A Master of Business Administration (MBA) degree is the most recognizable business credential available to business professionals today. Professionals pursue an MBA for a competitive edge in the job market, for possible promotions and salary increases, and for the acquisition of general business and management expertise. Within an MBA program, students study foundational business topics such as finance, accounting, leadership, decision-making, organizational management, and statistics. These are critical topics that are applicable in every single organization no matter the size or field. The study of becoming a skilled and knowledgeable businessperson and manager can be one of the most important investments in a professional’s life.
RECOMMENDED AFFORDABLE ONLINE MBA PROGRAMS
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An online MBA allows students to continue gaining valuable work experience while at the same time advancing their education. An online MBA program can offer a top-notch education at the pace of the student. Online MBA programs are becoming more and more available to suite the needs of the busy student, from private, public, for-profit, nonprofit, accredited, and highly ranked schools.
But not all online MBA programs are created equal. When choosing the right MBA program for you, there are many factors to consider, including accreditation, reputation, completion time, accessibility, available specializations, and affordability. This Top 50 Affordable Online MBA degree Ranking lists accredited MBA programs that can be obtained at an affordable price and that can offer a great return on investment. Use this ranking as a starting point for finding an affordable MBA program for you!
Methodology
Every school on this list holds an accreditation from the
Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB) International – an accreditation achieved by less than five percent of business schools worldwide. AACSB International is the premier accrediting agency for bachelor, master, and doctoral degree programs in business administration. Data was gathered from the consumer advocacy group,
GetEducated.com for the Estimated Program Cost and from
PayScale’s Early Career Salary Reports. The early career salary was divided by the estimated program cost to find the program affordability.
#50 DREXEL UNIVERSITY BENNETT S. LEBOW COLLEGE OF BUSINESS – PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA
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Drexel University is a 4-year, private, nonprofit university that was founded in 1891. Drexel consists of 15 colleges and schools, offering over 200 degree programs, to over 26,000 students every year. Drexel started offering online courses in 1996 and of the 25,000 students today, 5,200 of them are online students. Drexel’s highly acclaimed LeBow College of Business offers online master’s students two online Master of Business Administration programs, an accelerated program and a flex program. The online MBA programs at LeBow are taught with the same academic rigor of the on-campus programs, with the same curriculum and taught by the same faculty. The accelerated MBA can be completed within a 24-month timeframe and the flex program can be completed in a 42-month schedule. These MBA programs emphasize the fundamentals of business along leadership and ethics, technological infrastructure, and industry perspectives. Students are able to tailor their program with a choice of five concentrations: Business Analytics, Entrepreneurship, Finance, Healthcare, and Marketing.
Estimated Program Cost: $64,000
Alumni Early Career Salary: $69,400
#49 PORTLAND STATE UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION – PORTLAND, OREGON
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Portland State University is a 4-year, public university that was founded in 1946 to educate GIs after WWII. Today PSU stands as an expansive institution offering 88 bachelor’s, 86 master’s, and 37 doctoral degrees through its esteemed eight colleges and schools to over 28,000 students every year. Through PSU’s School of Business Administration and the Oregon Health & Science University, students can enroll in a hybrid Healthcare Master of Business Administration. This program consists of 72-credit hours that are delivered in a flexible hybrid format with online and on-campus residency courses, which can be completed in 33 months. The curriculum delivers a comprehensive and leadership-focused business curriculum focused on the unique needs, conditions, and challenges of the healthcare industry.
Estimated Program Cost: $48,840
Alumni Early Career Salary: $56,600
#48 BABSON COLLEGE F.W. OLIN GRADUATE SCHOOL – WELLESLEY, MASSACHUSETTS
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Babson College is a 4-year, private, nonprofit college that began in 1919 as a school of business administration. Today, Babson educates over 2,100 undergraduate students and over 900 graduate students. Through Babson’s Olin Graduate School, students can pursue advanced business instruction through their Blended Learning Master of Business Administration. This 21-month, cohort based MBA program combines online courses with face-to-face courses in San Francisco or Wellesley. The curriculum is focused on entrepreneurship, leadership, management, team building, and people skills that can be applied in real business situations. Students can choose between concentrations in Business Analytics, Entrepreneurship, Finance, Global Management, and Marketing.
Estimated Program Cost: $78,200
Alumni Early Career Salary: $91,500
#47 WORCESTER POLYTECHNIC INSTITUTE ROBERT A. FOISIE SCHOOL OF BUSINESS – WORCESTER, MASSACHUSETTS
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The Worcester Polytechnic Institute is a 4-year, private, nonprofit technology university that was founded in 1865 to create and convey the latest science and engineering knowledge to society. WPI offers over 50 bachelor’s, master’s, PhD, and certificate programs to almost 6,000 students. WPI’s Foisie School of Business offers an Innovator’s Master of Business Administration with a Flex Track that offers the degree program in a blended learning format. This program combines web-based learning with on-campus residencies every five weeks. The curriculum consists of 10 required business core courses, two required projects courses, and four elective courses. Specializations available to MBA students include: Entrepreneurship, Health Systems Innovation, Information Security Management, Information Technology, Operations Management, Process Design, Sustainability, Supply Chain Management, Technological Innovation, and Marketing Innovation.
