10 Accredited Online MBA Programs That Cost Less Than $30K

With an array of accredited Online MBA programs costing less than $30K, you don’t need to break the bank to graduate with a quality business education

While the pandemic continues to distance itself from our memory, Online MBAs remain popular. Nearly 3% more students were enrolled in online MBA programs in the US during the 2020-2021 academic year than in full-time programs, according to the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB).

Distance learning MBA programs are attractive both for their flexibility and the fact they allow you to continue work and develop core business skills. There's also a range of affordable Online MBA programs that'll give you a business education without breaking the bank. But do lower fees mean poorer quality?

Many more affordable programs carry accreditation from industry bodies including the likes of AMBA, AACSB, EQUIS, or EFMD. That's typically a stamp of approval, and a guarantee that you're paying for a quality business school degree.

Here are 10 accredited Online MBA programs with the most affordable price tags.

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10) University of Bradford School of Management ($24,100)

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This school is triple accredited by AMBA, AACSB, and EQUIS, a gold standard as far as accredited Online MBA programs go.

The course can be completed part-time within two to three years. Core modules include Competitiveness through Technology and Innovation, Leadership for Transformational Change, Digital Marketing, Branding and Strategy, and Accounting and Economics for Decision Making.

You can also choose to take electives in Corporate Finance and Crowdfunding, Marketing Communications, and Diversity, Scale and Development.

9) University of South Florida: Muma ($24,800)

South Florida’s program is among the Online MBA programs accredited by industry body AACSB. It is also ranked 19th by US News & World Report. The distance learning MBA allows you to customize your studies with one of five optional concentrations in Finance, Healthcare Analytics, Cybersecurity, Data Analytics, or Compliance, Risk, and Anti-Money Laundering. It also has core courses with modules in Financial Management, Marketing Management, and Accounting Concepts for Managers.

The program’s asynchronous courses can be completed any time, and, for students who also want to build a network with their peers, there are weekly discussions and collaboration sessions.

8) University of Wisconsin-Whitewater ($24,400)

This AACSB-accredited Online MBA has 13 concentrations and over 50 electives. Concentrations range from Accounting and Cybersecurity Management, to Environmental Health and Safety to data security.

To be eligible, you either need to have four or more years of professional work experience or two or more years of work experience with a 3.0 GPA.

7) University of Liverpool Management School ($27,500)

Liverpool's Online MBA holds the elite triple crown accreditation of AACSB, AMBA, and EQUIS, and this year it made its way onto the Financial Times' Top 10 Online MBA programs. This includes ranking first overall for ‘career progression’, with the average online MBA graduate seeing an increase of 32% in their salary after completion, and third based on ‘value for money’.

The program includes core courses such as Developing as a Manager and Leader and Innovation and Entrepreneurship and electives including Data Strategy and Analytics for Managers and Project Management.

Candidates are expected to have three years of substantive management experience.

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6) Oxford Brookes Business School ($23,300)

The Oxford Brookes Online MBA is a 30-month, flexible, part-time program. It came 15th in the 2022 QS rankings. You’re eligible to apply with a minimum of three years of professional experience, a good degree (or GPA equivalent), and two written references. Students in this program are a little more experienced than other cohorts—the average student usually has 13 years of professional work experience.

Core modules include Innovation, Creativity, and Enterprise, Global Strategy under Uncertainty, and Accounting for Decision making. You can also choose to take electives in a diverse range of courses including Strategic Corporate Finance, Business in Emerging Markets, Beyond Marketing, and Digital Transformation & Leadership.

At the final stage of the MBA, you’ll be asked to complete your capstone project in the form of a dissertation, an individual consultancy project, a group consultancy project, or a business start-up plan.

The school's MBA is accredited by both AMBA and the European Foundation for Management Development (EFMD).

5) EU Business School ($19,350)

EU's 15-month Online MBA ranked top in CEO Magazine’s Online Global Rankings nine years running. It has a number of specializations including Entrepreneurship and Blockchain Management, with courses in Transformational Management & Leadership, Negotiation, Global Economics, Legal Issues & Business Ethics, and Communication for Success.

You'll also find yourself immersed in a diverse cohort, with 100+ nationalities represented and an average of 3.5 languages spoken. You are also guaranteed top job prospects as 93% of graduates accept job offers within six months of graduation.

The program is accredited by ACBSP, IACBE, IQA, and is certified by eduQua.

4) SBS Swiss Business School ($17,800)

This two-year Online MBA program has 15 modules, with one module running every eight weeks. The program aims to improve students’ leadership qualities, international business acumen, and sustainability efforts with live webinar sessions and discussion boards and forums.

It has 10 core courses, including Leadership and Organizational Change and Managerial Economics and five specializations in Entrepreneurship, Finance and Crypto Investments, Global Finance and Banking, International Management, and Marketing.

The school holds accreditation from the likes of the Swiss Accreditation Council, British Accreditation Council, ACBSP, and IACBE.

3) Ball State University: Miller ($18,300)

Indiana's Miller College of Business is among the accredited Online MBA programs with a stamp of approval from AACSB.

This distance learning MBA allows students to customize their degree by choosing one of eight concentrations in topics such as Artificial Intelligence, Business Analytics, Healthcare Administration, Finance, or Healthcare Administration.

Some courses are offered in asynchronous format, so you can undertake weekly assignments and deadlines at your own pace.

2) Fayetteville State University ($21,046)

This AACSB-accredited, distance learning program can be completed in as little as 12 months, but you can take up to 72 months if you want. It consists of 27 credit hours and nine to 12 elective credit hours. The program is even cheaper if you’re studying in-state, at $6,900.

You can also choose between concentrations in Business Intelligence and Data Analytics, Entrepreneurship, Finance, General Business, Healthcare Management, International Business, Management, Marketing, Project Management, and Supply Chain Management.

To be eligible to apply, you will need a minimum GMAT score of 400 and a minimum GPA of 2.75 or higher. The average age of candidates is 35 years old, with 45% of students women.

1) Georgia Southwestern State University ($9,210)

Another of the accredited Online MBA programs stamped by AACSB, Georgia Southwestern State University's two-year, distance learning MBA provides a broad base of business knowledge in finance, ethics, international business, management, and marketing.

The curriculum includes core courses in Managerial Economics, Organizational Theory & Behaviour, Strategic Management, and International Business Practice.

Applications open three times per year, in June, November, and April.

Next Read:

Online MBA Guide 2024

This article was first published in December 2021, updated in 2022, last updated in May 2023.