Top 10 Best Affordable Online MBA Degree Programs

Online MBA programs have exploded in the last five years and now are offered by many high quality private and public institutions. One of the chief concerns in uncertain economic times is the affordability of such programs; it used to be the case that online MBA programs were among the most expensive available, and MBAs in general tend to be some of the most expensive graduate programs out there, averaging $60,000 dollars tuition for a full program. These times are coming to an end as more schools enter the online education market and compete for students. The AACSB is the highest international accrediting organization in the united states and is the hallmark of quality MBA programs. Cheap MBA programs accredited by the AACSB are becoming more common and on this list we feature ten of the cheapest MBA programs available, all of them accredited by the AACSB.

#1. University of North Dakota: Master of Business Administration

Executive Summary: UND is the largest and most comprehensive research university in the state of North Dakota and boasts an academic tradition dating back to when North Dakota was just a territory in the mid to late 19th century.

Tuition: Tuition for the full program at UND is $9,049.44 regardless of residency.

Unique Features: The MBA program from UND is the cheapest AASCB accredited online program in the country for residents and nonresidents alike, primarily due to the policy of the university of charging resident rates for out of state students.

#2. University of Louisiana Monroe: Master of Business Administration

Executive Summary: Founded as a junior college in 1931, three years later ULM became the Northeast Center of Louisiana State University. The university went through many evolutions of philosophy and name while developing a strong academic tradition.

Tuition: In state and out of state tuition for the online MBA at ULM is $9660.00 for the full program.

Unique Features: Like UND, the University of Louisiana Monroe is extremely affordable due to its policy of charging the same rates to both in and out of state students for the online MBA, making it the second cheapest AACSB accredited MBA program available.

#3. East Carolina University: Master of Business Administration

Executive Summary: East Carolina University is a part of the University of North Carolina university system, the history of which began with the founding of the University of North Carolina, one of the first public institutions of higher learning in the United States.

Tuition: Full time resident $5,616.00 per academic year, full time non-resident $16,056.00 per academic year.

Unique Features: ECU was one of the first 123 universities to achieve AACSB accreditation and is named as one of the Princeton Review’s top 293 business schools. Despite being so highly regarded ECU has remained singularly affordable for both in state and out of state students.

#4. Ball State University: Master of Business Administration

Executive Summary: Ball State University is an Indiana public university that strives to be on the cutting edge of business education both in means of delivery and in classroom methodologies.

Tuition: Tuition for residents is $9867.00 for the full program. $16,698.00 for the full program for non-residents.

Unique Features: Ball State ranks #8 in Faculty Credentials and Training on U.S. News and World Report’s distance education honor roll, is AACSB accredited and offers a wide range of specializations to its students. It is rare to find a large selection of specializations being offered by such an affordable program.

#5. University of Massachusetts Lowell: Master of Business Administration

Executive Summary: UMass is one of the top public universities in the United States and has earned national and international recognition. The University of Massachusetts boasts extensive distance education options including two different online MBA programs, the most affordable of which is the UMass Lowell online MBA.

Tuition: The UMass Lowell online MBA tuition is $17,550.00 for the full program.

Unique Features: UMass is ranked 19th in the world by the Times of London. The AACSB accredited online program has received numerous Sloan-C awards singling out the online programs for their excellence.

#6. Frostburg State University: Master of Business Administration

Executive Summary: Frostburg State University isn’t interested in giving its students a stock education and handing them a diploma. The focus at Frostburg is on giving students an education based not in textbooks that are quickly outdated, but based in the real world. Students learn to study, react to, and affect change in business and the world.

Tuition: Frostburg State University resident tuition is $14,715.00 for the full program, non-resident tuition is $18,900.00.

Unique Features: Frostburg State University’s affordability doesn’t just extend to Maryland residents. The university offers in state tuition to many bordering counties in West Virginia and Pennsylvania as well, and the price increase from in-state to out-of-state tuition is much lower than most universities.

#7. West Chester University: Master of Business Administration

Executive Summary: West Chester University is the 14th largest school in the Pennsylvania public university system. It’s official founding year was 1871, but its academic tradition dates back to the early 18th century when it was a state aided private institution.

Tuition: Resident tuition full program $21,879.00, Non-resident tuition full program $22,338.00.

Unique Features: The online business programs at WCU rank #38 in Faculty Credentials and Training on U.S. News and World Report’s distance education honor roll, the price difference for residents and nonresidents is practically non-existent making it especially attractive for students not seeking a program in their own state.

#8. Texas A&M University Commerce: Master of Business Administration

Executive Summary: Designed for working professionals the online MBA program at Texas A&M Commerce is a highly customizable program offering students many options as to what and how they study.

Tuition: At nine credits per semester, full program tuition for Texas residents is $8265.00-$13,224.00, non-resident tuition for the full program is $18,795.00-$30,072. The tuition costs vary as students will take between 30-48 credits depending on various factors.

Unique Features: The AACSB accredited Texas A&M Commerce online MBA program consists of two specializations and students can adjust their schedule to meet their needs. The per credit cost is reduced the more credits a student takes so a higher workload means an even more affordable degree.

#9. University of Nebraska Lincoln: Master of Business Administration

Executive Summary: University of Nebraska Lincoln is a public university founded in 1869 and its 140 year academic tradition is one of the longest in the midwest and UNL was also one of the first midwestern institutions to grant doctoral degrees.

Tuition: Tuition for the UNL online MBA is $25,488.00 for the full program.

Unique Features: UNL is ranked #101 among national universities, a very high ranking even among AACSB accredited universities, particularly those as cost effective as UNL.

#10. University of Houston-Victoria: Master of Business Administration

Executive Summary: Part of the public University of Houston System, UHV offers its students a quality yet affordable education, particularly in-state residents.

Tuition: Maximum full time non-resident tuition full program $35,700.00, maximum full time resident tuition full program $14,640.00

Unique Features: The course load for the MBA program at UHV varies depending on certain factors, the tuition listed is, as stated, the maximum full time tuition. While UHV may be the most expensive school on this list for out of state tuition, the in state tuition is quite affordable and the out of state tuition is still quite cheap compared to the average price tag of an MBA.