Most Affordable Master's In Organizational Leadership Online

Updated November 22, 2022

Find the highest quality, most affordable online program to earn your master's in organizational leadership.

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Master's In Organizational Leadership

Professionals thinking about returning to school to earn an online master's degree in organizational management and leadership will be happy to hear that there are a wealth of options available to them. However, the large number of schools with graduate programs in leadership might not fit the bill for everyone. Some are not fully accredited, some are not very affordable, and others simply don't offer a high grade of education.

Top 30 Cheap Online Master's in Organizational Management and Leadership

  1. Columbia Southern University
    Location

    Orange Beach, AL

    Tuition

    $6360

    Columbia Southern University is an online college that often attracts students for its incredibly affordable tuition. In addition to being low-cost, CSU is also a great choice for veterans and was named a top military school by Military Advanced Education magazine. The M.S. program at this university consists of 37-credit hours of relevant classes, covering such topics as strategies for success, training and development, intercultural management, managing project teams, methods for analysis, and crisis communication. In addition, elective classes allow students to explore employment law, human resource management, and advanced marketing. This online master's degree in organizational management and leadership also allows students to dive further into an area of particular interest through an applied research project.

  2. Lincoln Christian University
    Location

    Lincoln, IL

    Tuition

    $7182

    Lincoln Christian University offers one of the most affordable online master's degrees in organizational management and leadership. At just over $7,000 a year and with a program that takes approximately a year and a half to complete, students can acquire this top graduate degree for less than the cost of a year of undergraduate school at many universities! Classes are offered entirely online in 7-week long modules. By taking courses back-to-back, online learners move through the degree efficiently, getting to know 12-15 students in their cohort as they go. The small setting for classes also allows LCU students to get more attention from faculty and understand the material more comprehensively. In the "Best and Worst" section on College Prowler, LCU is recognized happy students and extreme affordability.

  3. Saint Mary's University of Minnesota
    Location

    Winona, MN

    Tuition

    $12528

    Professionals who have their sights set on a serious pay raise should consider Saint Mary's University of Minnesota, a school committed to helping students open doors. The online master's degree in organizational management and leadership is only 20 months long, but crams five semesters of meaningful classes into that time. The curriculum is based on five adjectives that SMU says describes an effective leader: strategic, global, adaptive, connected, and learning. Forbes rates the university in its top 500 schools nationally, and also includes SMU on its list of top schools in the Midwest.

  4. Crown College
    Location

    Saint Bonifacius, MN

    Tuition

    $8010

    This Christian-focused degree program calls itself "significantly different," training business leaders to be models of Christian ethics in the wider corporate world. The cheap online master's degree in organizational management and leadership is available for just $8,000 a year. What's more, 98% of students receive some type of scholarship or financial help, making it an especially affordable choice. Religious students also appreciate that the school was named one of the "Top Online Christian Colleges." The curriculum covers strategic planning, research, organizational communication, and the spiritual roots of effective leadership.

  5. Colorado State University Global Campus
    Location

    Aurora, CO

    Tuition

    $9000

    Colorado State University's Global Campus offers a top online master's degree in organizational management and leadership that can give professionals the boost they need to make it into executive management. Graduates of the program find work in human resources, benefits administration, executive management, industrial and operational supervision, and more. In addition to exploring the theoretical aspects of leadership, CSU online students also practice decision-making and communication, and even study psychology. Many consider CSU a premier provider of distance education, and TheBestColleges.org ranked it 6th on its list of top online colleges.

  6. Concordia University Wisconsin
    Location

    Mequon, WI

    Tuition

    $9180

    Concordia University at Wisconsin takes a unique approach to organizational leadership, emphasizing a Christian viewpoint in all classes. The department asserts that spiritual principles blended with management training help "empower today's minds for tomorrow's world." The 39-credit online master's degree in organizational management and leadership can be customized through numerous concentration options, such as Risk Management, Corporate Communication, Public Administration, Environmental Studies, Marketing, Healthcare Administration, Management Information Systems, Human Resource Management, or International Business. A General Management concentration is also available. The vast majority of students who completed surveys on College Prowler reported being very satisfied with CUW and the knowledgeable professors there.

  7. California Baptist University
    Location

    Riverside, CA

    Tuition

    $10080

    California Baptist University's online master's degree in organizational management and leadership is designed specifically to help individuals climb the career ladder. The school holds rankings from U.S. News for both its MBA and general business grad programs, making it one of the best online master's degrees in organizational management and leadership out there. Students benefit from advanced training in decision making, conflict resolution, organizational change, human resource management, and leading multicultural organizations. The program is also broad enough to be beneficial to professionals in diverse career fields, including education, administration, sports, retail, philanthropy, and politics.

