50 Best Value Small Colleges for a Business Administration Degree

Updated November 29, 2022

By Iris Stone Get started on your search for a bachelor's degree in business administration with this best value ranking. If you're looking for a small school where you can benefit from more personal attention and get to know your classmates better, this is the list for you. You can tap into your professors' experience ...

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By Iris Stone

Get started on your search for a bachelor's degree in business administration with this best value ranking. If you're looking for a small school where you can benefit from more personal attention and get to know your classmates better, this is the list for you. You can tap into your professors' experience and knowledge to help you get the most of your business school education, while relaxing on an intimate campus and getting customized advising along the way.

Ranking Methodology

For this ranking, we used information from College Navigator to determine the top small colleges in America for a degree in business or management. College Navigator is a subset of the National Center for Education Statistics and provides a wealth of data related to all the accredited postsecondary institutions in the country. We used the website's built-in filters to search only for schools that:

1) Offer an undergraduate degree in general business/business administration
2) Have an admission rate of 50% or less (an indicator of selectivity)
3) Are small in size (3,000 students or fewer)

From these more than 100 results, we selected the 50 with the lowest overall net prices. Unlike standard tuition rates, "net price" values provide an overall assessment of what a student could pay in a single year, taking into account additional expenses, financial aid, and scholarships as well as base tuition.

We included these final 50, which boast an ideal combination of quality, selectivity, and affordability on comfortably small campuses, in the ranking below. Enjoy!

#1 Berea College Berea, KY
#2 University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff Pine Bluff, AR
#3 West Virginia State University Institute, WV
#4 Southern University at New Orleans New Orleans, LA
#5 Rust College Holly Springs, MS
#6 Texas A&M University Texarkana Texarkana, TX
#7 Coppin State University Baltimore, MD
#8 Mississippi University for Women Columbus, MS
#9 Mississippi Valley State University Itta Bena, MS
#10 Dickinson State University Dickinson, ND

Featured Online Programs

Figuring out where to apply? These top, accredited schools offer a variety of online degrees. Consider one of these accredited programs, and discover their value today.

  1. Berea College
    Location

    Berea, KY

    Tuition

    $2323

    Students who are serious about their futures as professional managers and business owners shouldn't overlook Berea College. Qualified academic advisors can help you explore the major before choosing an area of specialty in Management, Finance, Accounting, or Marketing.. And while all this seems pretty typical of a management program, Berea has found ways to make a distinctive mark in academic circles. The school has a four-star rating on Charity Navigator, boasts a residence hall that meets the rigorous standards for "Living Building Challenge" certification, and offers an almost unbelievably low tuition rate. In other words, this cheap business administration degree proffers serious bang for its buck, exchanging a unique on campus experience and top academics for next to nothing in cost.

  2. University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff
    Location

    Pine Bluff, AR

    Tuition

    $7298

    The Department of Business Administration at the University of Arkansas Pine Bluff is the largest program within the School of Management. Despite the small overall size of the college, a significant group of students flock to the business administration degree for its flexibility, caliber, and pristine reputation. You will have your choice of five areas of concentration - Finance, Economics, Marketing, Management, or Business Technology - all of which build on a core of classes in business fundamentals. After honing your expertise in accounting, microcomputer applications, information systems, finance, and ethics, you will be well equipped to handle the depth and complexity of the upper-level concentration courses.

  3. West Virginia State University
    Location

    Institute, WV

    Tuition

    $7910

    If you love the idea of majoring in business but aren't sure what exactly you'd like to do with your future, West Virginia State University may be able to help. Between the school's seven concentration options - Accounting, Marketing, Energy Management, Management Information Systems, Finance, Management, and International Business - you're sure to find something that holds your interest. Students who love WVSU so much they just don't want to leave can also apply for one of two graduate programs (one in Accounting, one in Energy Management). This affordable business administration degree also gives students access to multiple extracurricular options, including the Delta Mu Delta honors society and the Dean's Business and Economics Student Advisory Board.

