questions
You can earn an online bachelor’s degree in business administration in as few as 18–24 months. Find accelerated online programs with a condensed curriculum and accelerated pace, usually without breaks between terms. You can also transfer credits from an associate degree, college-level courses (e.g., AP or IB), credit-by examination (e.g., DANTES or CLEP), and prior learning assessments. Also check out competency-based programs (e.g., Western Governors University) that allow students to progress at their own pace.
Yes, it is for many reasons. You can earn your business degree in a shorter time. Earlier entry into the professional workforce and better access to career advancement opportunities. Your ROI will likely be higher because of the lower cost of attendance against the higher salary that a bachelor’s degree brings. In fact, individuals with bachelor’s degrees earn $1,432 in median weekly wages and experience a lower risk of unemployment.
Consider earning a two-year associate degree in business, accounting, or finance and building a strong foundation in business principles and practices. You can also look into business-related certificate programs offered by community colleges, four-year universities, and online platforms (e.g., MOOCs), which focus on specific areas in business like finance, marketing, or leadership. Lastly. engage in self-study sessions, entrepreneurial activities, and networking and mentoring programs, which will expand your understanding of business.
Business Administration degree programs have general education, core and concentration, and elective courses, as well as internship requirements. You will learn the contemporary principles and practices of finance, accounting, business management, business law and ethics, and entrepreneurship, among other aspects of business administration. Your business mindset can also be expanded through elective and concentration courses. You will also develop your soft skills, which are essential in business success, such as critical thinking, communication, and decision-making skills.
The traditional bachelor’s degree programs have a four-year time-to-completion, on average, for full-time students, but part-time students can take between five and years to earn their business degrees. Colleges and universities that offer online programs usually pattern them after the on-campus programs or in the same duration. Accelerated programs have a shorter time-to-degree, usually three years or less, depending on their structure and degree requirements.
Online BA Options are a Great Choice
Many working adults find competency-based online learning fits their needs better than traditional courses. These use different forms of assessments than typical grades for their online classes that consider whether you are learning the skills necessary. An online business degree completion program may offer ways to get college credits for working, which helps learners get through their full-time online courses quickly as an accelerated degree.
The business administration definition is as ranging as the BBA scope, and it focuses more on big-picture and overall management principles and business administration courses. As the business administration subjects suggest, the business administration definition includes employee, management, and monetary aspects of business operations.
The business administration subjects are generally more inclined toward policy and management systems than personal or one-on-one management techniques. Business administration classes will typically involve more revenue generation and business image focus than teaching upsell techniques or customer service skills.
The business administration courses for a BBA versus a BSBA (Bachelor of Science in Business Administration) are very similar, with BSBA classes having more of a math and analytic influence. Classes for business administration courses will also cover more economics, marketing, and accounting perspectives. Management courses, by contrast, will involve more classes centered around day-to-day business operations.