35 Best Affordable Online Bachelor's in Business

Updated December 5, 2022

Earning a Bachelor's Degree in Business doesn't need to consume your time and energy. This is especially true with one of the 35 Best Affordable Online Bachelor's Degrees in Business.  An online degree in business is an excellent choice for anyone looking for post-graduate stability in the workforce. Business majors develop skills that ...

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Earning a Bachelor's Degree in Business doesn't need to consume your time and energy in 2020. This is especially true with one of the 35 Best Affordable Online Bachelor's Degrees in Business. 

An online degree in business is an excellent choice for anyone looking for post-graduate stability in the workforce. Business majors develop skills that can be applied to many industries outside of the traditional spectrum of business. Graduates with an education in business are professionals within the legal and medical fields, oddly enough. Universities across the nation offer online programs dedicated to a solid business education that incorporates all aspects of the field, including management, finance, accounting, and economics. These credentials may be earned as a Bachelor of Business Administration degree. or a Bachelor of Science or Arts with a major in Business Administration, for example.

Regardless of the degree title or layout, business education will train students to be cooperative and organized managers, problem solvers who can turn theory into practice, and plan a multitude of things like budgets and staffing. In 2016, the National Association of Colleges and Employers Outlook Survey found that over 80 percent of employers were planning to hire someone who had earned with a business-related degree. A Bachelor's Degree in Business is a sure way for anyone already in the field to up their credentials and growth potential, or for those entering employment to join the ever-changing field as competitive candidates.

Selection Criteria

Best Value Schools publishes college degree rankings with the belief of how one's higher education should be, both, affordable and an investment of continued value for the students who pursue them. The staff of BVS collects data from reputable sources in order to calculate Net Price and the short and long-term value of every ranked degree. Collected data is simplified into weighted categories before scoring and then scaled through a BVS Score up to 100. The weighted categories are:

  • Degree Investment Return (25%)
  • Student & Alumni Evaluation (25%)
  • Cost Value (25%)
  • Matriculation (10%)
  • Academic Success (15%)

No matter what degree you decide on, we hope our research and support has made the selection process easier. There are numerous resources BVS utilizes to collect information on degrees, and we encourage you to check them out for yourself!

Here are the 35 Best Affordable Online Bachelor's Degrees in Business!

#1 California State University - Fullerton Fullerton, CA
#2 Appalachian State University Boone, NC
#3 American Public University Charles Town, WV
#4 Bellevue University Bellevue, NE
#5 Lamar University Beaumont, TX
#6 Sam Houston State University Huntsville, TX
#7 University of Illinois at Chicago Chicago, IL
#8 University of Illinois at Springfield Springfield, IL
#9 Southeast Missouri State University Cape Girardeau, MO
#10 Fort Hays State University Hays, KS

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. California State University - Fullerton
    Location

    Fullerton, CA

    Tuition

    $8562

    The online Bachelor of Arts in Business Administration from California State University at their Fullerton campus is only offered as a degree-completion program. The curriculum is designed specifically for those already working as business professionals and now desire to increase their credentials and growth potential in the field. Applicants must have at least 63 transferable credits from either community colleges or other accredited institutions, having maintained at least a 2.0 GPA. Graduates have gone onto work in urban planning, research modeling, and marketing. Students may be admitted in the fall or spring. Course topics include Organizational Behavior, Business Analytics, and Economic Research Methods.

  2. Appalachian State University
    Location

    Boone, NC

    Tuition

    $10473

    Students pursuing a business education from Appalachian State University will graduate with a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration, and then the chosen major. Their Management program within the BSBA degree is a total of 120 credits that students may complete at a full or part-time pace. The online BSBA program in Management is not a direct-entry degree but rather only open to transfer students - or those already at ASU - who have at least 68 college credits. Online resources, like the Pre-Application Evaluation, are available on the website for students to see if they qualify for admission. Courses will cover microeconomics, macroeconomics, business statistics, calculus, and accounting.

  3. American Public University
    Location

    Charles Town, WV

    Tuition

    $10658

    The Bachelor of Business Administration from American Public University has a core curriculum in the disciplines of management, marketing, law, finance, accounting, economics, and business strategy, to ensure an interdisciplinary and holistic understanding of Business. There are also additional concentration areas for students who are dedicated to one aspect of the field. Graduates will be prepared with competitive critical thinking skills, and the ability to apply theory and knowledge from many facets of business to successful practice. The program takes four years to complete at a full-time schedule, allowing students to transfer in up to 90 credits from another institution.

