Key Information:
- University of the People offers the #1 most affordable online bachelor’s in business degree.
- These affordable online bachelor’s degrees in business are accredited and emphasize cost-effectiveness.
- Cheap online business degrees are reputable with a lower price tag.
Business degrees are enticing online bachelor’s options for working adults to build practical, problem-solving skills for their desired management promotions. The Princeton Review named business the #4 best major given to roughly 364,000 graduates in the Class of 2015. Poets & Quants celebrated this choice for its hefty 17 percent average ROI. In fact, Bureau of Labor Statistics reports a mean starting salary of $54,019 for business administration students.
The payoff is obvious, but paying for a BBA or its equivalent upfront isn’t always easy. The U.S. News & World Report listed Columbia, UChicago, Tufts, Amherst, and USC among its most expensive B‑schools with full-time tuition over $50,000 per year! Your business dreams don’t have to be out of financial reach though, especially online. This article will highlight the Cheapest Online Business Bachelor’s Degree that won’t hurt your wallet.
Related:
- Best Bachelor’s in Business Administration
- Best Online Bachelor’s in Business Administration
- Fastest Online Bachelor’s in Business Administration
- Most Affordable Bachelor’s in Business Administration
- Business Scholarships
Methodology: Ranking the Most Affordable Online Bachelor’s Degree Programs in Business
To find the best cheap online business degree programs, we used the National Center for Education Statistics NCES College Navigator advanced search to filter public and nonprofit private institutions with bachelor’s degrees for maximum tuition of $10,000. We browsed for programs in the Business/Management category of 94 majors and checked the box for only distance education.
Our results found 50 universities that were exported to Microsoft Excel to compare. All options were properly vetted for regional or national accreditations recognized by the Council on Higher Education Accreditation. Each viable BA, BS, or BBA had to provide at least two entire years of online content too.
Next, we recorded the average yearly out-of-state undergrad cost since online students are usually based elsewhere. If you pick in-state colleges, the price for the cheapest business degree online will be even lower!
Our final move was arranging our picks from low to high for the 20 Cheapest Online Business Bachelor’s Degrees under $10,000.
1. University of the People
Endorsed by Olympic Gold Medalist Simone Biles, the University of the People is a private, DEAC-accredited nonprofit online school and MasterCard ISIC Award winner worth $1.3 million that’s grown since 2009 to enroll 14,000 adults from 200 nations with minimal fees. Its 120-credit Bachelor of Science in Business Administration utilizes Open Educational Resources (OER) to engage small cohorts of 25 in cheap managerial prep.
Annual Tuition: $1,000
2. Brigham Young University-Idaho
Ranked the West’s 78th best bet by Forbes, Brigham Young University-Idaho is a private, Mormon NWCCU-accredited institution in Rexburg that’s endowed for $71.9 million to affordably educate 17,980 full-time Vikings from 50 states each 14-week term. Undergrads who pass the 15-credit PathwayConnect with 3.0 GPAs can enter the BS in Business Management with an Emphasis in Entrepreneurial Management on Blackboard to innovate new ventures.
Annual Tuition: $4,018
3. City Vision University
Founded in 1998, City Vision University is a nonprofit, fundamentalist Christian DEAC-accredited distance hub that’s managed by the $1.52 million TechMission in Kansas City to serve 226 adults for 95 percent lower tuition. The Bachelor of Science in Business Administration was placed 318th nationally by College Factual for starting eight-week Moodle courses five times yearly in three tracks: General, Nonprofit Management, or Technology & Entrepreneurship.
Annual Tuition: $8,000
4. America Evangelical University
Devoted to Matthew 9:37–38, America Evangelical University is a private, four-year Christian ATS member awarded ABHE accreditation in February 2015 that’s budgeting $2 million under Dr. Jongkil Ryu in Los Angeles to teach in English or Korean. Integrating a strategic plan project, the Bachelor of Arts in Business Administration accepts $50 applications year-round to begin a 128-unit, faith-based curriculum of Moodle courses from Pentateuch to Finance.
Annual Tuition: $6,200
5. Oklahoma Panhandle State University
Gifting $4.53 million in financial aid, Oklahoma Panhandle State University is a public, STEM-centric bachelor’s school formed by the Legislature in 1909 that ranked 735th nationally for diversity on Niche by enrolling 1,720 Aggies beyond its Goodwell site. The HLC-accredited Electronic Campus lets Accounting, Finance, Management, Marketing, and Computer Information Systems majors complete the 124-credit B.B.A. online as Phi Beta Lambda members.
Annual Tuition: $6,196
6. Mayville State University
Granted a 2018 DECA Chapter Service Award, Mayville State University is the Midwest’s fourth top public, coed college on the U.S. News & World Report that’s led by Dr. Gary Hagen in North Dakota’s Traill County to enlighten 1,110 Comets on a $16.05 million budget. Associate transfers enter average Moodle classes of 20 for the 68-credit, tech-enriched B.A.S. in Business Administration degree completion that spans topics from Real Estate to Auditing.
Annual Tuition: $9,905
7. University of Texas of the Permian Basin
Accredited by the elite AACSB in 2016, the University of Texas of the Permian Basin is a publicly funded, coed Hispanic-serving Lone Star member in Ector County that’s welcoming 7,628 Falcons into 53 degrees ranked 311th nationally according to Washington Monthly. Its 120-credit Online Bachelor of Business Administration boasts 99 percent satisfaction in eight-week Blackboard courses tailored for Marketing, Management, or Industrial Technology.