  4. Southern University at New Orleans
    Location

    New Orleans, LA

    Tuition

    $8528

    Business is a dynamic, unique, challenging industry, and Southern University at New Orleans works to create a program that emulates those very same adjectives. This affordable business administration degree has been heavily influenced by the events surrounding Hurricane Katrina, including the devastating aftermath for so many of the area's residents. As such, students learn to become leaders in management who are economically responsible and ethically sensitive, carrying a respect for social responsibility everywhere they go. In addition, programs in the SUNO Small Business Development Center and the Small Business Development and Management Institute help fan students' entrepreneurial attitudes and give them the tools to one day be successfully self-employed.

  5. Rust College
    Location

    Holly Springs, MS

    Tuition

    $8575

    Rust College's 124 credit hour program in business administration offers three concentration options: Accounting, Computer Information Systems, and Management. This three-pronged approach to management can help you make the most of your undergraduate career, depending on whether you are more interested in finance, technology, or administration, or are undecided. Students of all concentrations take classes across the spectrum of global business principles, and they finish up their senior year with classes on policy, ethics and society, and operations. Your final term will also include elective coursework and an internship that may even lead to a job offer.

  6. Texas A&M University Texarkana
    Location

    Texarkana, TX

    Tuition

    $9288

    The study of leadership at Texas A&M University Texarkana isn't just theoretical - students learn to stand at the helm and guide teams from their first year on campus. Business students can run for student government, become officers in campus organizations, and apply for internships that will earn them responsibility far beyond coffee runs. More specifically, the small college's business administration degree is partnered with the American Association of Petroleum Geologists, a connection that benefits students at every level of study. And if you choose to stay at TAMUT for your MBA, you can apply for the "Energy Leadership Track" and gain connections to top positions within the energy industry.

  7. Coppin State University
    Location

    Baltimore, MD

    Tuition

    $9667

    Coppin State University sees its management program as a launching pad, even a "passport," that will serve as your key to the career of your choice. A hands-on approach to education gets you out of the lecture hall early on, and instead you'll spend time attending lecture series, finding real-world experiences through internships, and learning from the best through an "Executive in Residence" program. And when you are confined to the classroom, you'll receive top-notch instruction in subjects like operations management, small systems software, financial accounting, business statistics, and business law.

  8. Mississippi University for Women
    Location

    Columbus, MS

    Tuition

    $9766

    Being well rounded is one of the best assets you can possess in the field of business. That's why a degree in general business from Mississippi University for Women can help you get ahead of the curve. The flexible program easily adapts to your career goals and individual interests, guiding you through a degree that will help you build relevant strengths every step of the way. Learn to think critically, innovate, and problem solve creativity as you study every aspect of the global marketplace. And MUV's program is flexible in more ways than one - the entire junior and senior year coursework is available entirely online, so advanced students can get out into the workforce or take time for other responsibilities even as they finish their degree.

  9. Mississippi Valley State University
    Location

    Itta Bena, MS

    Tuition

    $9807

    If you want a college that's going to keep you busy, MVSU easily fits the bill. Between the Accounting Society, the National Student Business League, and the Iota Kappa Chapter of Delta Mu Delta (honors society), there is no shortage of activities for business administration degree students at Mississippi Valley State. There's also a club called "The Executives" and an honors program for highly qualified students. In addition to the accredited business administration degree on campus, you can also consider the Accounting and Office Administration program. And the best news is that both options are accredited by the Association of College Business Schools and Programs, indicating all around quality within the department.

  10. Dickinson State University
    Location

    Dickinson, ND

    Tuition

    $9981

    Dickinson State University's accredited business administration degree includes nearly 70 credit hours in topics like investment, international management, staffing and diversity, financial institutions and markets, human resources, and marketing. Students can also take a seminar in business leadership and explore in-depth topics in social media, online commerce, advertising, and accounting that will help them stand out from the crowd in the modern business environment. And if you're looking for a more focused line of study, DSU has plenty to offer you as well. Alternative majors include Accounting, Finance (including a certified financial planning track), Human Resource Management, Office Administration, and Business Education.

Sources:
College Navigator

See also:

Business & MBA Degrees
Business Administration Scholarships

About the Author:
Iris Stone began her writing career when she started working as a freelance writer and researcher in 2011. Her freelance business soon took off and she now owns and operates a writing and editing firm that works with clients all across the country. Despite the time it takes to run a business she still does much of the writing herself, and her work has included a variety of content related to education policy, colleges and universities, academic programs, and graduates' careers. Her interests actually span far beyond writing, and she is currently studying to be a physicist! Check out her Google+ Profile.

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