Online MBA Programs Ranked by Affordability (2022-2023)

Rasmussen University, located in Bloomington, Minnesota, offers a very affordable 100 percent online MBA that can be completed in 18 months. Through Competency-Based Education (CBE), students complete modules at their own pace, demonstrating mastery of defined competencies through real-world projects. Embedded within the modules are six transferable skills: critical thinking, communication, information literacy, diversity and teamwork, digital fluency, and ethics and professional responsibility.

Courses run 11 weeks each, with four start dates per year in the fall, winter, spring, and summer. Course delivery includes interactive sessions, virtual labs, online simulations, and other collaborative experiences. The program ends with an applied project. Students may transfer up to 20 percent of the required credits from applicable prior coursework. The Rasmussen online MBA can be earned for under $13,000 (including fees), the least expensive online MBA in our pool.

Aspen University, located in Denver, Colorado, offers a 100 percent online MBA with specializations in finance, information management, and project management that can be completed in 18 months, with no campus visits. Start dates land every two weeks, and both part-time and full-time completion plans are available. Applicants to the MBA in finance must have two years of applicable work experience in finance or accounting, complete two graduate-level finance courses or hold a bachelor’s degree in finance or accounting.

Aspen University is a Project Management Institute (PMI) Charter Registered Education Provider, and the project management specialization prepares graduates for the Project Management Professional (PMP) certification through the PMI. A capstone is included to integrate and synthesize learning and show expertise in change management and leadership. As well, students must pass a final proctored exam to graduate.

The University of Southern Indiana (USI) is located in Evansville, Indiana, and offers a very affordable, AACSB-accredited online MBA to both residents and non-residents of IN. Offering concentrations in accounting, data analytics, engineering management, healthcare administration, human resources, marketing, and project management, the USI online MBA can be completed in just 11 months with accelerated 8-week courses.

Focus areas include effective leadership skills, accounting, strategic management, information systems, current technology, managerial economics, marketing, and international management.

Notably, the project management concentration courses align with the Project Management Institute (PMI) standards and prepare students to earn project management certifications in the industry.

Texas A&M University – Corpus Christi (TAMUCC) offers a 100 percent online MBA with a general business path or concentrations in accounting, data analytics, finance, healthcare administration, and international business. Offering accelerated seven-week courses, students can earn their general MBA in 12 to 20 months, and an MBA with a concentration in 12 to 24 months. Topics covered for all pathways include topics such as financial analytics, team leadership and collaborations, accounting, financial statement analysis, application, and interpretation, conflict management, organizational behavior, technology-based management, marketing, and managerial economics.

Start dates land six times annually in the fall, spring, and summer. Applicants with a non-business bachelor’s degree may need to take up to four foundational courses. The TAMUCC online MBA is delivered asynchronously through Blackboard and includes discussion boards, videos, and interactive apps and tools. TAMUCC is located in Corpus Christi, TX, and the online MBA is accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB).

The University of West Alabama (UWA) offers an affordable online MBA with 14 concentrations through the College of Business and Technology. With accelerated eight-week courses the MBA can be completed in just 12 months. MBA concentrations include

• Accounting
• Computing and data analytics
• Computer information systems
• Cybersecurity, cybercrime, and policy
• Entrepreneurship and innovation
• Finance
• General business
• Healthcare administration
• Human resource management
• International business management
• Marketing
• Rural business
• Sports management

The accounting concentration includes courses that help students satisfy the 150-hour Certified Public Accountant (CPA) licensure requirement. Key topics covered for all concentrations include research methods and design, managerial economics, financial management, business law and ethics, strategic management, marketing management, emerging business technologies, and business policy. The online MBA is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs (ACBSP), and UWA is located in Livingston, Alabama.

Virginia Wesleyan University (VWU) offers a 30-credit online MBA with a general track or concentrations in finance, healthcare administration, and marketing. VWU seeks to prepare business leaders focused on sustainable business, socially and environmentally ethical business practices, economic value, and global business.

The university is committed to the Principles of Responsible Management Education (PRME), which was developed by the United Nations and is the first liberal arts institution in the US to sign the UN Global Compact for ethical business practices, human rights, environmental responsibility, and fair labor.

Courses last 7.5 weeks with start dates six times annually in the fall, spring, and summer. The online MBA can be completed in as few as 12 months with full-time study. Core course topics include marketing management, managerial economics, business analysis, planning, and control, managerial finance, organizational behavior, business leadership, and information management systems. The program also focuses on global business, global responsibility, and sustainable business practices throughout the courses through dialogue, debates, research, and partnerships.

Notre Dame College (NDC) offers a cohort-based online MBA that can be completed in 12 to 24 months with a focus on effective leadership and management skills in communication, technology management, finance, accounting, operations management, strategic business, technology, and leadership. Students may begin twice per year and choose either a part-time or full-time plan, moving through with their cohort. The program is delivered in a faith-based environment focusing on ethical decision-making and how one’s morals and values affect leadership style, decisions, and approaches to problems.