Estimated Program Cost: $61,488
Alumni Early Career Salary: $72,400
#46 THUNDERBIRD SCHOOL OF GLOBAL MANAGEMENT GRADUATE PROGRAMS – GLENDALE, ARIZONA
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The Thunderbird School of Global Management is a 4-year, private, nonprofit university that started educating global leaders in 1946. Thunderbird School of Global Management is the oldest and largest graduate school for international business in the United States. Today, they offer over 1,000 programs to over 700 students annually. Thunderbird offers 16-month online Global MBA program is taught primarily online with an addition three resident modules, one at the main campus and two overseas. The coursework within this global MBA focuses on global management, cross-cultural business communications and negotiations, global political economy, and regional business environments. Courses within this program include: State and Markets, Managing People form a Global Perspective, Global Marketing Strategy, Managing for Value Creation, Leading Change and Transformation, Multi-national Value Chain, Big Data in the Age of the Global Economy, and Corporate Social Responsibility in a Global Context.
Estimated Program Cost: $69,800
Alumni Early Career Salary: $83,200
RECOMMENDED AFFORDABLE ONLINE MBA PROGRAMS
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#45 UNIVERSITY OF NEW HAMPSHIRE PETER T. PAUL COLLEGE OF BUSINESS & ECONOMICS – DURHAM, NEW HAMPSHIRE
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The University of New Hampshire is a 4-year, public, liberal arts college that was founded in 1866. UNH consists of 11 colleges and schools and offers undergraduate and graduate degrees to over 14,500 students annually. UNH’s College of Business & Economics offers a two to six year online Master of Business Administration program for students juggling their education and professional career. This program is delivered 100% online with the option of face-to-face courses in Durham or Manchester. Courses within this program include: Organizational Behavior, Information Systems and Enterprise Integration, Organizations, Leadership, and Environments, Marketing Management, Financial Management, Managerial Decision Making, Technology & Operations Management, and Strategic Management: Decision Making.
Estimated Program Cost: $42,240
Alumni Early Career Salary: $51,500
#44 NEW JERSEY INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY SCHOOL OF MANAGEMENT – NEWARK, NEW JERSEY
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The New Jersey Institute of Technology is a 4-year, public school that was founded in 1881 as the Newark Technical School. NJIT offers 125 undergraduate and graduate degrees through 6 academic schools to over 10,000 students annually. Through NJIT’s School of Management offers an online Master of Business Administration. This program consists of 48-credit hours and is offered entirely online. The curriculum is focused on developing students’ decision-making and problem-solving skills and the ability to understand how technology and business work together. Students are given the choice of choosing between the following three specializations: Management Information Systems, Marketing, and Finance.
Estimated Program Cost: $53,608
Alumni Early Career Salary: $65,600
#43 WEST VIRGINIA UNIVERSITY COLLEGE OF BUSINESS & ECONOMICS – MORGANTOWN, WEST VIRGINIA
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West Virginia University is a 4-year, public university that was founded in 1867. Today, WVU enrolls over 31,000 students and offers 193 bachelor’s, master’s, doctoral, and professional degrees through its 15 colleges and schools. WVU’s College of Business & Economics offers an Executive Master of Business Administration. This 48-credit hour EMBA is offered online with four required residencies. This program is designed to not only offer an business education but to develop executives who can think critically and creatively, analyze and synthesize information, communicate effectively, and solve complex problems. Core courses within this program include: Management Information Systems, Managerial and Team Skills, Financial Statements Analysis, Strategy, Leadership and Organizational Change, Decision Analysis for Executives, Ethics, Legal & Regulatory Issues, Marketing Management, and Integrated Global Business.
Estimated Program Cost: $37,872
Alumni Early Career Salary: $50,200
#42 ARIZONA STATE UNIVERSITY W. P. CAREY SCHOOL OF BUSINESS – TEMPE, ARIZONA
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Arizona State University-Tempe is a 4-year, public university that was founded in 1885 as a normal school. Today, ASU consists of four campuses, educating over 76,000 students every year. Among the highly acclaimed schools at ASU, is the W. P. Carey School of Business. The Carey School is a fully accredited school that invests in tomorrow’s leaders by providing universal business knowledge that allows students to immediately start adding value to their organizations. Among the many on-campus and online programs available in the Carey Business School, is an online Master of Business Administration. This online MBA is the same curriculum as the on-campus MBA and taught by the same faculty. The curriculum is delivered one course at a time, allowing students to focus on their studies while balancing career and life responsibilities at the same time. Students are given the choice to gain a general management degree or selecting a concentration between Finance, International Business, Marketing, or Supply Chain Management. Online MBA students are additionally given the option of combining their MBA with another master’s degree at ASU, including: Master of Legal Studies, MSE Electrical Engineering, or MS Industrial Engineering.
Estimated Program Cost: $54,600
Alumni Early Career Salary: $72,400
#41 INDIANA UNIVERSITY KELLEY SCHOOL OF BUSINESS – BLOOMINGTON, INDIANA