Annual Tuition: $6,622
8. Faith International University
Located in Forbes’ 25th best business city, Tacoma, Faith International University is a private, evangelical Christian online seminary established in 1969 that’s accredited by the TRACS and ranked 59th regionally by Faith on View for educating 500 believers. In English, Korean, or Chinese, the Bachelor of Arts in Business orients tomorrow’s strategic leaders with a 180-unit, online curriculum of Canvas courses like Statistics, Human Resources, and Bible.
Annual Tuition: $8,100
9. Peru State College
Chosen for 13 PBL National Leadership Awards in 2017, Peru State College is Nebraska’s third cheapest public, coed HLC-accredited institution that’s endowed for $10.5 million and accepting free applications for 11 online degrees serving 3,458 Bobcats. Headed by Dr. Greg Galardi, the 120-credit Online BSBA checks into Blackboard for six tracks: Public Administration, Marketing, HR Risk Management, Accounting, Computer Systems, or Management.
Annual Tuition: $9,480
Learn more about Cheapest Online Bachelor’s at Peru State College here.
10. SUNY Alfred State College
Offering the full-tuition Excelsior Scholarship for incomes below $100,000, SUNY Alfred State College is a public, polytechnic MSCHE-accredited Southern Tier campus formed in 1908 that’s declared Niche’s 110th best standout school for teaching 3,500 Pioneers in 70+ majors. On Blackboard, the 60-credit Online BBA completion led by Dr. Karla Black lets associate transfers major in Technology Management with internships for 100 percent placement.
Annual Tuition: $8,327
Learn more about the Cheapest Online Business Bachelor’s Degrees at Alfred State College here.
11. Warner Pacific University
Prized the 2013 CCCU Andringa Award, Warner Pacific University is the West’s ninth best college on the U.S. News & World Report that holds $2.95 million to deliver private, Christ-centered liberal arts education in Portland or online for 1,121 Knights from 19 states. Its Bachelor of Business Administration transfers cohorts of 22 adults with 2+ years of experience into 14 five-week Moodle courses like Operations Management, Policy Analysis, and Employment Law.
Annual Tuition: $8,520
12. Bemidji State University
Reporting a PayScale 20-year net ROI of $167,000, Bemidji State University is a Minnesota state-funded, HLC-accredited higher learning school opened in 1919 by Manfred Deputy that’s trained 25,805 alumni across 49 nations as Washington Monthly’s 128th best buck. The Extended Learning Office has a May 1st priority deadline for its 68-credit Online Business Administration B.S. major with Blackboard tracks in Finance, Marketing, or Management.
Annual Tuition: $8,677
13. Bismarck State College
Included in the U.S. News & World Report’s top 80 Midwest schools, Bismarck State College is the third-largest public, coed NDUS System member opened in 1939 that’s budgeting $36.6 million near the North Dakota Capitol to serve 3,781 Mystics with 150+ online courses. Its unique Business Administration Major organized by Dr. Kevin Cavanaugh involves 61 credits on Blackboard before seamless transition to the affordable Dickinson or Minot State.
Annual Tuition: $8,896
14. Nicholls State University
Linked to 22,067 LinkedIn alumni, including CEO Billy Tauzin, Nicholls State University is a public, bachelor’s-level UL System constituent founded in 1948 in Thibodaux that’s endowed for $8.5 million and ranked 251st nationally by Niche to train 6,366 Colonels. On Moodle, the AACSB-accredited College of Business grants the Online BSBA under Dr. Ronnie Fanguy with a 120-credit curriculum concentrated in General Business, Multinational Business, or Pre-Law.
Annual Tuition: $8,979
15. Western Governors University
Western Governors University (WGU) offers affordable, fully online bachelor’s degrees in business. Their business programs are flexible, allowing students to study at their own pace, which is helpful for those balancing work or family responsibilities. WGU offers degrees in:
- Business Management
- Marketing
- Accounting
- several other fields
Instead of traditional classes, WGU uses a competency-based model, so students move forward by proving they’ve mastered each topic. With low tuition and the potential to finish quickly, WGU is a popular choice for students seeking an affordable, flexible business degree online.
Annual Tuition: $7,452
Learn more about the Cheapest Online Business Bachelor’s at WGU here.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes! you can trust the quality of cheap online business degrees, provided that they are reputable and accredited. Cheap online business degrees just mean lower tuition rates.
Students can also make expensive online business degrees cheaper by maximizing transfer credits to save on their general education coursework. They can also use their work experience as transfer credits by demonstrating competency in the business environment.
Cheap online business administration programs still offer specializations. However, specific offerings vary. The most common specializations include human resource management, business law, marketing management, management information systems, healthcare management, and project management. Programs without specializations can still be tailored to fit students’ career goals through elective courses.
Bachelor’s in business degrees are among the cheapest degrees to earn because they don’t require extensive laboratory materials, specialized equipment, or a research component.
Finding the cheapest college degree involves researching different institutions and comparing their overall education costs. Some institutions offer low tuition rates but high academic fees. Talk with the school’s financial office and inquire about their added fees. Consider public colleges in-state to avail of in-state tuition rates, which are significantly lower than out-of-state rates.