  4. Bellevue University
    Location

    Bellevue, NE

    Tuition

    $11359

    The Bachelor of Science in Business Administration program at Bellevue University has five specialization areas: Accounting, Finance, Human Resources, International Management, and Marketing. Regardless of the chosen focus area, students will be trained in the applications of accounting, financial analysis, quantitative methods, organization behavior, and more to the field of business. The program is designed to be interactive, providing hands-on experiences to practice the application of theory and foundational knowledge. This may include collaborative projects with peers or online interactions with faculty. Courses are offered both on-campus and online. Exclusive pricing is offered for eligible military members. Applications are open to traditional and non-traditional, alike.

  5. Lamar University
    Location

    Beaumont, TX

    Tuition

    $11485

    Lamar University provides the No. 5 online degree with its Bachelor of Business Administration, offered with a concentration in Management. Lamar's affordable BBA only costs $248 per credit hour and is completable within 48 months. The University's BBA already has a reputation for providing quality education through ranking publications such as The Princeton Review. Outside of Management, Lamar's BBA also provides concentrations in General Business and Entrepreneurship. The Management concentration, specifically, requires BBA students to take classes such as Seminar on Entrepreneurship and Advanced Organization Behavior. There is 48 credits worth of core requirements for all BBA students, however, which include Business Law, Macro Economics, and Strategic Analysis.

    Of the 120-credits required for graduation, BBA students at Lamar use 27 credits for lower level electives and 45 credits for advanced electives. What allows Lamar University to stand out from other online BBA programs is the availability of entering Lamar's Pre-MBA track, which provides grad-level Business courses to undergraduates while preparing for graduate school. The Pre-MBA program is competitive, however, and require students to achieve a minimum GRE score of 428 and to maintain a minimum 2.5 GPA throughout their education. To apply for Lamar's general online BBA, the university recommends applicants to have graduated high school within the top 10 percent of their class or submit satisfactory SAT and ACT composite scores.

  6. Sam Houston State University
    Location

    Huntsville, TX

    Tuition

    $11742

    A Business Administration education from Sam Houston State University is offered as a Bachelor of Business Administration with a major in General Business. The program gives students broad foundational knowledge in many core business topics. It's designed to primarily benefit those who are unsure of which professional route they'll take on post-graduation, as it prepares for all facets of the field. Students may enroll in the program in fall, spring, and summer terms. Admission for students who meet certain combinations of GPA and ACT/SAT scores may be eligible for automatic admission into SHSU.

  7. University of Illinois at Chicago
    Location

    Chicago, IL

    Tuition

    $11884

    The Bachelor of Business Administration degree from the University of Illinois at Chicago consists of eight-week courses that prepare students with skills in critical thinking, problem-solving, leadership, and more. Graduates will have a comprehensive and holistic understanding of the business discipline and how to transform that knowledge and theory into everyday practice in the field. Admission to the online program is only available to those students who have completed at least 60 hours of prerequisite courses from an accredited university, maintaining at least a 2.5 GPA. The online program centers on ensuring students can keep up with the constantly changing business world, with topics like the globalization of the economy.

  8. University of Illinois at Springfield
    Location

    Springfield, IL

    Tuition

    $12054

    The online Bachelor of Business Administration program offered by the University of Illinois at Springfield has been specifically designed for online instruction, with the same faculty that teach in the on-campus classrooms. Students in the program can choose from two concentration areas. The Business Administration Comprehensive option, which gives a broad and foundational understanding of the business enterprise; or the BBA Management Concentration, which focuses on critical, conceptual, and interpersonal skills necessary for management positions. UIS prefers applicants to complete all general education requirements at UIS, or a previously-attended, accredited institution. Students are also expected to complete major prerequisites with a minimum GPA of 3.0.

  9. Southeast Missouri State University
    Location

    Cape Girardeau, MO

    Tuition

    $12165

    Students who pursue business at Southeast Missouri State University will graduate with a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration degree. The program is for those who hope to earn managerial or administrative roles within different industries. The online layout of the BSBA was designed with part-time students in mind, ensuring maximum flexibility in coursework. Students may also customize their course of study to focus on their career interests in the field. The required foundational courses in the BSBA include Legal Environment of Business and Management Science, while electives include Applied Economic Models and Accounting Analytics. Courses are asynchronous, meaning students don't have to be online at the same time as their professors and peers.

  10. Fort Hays State University
    Location

    Hays, KS

    Tuition

    $12196

    The Bachelor of Business Administration degree from Fort Hays State University offers a major in International Business and Economics. It's a total of 124 credits, made up of business core courses and those that fulfill the major. The major's topics include international finance, business, and marketing, while the business core courses prepare students with foundational knowledge in studies like accounting, finance, management, and business policy. The available and required courses vary slightly between the online program of the BBA and the on-campus program, but all classes are taught by the same faculty members. Students in the online program will also have access to the same resources, including internship opportunity promotions and scholarships.

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