  8. Azusa Pacific University
    Location

    Azusa, CA

    Tuition

    $10343

    This 22 month long graduate program caters to working adults who already have some work experience under their belt. Students can conveniently take all courses in this master's degree in organizational management and leadership online, which allows them to apply their newly learned skills to their current job as they move through the program. In fact, Azusa Pacific encourages learners to use their company as a "laboratory for class projects," combining theoretical knowledge with hands-on practice. The school has committed itself to creating quality curricula, and since 1964 has earned nearly 20 separate general and program-specific accreditations, including one from the prestigious International Assembly for Collegiate Business Education.

  9. National University
    Location

    La Jolla, CA

    Tuition

    $10386

    This affordable online master's degree in organizational management and leadership from National University provides a rigorous curriculum to those who are up for the challenge. The program accepts a diverse group of students in order to encourage individuals to gain the skills needed to succeed in an international business environment. The unique program focuses on topics as varied as information technology and service to others, melding the practical with the relational. Classes include "Ethics and Classic Theories," "Leadership in the 21st Century," and "Conflict and Power Dynamics," and includes an optional specialization in Community Development. Among other recognitions, NU has been praised for awarding a higher than average number of graduate degrees to minority students.

  10. Mount Vernon Nazarene University
    Location

    Mount Vernon, OH

    Tuition

    $10404

    This university's online master's degree in organizational management and leadership is delivered as part of an extensive MBA program. In addition to organizational management, MBA students at Mount Vernon Nazarene University may also seek a speciality degree in Finance, Human Resources, or Healthcare Administration. Targeted to current business professionals, the curriculum allows current industry employees to hone their knowledge while learning how to be influential and effective leaders. Many graduates of the program have successfully entered the increasingly competitive workforce and found rewarding jobs as project, staff, and operations managers. Experts from the college review website FindTheBest give MVNU a 91/100 "Smart Rating" for its affordability, academic excellence, and admissions selectivity.

Methodology: Here's How We Rank Schools

At Best Value Schools, we help students of all ages get the best possible value for their education. When choosing the best schools and programs, we prioritize tuition rates, student debt, financial aid opportunities, graduation rates, and the availability of online programs. We source unbiased data from government and educational databases like the National Center for Education Statistics and the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics for 6,374 schools across the U.S. We organize that data into five weighted categories to compile our school rankings.
Metric Data Used Percentage
Academic Quality Full-time faculty percentage, student-to-faculty ratio, student retention and graduation rates 25%
Affordability Tuition rates, median student debt, and financial aid 35%
Reputation Admission and enrollment rates 15%
Program Offerings Number of program options 10%
Online Enrollment Score Portion of learners taking at least one online course 15%
You can read more about our comprehensive evaluation process on our methodology page.

What can I do with a master’s degree in organizational leadership?

There are quite a few career paths you can take with a master’s degree in organizational leadership. One of the many benefits of getting this type of master’s degree is that it focuses on teaching you the organizational leadership skill set, not a particular profession. That means that you can apply the skills you learn to a wide range of jobs and fields. Organizational leadership can be useful for executives, sales managers, human resources positions, or many other positions in which you manage people. It can be a great addition to your resume and open up more possibilities if you want to stay in the same field in which you have your expertise, too.

What will I learn in an online master’s program for organizational leadership?

If you enroll in a master’s in organizational leadership program, you’ll learn about how to team-build and how certain strengths and motivations are used to successfully promote organizational growth. This is done through courses on topics like leadership theories, psychology-based topics, managerial tactics and studies, business ethics, and communication strategies. You will also spend time examining your own goals and strengths to help you figure out what your leadership style is, as well as how it impacts the companies and organizations you’ll help lead or work for with this degree.

Who should get a master’s degree in organizational leadership?

Those who want to work their way up to a top leadership position in a public or private company would benefit from getting a master’s degree in organizational leadership. This type of program is meant to enhance your management potential and prepare you for leading people, organizations, and companies. It’s also a great way to add to your credentials as a leader and learn how to build teams with people from diverse backgrounds and diverse strengths. You can use what you learn with this degree program in a wide range of positions, from startups to Fortune 500 companies or nonprofits.

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.

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The good news is that there are definitely some great choices out there. If you're not convinced, hopefully our list below will do the trick! Here you can see descriptions of 15 cheap online master's degree programs in organizational and management and leadership - in fact, the very cheapest among those offered at accredited institutions, according to data institutions provide to the U.S. Department of Education as reflected in the College Navigator database. Although some are more expensive than others (they range from about $6,000 to $14,000 a year, with the more expensive programs listed first) and they all take a little bit different approach to management education, you will be glad to hear that they all offer great academics and a price tag that will fit most budgets.

Note: This article may contain sponsored links. These are designed to help you connect with programs easily.

Sources:
College Navigator
PayScale
Kiplinger Finance
U.S. News Ranking & Reviews
College Prowler
Pitch Engine
Biz Journals
Wikipedia
FindTheBest
TheBestColleges
Forbes

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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