List of Cheap Online MBA Programs That Can Be Completed in Under 1 Year

[Alex8]

This is exactly what I was looking for! Can someone please tell me which online MBA programs are open for international students?

[bjcheung77]

This is exactly what I was looking for! Can someone please tell me which online MBA programs are open for international students?

They all do, except for one institution in the entire thread... WGU does not. To be on the safe side, find the top few you want to review, and check for yourself.

[Pats20]

Here’s one. $14k
AACSB

https://degree.lamar.edu/online-programs/business/

Lots of concentrations and options.


Sorry. Looks like someone already mentioned it. 

[Heartstrings]

Could you please tell me which courses can be transferred over from undergrad for the UMPI MSML? I do have a BLS minor in management from them.

---

I noticed many more options now for online MBAs that cost under 15k and can be completed in one year or less.

So creating a list may be a good idea.

DF Member's Most Popular Master's Programs

Western Governors University CBE ACBSP MBA $4755 per term (can complete in 1 term)
https://www.wgu.edu/online-business-degr...ogram.html

Purdue Unversity Global CBE MBA $1700 per term (someone reported doing Masters in IT 4 terms (6 weeks term) which is like 6 months)
https://www.purdueglobal.edu/degree-prog...ba-degree/

UMPI CBE MAOL $2150 per 8wk term (4-12 months) (quicker if you transfer in 3 courses from undergrad)
https://www.umpi.edu/yourpace/maol/

Walden Unversity CBE ACBSP MBA $13,000 (12 months)
https://info.waldenu.edu/walden-programs...nistration

LSU Shreveport AACSB MBA $12,474 (10 months)
https://online.lsu.edu/master-business-a...ration-gp/

Eastern University ACBSP MBA $9900 (10 months)
https://www.eastern.edu/academics/gradua...management

Missouri State University AACSB MBA $15,100 (as little as 12 months full time)
https://mba.missouristate.edu/Online_Program.htm

Amberton University ACBSP $9900 (10 months)
https://amberton.edu/masters-degrees/

HAU $3000 (4 semesters or 15 months)
https://mba.hauniv.edu/academics/mba-program/

Other MBA's

Texas A&M University-Corpus Chisti  ACBSP MBA $15,200 (12 months)
https://online.tamucc.edu/online/bus-mba-hyper-201101/

Pittsburg State University AACSB MBA $11,250 (12 months)
https://degree.pittstate.edu/online/bus-...er-211014/

Arkansas State University  AACSB MBA $16,962 (12 months) 
https://degree.astate.edu/online/sap/bus/

Longwood University AACSB MBA $13,361 (10 months) 
https://online.longwood.edu/online/bus-mba-lp-200407/

William Paterson University ACBSP MBA $17,490 (12 months)
https://online.wpunj.edu/online/bus-mba-sap2-210225/

University of Southern Indiana AACSB MBA $12,900 (11 months)
https://online.usi.edu/online/bus-mba-lp-201101/

Southeastern Oklahoma State University AACSB MBA $12,132 (12 months)
https://online.se.edu/online/bus-mba-hyp...m-in-hero/

Emporia State University AACSB MBA $11,979 (12 months)
https://online.emporia.edu/online/bus-mba-sap2-221004/

I wanted to add American Public University System. Either AMU or APU. You can take 12 credit hours at one time and with approval 15 credit hours and their classes are either 8 weeks or 16 weeks depends. Their Master's degrees are either 30 or 36 credit hours. Some of their classes overlap with other degree programs so you can earn an additional Master's degree in less time and for even cheaper.

[bjcheung77]

A few years ago, I remember Excelsior had an awesome MPA program where they accepted 33 credits out of 36, they then dropped that down to 27 of 30 credits, most recently, it's set to just 15... It was a very enticing, tempting program, I think one of our members jumped on that deal at the time before they changed to the 15 credit max... Hopefully some institutions can/will provide up to 50% transfers if possible in the future, we should have more of these as people 'change' their minds or views all the time.

[spree610]

A few years ago, I remember Excelsior had an awesome MPA program where they accepted 33 credits out of 36, they then dropped that down to 27 of 30 credits, most recently, it's set to just 15...  It was a very enticing, tempting program, I think one of our members jumped on that deal at the time before they changed to the 15 credit max... Hopefully some institutions can/will provide up to 50% transfers if possible in the future, we should have more of these as people 'change' their minds or views all the time.

As an online student at Liberty University, you can transfer in up to 45 credits into an associate degree, up to 90 credits into a bachelor’s degree, and up to 50% of the total credits toward a master’s degree. LUO Transfer Credit FAQs - Liberty University Online

Side note: They also have programs where you can get an executive graduate certificate and transfer all of it's credits into associated Doctorate programs.

[dervish]

Great list. But what would be the *HIGHEST* ranked online MBA that's *UNDER* $20k and is *AACSB* accredited and could be done in 12 months (or slightly longer, but definitely not 2 years)? Could be any concentration. For out of state student.

"Highest ranked" could mean any of these rankings: US News, FT, The Economist, Princeton, Bloomberg, P&Q, and could be of the online MBA, regular in person full-time MBA, part-time MBA, or even the graduate school of business or the undergraduate school of business.