Courses run in eight-week cycles, twice per semester, with a full-time program including 12 credits per semester. The program includes a capstone course with a strategic project and internship to complete the program. Those without a business bachelor’s degree must complete statistics, management principles, and macroeconomics courses in addition to the MBA courses. Notre Dame College is located in South Euclid, Ohio.

Eastern Washington University offers a fully online, accelerated, AACSB-accredited MBA with concentrations in general business, finance, accounting, international business, and health services administration. This affordable degree can be completed in as few as ten months with seven start dates and six-week courses. A capstone course completes the core curriculum. Topics covered include essential skills in operations management, marketing management, leadership and ethics, data-driven decision-making, corporate finance, and advanced accounting for managers.

Applicants without a bachelor’s degree also take courses on quantitative analysis in business, finance, and the essentials of accounting. Course delivery runs asynchronously through Canvas. Graduates may pursue careers in multinational marketing, health services adminisration, banking and finance, human resources, sales, financial analysis, import/export, international trade, policy analysis, and pharmaceuticals, among others.

Point University, located in West Point, Georgia, offers an affordable online MBA that prepares professionals to lead from a Christian worldview. Students who transfer up to ten credits may complete the program in as little as one year, while most students complete the program in two years. Course delivery is asynchronous, thereby not requiring set login times for added flexibility. Class sizes are kept small with a typical seven-to-one student-to-faculty ratio, and Point University offers a mentorship program to help students meet their goals.

Courses run every eight weeks and may include change management and organizational culture, business innovation and creativity, and strategic human resource management. The Point University online MBA comes in second, costing less than $16,000 for the program.

Spring Hill College offers an ACBSP-accredited online MBA with concentrations in project management, leadership, and logistics and supply chain management that can be completed in as few as ten months. Spring Hill College offers affordable tuition, an accelerated learning format, and small class sizes.

Topics covered may include cost accounting, international business, organizational behavior, business analytics, managerial economics, and financial analysis, with concepts of business ethics and social responsibility woven throughout the curriculum. Courses begin twice each in the fall, spring, and summer, and applicants must have three years of relevant work experience to apply.

The project management concentration prepares graduates to take the Project Management Professional (PMP) certification exam through courses in project management processes and practices such as cost and risk management, communication, social responsibility, quality management, project integration, scope management, and time management. The concentration in leadership creates business leaders who promote ethical decision-making and organizational change.

Campbellsville University Offers an online MBA with a general track or choices of accounting, church management, computer science, entrepreneurial leadership, financial planning, healthcare management, human resource management, information technology, international business, marketing, and supply chain and logistics management. Campbellsville University seeks to prepare MBA graduates who become servant leaders, living out Christian values in their business practices, ethics, and decision-making.

The program can be completed in as little as one year, however, most students attend part-time and complete the MBA in two years. Courses last eight weeks each and start dates land twice each in the fall, spring, and summer. Core topics include marketing management, organizational theory, managerial accounting, management information systems, business ethics, human resource management, business strategy, and managerial finance and economics. The Campbellsville online MBA is accredited by the International Accreditation Council for Business Education (IACBE).

Methodist University offers a 12- to 18-month, ACBSP-accredited, entrepreneurial online MBA through the Reeves School of Business with no campus visits. The program prepares graduates for leadership and management positions in various fields, both locally and globally. Students are grounded in ethical responsibility through courses in business statistics, business law and ethics, financial management, marketing management, organization and leadership, organizational behavior, and operations management.

Applicants with a non-business bachelor’s degree Will need to complete courses in marketing principles, business statistics, microeconomics, macroeconomics, and financial accounting. A capstone experience is included in the program and students can participate in an experiential learning opportunity during the final project. Program electives may include research methods, global business management, and ethical decision-making. Methodist University offers several student services, including access to a student services coordinator, the Monarch tutoring center, The Writing Center, the center for Student Success, career counseling, technical support, and faculty office hours.

The University of Wisconsin-Parkside (UW Parkside) seven-track online MBA includes concentrations in data analytics, finance, general management, global management, human resources, marketing, and supply chain management pathways. Affordable tuition, no campus visits, and a time to completion of as few as 12 months make this another great option for aspiring graduate MBA students.

Experienced faculty in corporate management and entrepreneurship teach the seven-week courses. Those without a business background must complete two foundation courses covering statistics, finance, accounting, and economics.

The UW Parkside online MBA promotes key skills such as working individually and in teams, systematic approaches to tasks, ethical, competitive decision-making, and effective information collection. Courses cover topics such as project management, leadership, global marketing management, IT for business decision-making, and operations management. UW Parkside is located in Kenosha, WI, and the online MBA is AACSB-accredited.

The Lindenwood University ACBSP-accredited online MBA is offered through the Robert W. Plaster College of Business and Entrepreneurship and includes a general track or one of ten specializations. Lindenwood is founded on the Judeo-Christian values of excellence, integrity, creativity, community, and dedication. Specializations include

• Accounting
• Management
• Healthcare administration
• Marketing
• Human resource management
• Nonprofit administration
• International business
• Project management
• Leadership
• Supply chain management

Up to 18 foundational credits may be required for applicants without enough business-related coursework in areas such as professional writing for business, financial accounting, economic concepts, microeconomics, business law and ethics, and statistics and quantitative analysis. Time to completion is 15 to 36 months, with start dates twice each in the fall, spring, and summer.

