Find inexpensive MBA options.
An online MBA doesn’t have to cost a fortune. Some online programs offer part-time students the chance to earn an MBA for only a few hundred dollars per credit. According to data reported to U.S. News in an annual survey, the average cost among the 10 most affordable online MBA options for out-of-state students is $302.80 per credit hour. Here are the 10 ranked public and private online MBA programs that charged the least per credit for part-time, out-of-state students during the 2022-2023 school year, organized by overall cost.
10. Missouri State University
Part-time, out-of-state tuition per credit: $333
Number of credits needed to graduate: 34
Total cost for out-of-state students: $11,322
Rank: 202 (tie)
Three-year graduation rate (2021-2022): Not provided
Founded in 1905, the primary goal of this university at its inception was to train public school teachers in southwest Missouri. Missouri State’s first class included about 550 students, but it now enrolls roughly 25,000 students. The university offers undergraduate and graduate programs, and the school’s mission, according its website, is to train “global citizen scholars committed to public affairs.”
Learn more about Missouri State University.
9. University of Central Oklahoma
Part-time, out-of-state tuition per credit: $352
Number of credits needed to graduate: 32
Total cost for out-of-state students: $11,264
Rank: 234 (tie)
Three-year graduation rate (2021-2022): Not provided
The University of Central Oklahoma was founded on Christmas Eve in 1890 and welcomed its first class, made up of 23 students, less than a year later. One of the oldest universities in Oklahoma, UCO had an undergraduate enrollment of nearly 12,000 students in fall 2021, according to U.S. News data. The school offers nearly 120 undergraduate academic programs and 81 graduate programs.
Learn more about the University of Central Oklahoma.
8. Lamar University (TX)
Part-time, out-of-state tuition per credit: $331
Number of credits needed to graduate: 30
Total cost for out-of-state students: $9,930
Rank: 261-344
Three-year graduation rate (2021-2022): Not provided
Though originally established as a junior college in 1923, this public university now offers both undergraduate and graduate programs. Its namesake is Mirabeau B. Lamar, a former president of the Republic of Texas, who led the region before it became a part of the U.S. This school became a member of the Texas State University System in 1995.
Learn more about Lamar University.
7. University of Central Arkansas
Part-time, out-of-state tuition per credit: $325
Number of credits needed to graduate: 30
Total cost for out-of-state students: $9,750
Rank: 261-344
Three-year graduation rate (2021-2022): Not provided
Though this public school was initially created to train teachers and had roughly 100 students in its original class in 1908, it now grants a variety of degrees, including doctorates, and enrolled 9,913 students to start the 2022 academic year. As of 2022, the school offered more than 160 academic programs.
Learn more about University of Central Arkansas.
6. Northeastern State University (OK)
Part-time, out-of-state tuition per credit: $268
Number of credits needed to graduate: 36
Total cost for out-of-state students: $9,648
Rank: 210 (tie)
Three-year graduation rate (2021-2022): 56%
Founded in 1846 as the Cherokee National Female Seminary, Northeastern State claims to be Oklahoma’s oldest institution of higher learning. The state of Oklahoma purchased the seminary in 1909 and it became the Northeastern State Normal School. Later incarnations were known as Northeastern State Teacher’s College and Northeastern State College. The school has operated under its current name since 1978.
More on Northeastern State University.
5. Texas A&M University–Corpus Christi
Part-time, out-of-state tuition per credit: $302
Number of credits needed to graduate: 30
Total cost for out-of-state students: $9,060
Rank: 261-344
Three-year graduation rate (2021-2022): Not provided
When this Gulf Coast school was established under a different name in 1947, it had 312 students. By 2021, undergraduate enrollment was more than 8,000 students, according to U.S. News data. The university was and still is based on an island, and is often referred to as “the Island University.” The school’s official name has changed multiple times.
Learn more about Texas A&M University–Corpus Christi.
4. Eastern University (PA)
Part-time, out-of-state tuition per credit: $300
Number of credits needed to graduate: 30
Total cost for out-of-state students: $9,000
Rank: 261-344
Three-year graduation rate (2021-2022): Not provided
On March 19, 1925, six Baptist ministers founded what was then called the Eastern Baptist Theological Seminary. A collegiate department was established in 1932, and 20 years later the college became a separate institution and relocated to its current home in St. Davids, Pennsylvania. The university now enrolls roughly 5,700 students and offers nearly 140 academic programs.
Learn more about Eastern University.
3. Fitchburg State University (MA)
Part-time, out-of-state tuition per credit: $284
Number of credits needed to graduate: 30
Total cost for out-of-state students: $8,520
Rank: 261-344
Three-year graduation rate (2021-2022): 78%
Fitchburg State was established as the State Normal School in Fitchburg in an old high school in 1894 and began as a two-year program for training female teachers. It wasn’t until 1930 that the first bachelor’s degrees were offered and shortly thereafter, in 1932, the school became the State Teachers College at Fitchburg. The school would undergo more programmatic growth and two more name changes before becoming Fitchburg State University in 2010.
More on Fitchburg State University.
2. University of Texas Permian Basin
Part-time, out-of-state tuition per credit: $275
Number of credits needed to graduate: 30
Total cost for out-of-state students: $8,250
Rank: 132 (tie)
Three-year graduation rate (2021-2022): 68%
When the Texas Legislature voted to establish this university in 1969, the plan was for an upper-level university that would educate college juniors and seniors, plus graduate students. A property dispute delayed construction of the university for years, but it finally opened in 1973. State legislators subsequently passed a bill that established a four-year college at this university, which enrolled its “Pioneer Freshmen” class in 1991.
Learn more about University of Texas Permian Basin.
1. Louisiana Tech University
Part-time, out-of-state tuition per credit: $258
Number of credits needed to graduate: 30
Total cost for out-of-state students: $7,740
Rank: 85 (tie)
Three-year graduation rate (2020-2021): 72%
Established in 1894 as an industrially oriented academic institution, Louisiana Tech now awards a variety of bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degrees. The school notes on its website that it expects students and faculty to abide by a variety of principles, known as the “Tenets of Tech,” and to embody certain core values, such as leadership and enthusiasm.
Learn more about Louisiana Tech University.
More about online MBA programs
Find out what questions to ask when paying for an online degree and get our complete rankings of the 2023 Best Online MBA Programs. For more advice and information on how to finance an online education, connect with U.S. News Education on Twitter and Facebook.
Least expensive online MBA programs
— Louisiana Tech University
— University of Texas Permian Basin
— Fitchburg State University
— Eastern University
— Texas A&M–Corpus Christi
— Northeastern State University
— University of Central Arkansas
— Lamar University
— University of Central Oklahoma
— Missouri State University
More from U.S. News
U.S. News Ranks 2021 Best Online Programs
Consider an Online MBA Program With a Residency Component
What Employers Think of Your Online MBA Degree
10 Most Affordable Online MBA Programs originally appeared on usnews.com
Update 01/24/23: This story has been updated with new information, including data from the 2023 Best Online Programs rankings.