WGU, BU, UMich, UMass, UIUC do not qualify either due to higher cost or being ACBSP accredited.

[Jonathan Whatley]

Great list. But what would be the *HIGHEST* ranked online MBA that's *UNDER* $20k and is *AACSB* accredited and could be done in 12 months (or slightly longer, but definitely not 2 years)? Could be any concentration. For out of state student.

"Highest ranked" could mean any of these rankings: US News, FT, The Economist, Princeton, Bloomberg, P&Q, and could be of the online MBA, regular in person full-time MBA, part-time MBA, or even the graduate school of business or the undergraduate school of business.

WGU, BU, UMich, UMass, UIUC do not qualify either due to higher cost or being ACBSP accredited.

Here's the US News Best Online MBA Programs list filtered by maximum out-of-state tuition 666 per credit – a hypothetical 30-credit MBA at that price would be just under $20k – and ordered by US News online MBA ranking. However, below I'm using out-of-state tuition numbers from each school. The tuition numbers in the US News database are a starting point but often not current.

University of Nebraska–Lincoln at #19 fails the $20k criterion at 675 x 48 = 32 400. It is AACSB and can be completed "as quickly as 1.5 years."

Oklahoma State University Spears School of Business at #27
✓ 530 x 33 = 17 490 out of state
✓ AACSB
✓ "in as little as 16 months"

University of Wisconsin–Whitewater also at #27 (tie) fails the $20k criterion at 678 x 36 = 24 408. It is AACSB and it seems it can be completed in one year.

Texas Tech University Rawls College of Business at #33 fails the $20k criterion. Tech's tuition estimator suggests tuition and fees are around 25 190. It is AACSB and can be completed "in as few as 12 months."

[dervish]

Universities play dirty games with US News and others, by deliberately UNDERESTIMATING the cost of tuition. For example, last month I contacted Texas Tech at Rawls, being impressed by their #33 ranking and cost below $20k. That's a false number - a bait. Here's what they wrote to me, I'm quoting:

Rawls: "The program is 27,000-30,000."

Me: "I thought the cost was around $383 per credit, so $16k for 42 credits? That's what's listed at the US News <URL>. It's a significant difference."

Rawls: "That does not include fees or textbooks. You can go to our website to get the exact number but it normally falls between 27,000 and 30,000."

Aside from an almost 100% times higher price tag than advertised, why would I go to a lying university that's wasting time of people like me and everyone else on this forum? And why would I go to some Rawls when for that price tag I can go to Boston or UMass? Ridiculous and outrageous.

They are not the only one's, by the way. West Texas A&M University is somewhat similar - told me on the phone there will be some automatic scholarship to reduce the tuition, then I spoke to them again saying very confused by their online numbers and ways to calculate, so they finally admitted it's $540 per credit, for a minimum of 37 credits that's required, instead of $410 that US News lists for them.

I also contacted US News about these discrepancies, but they told me they can't change it, it's self-reported by universities and only they can change it. Ridiculous policy by US News which doesn't want to burden itself with verifications and data integrity checks.

So I don't believe the numbers in US News or anywhere, especially Texas :-) -- only clear numbers on the websites of the MBA programs, coupled with a phone conversation with that university to affirm that their website is current and the number is still correct.

---

Rawls is lying in US News - it costs $30k to attend its online MBA. I have emails from them admitting this stunning info to me.

Same for West Texas A&M for example - instead of the $410 per credit they report to US News they are actually at $540.

Same with a few other schools. Basically, several of them are basically lying to US News, and when I contacted US News about it, they said they won't change these false numbers, since only the universities that report them can do that. Weird catch 22 - just because US News doesn't want the headache and expense of dealing with verification of data.

[dervish]

Ultimately, stuck between UMass Lowell vs UIS (Springfield). Both could be done in 12 months, UMass Lowell is almost $20k, UIS is over $15k. Lowell MBA is ranked in Poets and Quants, whilst UIS is not. UIS curriculum seems to be better. Ultimately, what sounds better to most regular HR/recruiters: "Went to UMass" or "Went to U of Illinois"? Appreciate your input.

University of Illinois--Springfield is Unranked in Best Business Schools and No. 184 (tie) in Part-time MBA according to US News.
The University of Illinois at Springfield (UIS) is ranked #251-300 in the QS World University Rankings 2023.
UIC rose into the top 200 in the Times Higher Education World University Rankings in 2022
US News & World Report rankings:
No. 1 public regional university in Illinois (2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024).
No. 6 public regional university in the Midwest (2024).

U.S. News & World Report, the University of Massachusetts Lowell (UMass Lowell) is ranked 159 out of 439 National Universities in the 2024 edition of Best Colleges
The University of Massachusetts Lowell (UMass Lowell) is ranked #751–800 globally by QS World University Rankings. It is also ranked:
#501–600 globally by Times Higher Education World University Rankings
#601–800 worldwide by ARWU (Shanghai Ranking)
#1136 in Best Global Universities by U.S. News & World Report
#159 out of 439 National Universities by U.S. News & World Report