Core courses cover financial policy, business policies and strategies, managerial accounting, management practices, and marketing principles. A quantitative course in linear statistical models, business analytics, or operations management rounds out the core curriculum. Students then choose 15 credits of electives with 12 to 15 credits in one specialization to earn that emphasis area.

New Mexico Highlands University (NMHU) offers an ACBSP-accredited, fully online MBA with a general business track, or concentrations in healthcare administration or entrepreneurship. Core topics include managerial finance, accounting, business research, ethics and law, quantitative methods, ethical decision-making, business strategy, and marketing management. Accelerated courses last eight weeks each and the degree can be completed in just one year at two courses per eight-week session.

NMHU includes a multicultural focus throughout the curriculum with a focused problem-solving approach. The asynchronous curriculum includes case studies and simulations covering various decision-making areas in business organizations. Graduates will be able to apply quantitative and qualitative analysis to real-world problem-solving, understand and work from legal regulations and ethical issues that affect businesses and apply that understanding to real-world business situations, and lead with effective teamwork, communication, and presentation skills needed to promote a positive work environment.

St. Thomas University, located in Miami Gardens, Florida, offers a fully online MBA with a general track or one of five concentrations in accounting, cybersecurity management, human resource management, marketing, and sports administration. This accelerated program can be completed in just 12 months with seven-week courses. Courses are delivered asynchronously through Canvas and can be accessed 24/7 for added convenience for working adults.

St. Thomas University strives to prepare ethical business leaders and entrepreneurs with strong problem-solving, research, oral and written communication, ethical decision-making, and critical analysis skills. Core topics covered may include data analytics, financial management, strategic marketing management, global business, organizational behavior, ethics, and business planning.

Southern Oregon University (SOU) offers a fully online, ACBSP-accredited MBA with concentrations in accounting, business analytics, finance, healthcare administration, information analysis and decision-making, and marketing. The program can be completed in as few as 16 months with seven-week courses. Start dates land in the fall, winter, and spring, plus two summer starts.

Key focus areas include teamwork, ethical leadership, and effective communication. Learned skills include critical thinking and effective problem-solving, conflict resolution, change management, financial decision-making, the use of emerging technologies, and research-based planning.

Core courses cover managerial accounting for decision-making, economic analysis, information systems, strategic operations management, strategic marketing management, legal and ethical business issues, and advanced organizational behavior. A capstone and graduate research project are also included.

Greenville University, located in Greenville, Illinois, also offers an affordable, IACBE-accredited online MBA that is typically completed part-time in about two years. A full-time plan is available, and students may transfer up to six credits.

Courses last 16 weeks each, and start dates land six times annually. Two years of professional business experience is recommended, and applicants should currently be employed in a high-responsibility position to apply learned skills, and complete the capstone project. The faith-based curriculum focuses on values-based, ethical leadership, positive employee motivation, and strong relationship-building within business organizations.

Courses may cover organizational theory and practice, human resources, strategic marketing management, project management, global business and strategy, economic thinking for managers, applied business research and statistics, values-based leadership, legal and ethical business environments, and financial management. Courses are asynchronous and delivered through D2L Brightspace, and Greenville University seeks to create a rigorous and collaborative online experience.

The University of Saint Mary, located in Leavenworth, Kansas, offers an affordable online MBA with eight concentrations: accounting, business analytics, marketing and advertising management, general management, finance, human resources management, leadership and organizational health, and healthcare management.

Students can complete the online MBA in just one year by taking two courses per eight-week session. The rigorous schedule requires dedication to balancing work, education, and family life. The curriculum focuses on corporate responsibility, effective decision-making in business, critical thinking skills, and how workplace ethics affect the business itself, the community, and global business.

Students complete a capstone course on business policy and ethics. Concentration courses are hands-on and interactive featuring real-world case studies, videos, possible business scenarios, and tools for personal assessment. Required courses may include global management, organizational management, managerial economics, and marketing management. The Saint Mary MBA is accredited by the International Accreditation Council for Business Education (IACBE).

Carlow University, located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, offers an executive online MBA (E-MBA) with 30 credits and a traditional online MBA with five specializations, including fraud and forensics, project management, human resource management, healthcare management, and leadership and management. Carlow also offers two dual MBAs: MSN-MBA and MSW-MBA.

As a Catholic university, Carlow follows the tenets of the Sisters of Mercy, weaving the core value of mercy into the curriculum and relationships. Graduates are prepared to lead in an ethical manner with justice and mercy. The E-MBA is an accelerated program that is completed in just 40 weeks.

The program was designed for experienced, mid-career business professionals who are ready to take on an executive role. The traditional online MBA can be completed in 15 to 24 months and includes 36 credits with specialty courses for the five specializations. Courses typically last eight weeks. The MBA programs are accredited through the International Accreditation Council for Business Education (IACBE).