Online business administration degree: cost and pay (2026)
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- Tuition is $354 a credit at SNHU or a flat $3,850 term at WGU
- Flat terms beat $354 a credit through 10 full-rate WGU terms, with the listed fees
- Graduates earned a $68,257 median four years after finishing
- The highest school median debt is twice the lowest; pay differs by 27%
- Business and financial jobs paid a $82,660 median in May 2025
- Federal aid and your employer can lower the price
- Four checks before you enroll
- Frequently asked questions
- Next step: see your cost after aid
Business administration bachelor’s graduates who finished in 2017-18 and 2018-19 earned a median $68,257 in 2022 and 2023, and 2026-27 online tuition rates run from $354 to $580 a credit, or $3,850 a term at WGU.
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See whether the degree pays off at your pay
Pick a business job, enter your pay now and the yearly tuition. The ROI calculator uses BLS May 2025 pay. Free, no sign-up.
See my break-even yearThe pay figure is College Scorecard’s, from its October 2026 data. The rates are from the tuition pages of Southern New Hampshire University (SNHU), ASU Online and Western Governors University (WGU), whose $3,850 is per six-month term for its B.S. in Business Management at 12 or more units.
Paying with your own money this time means a wrong pick costs you directly. Three numbers cut that risk: the price as the school states it, what past graduates earned and borrowed, and what you would pay after aid.
This page covers the bachelor’s only. For more programs by field, see the online degrees hub.
Tuition is $354 a credit at SNHU or a flat $3,850 term at WGU
Each school states its price its own way, so the figures do not line up until you put them on one basis. The table uses 30 semester credits, the yearly figure SNHU’s own price table shows.
| School | Rate the school states | Tuition, 30 credits or two WGU terms |
|---|---|---|
| SNHU | $354 per credit, online undergraduate, 2026-27 | $10,620 |
| WGU | B.S. Business Management: $3,850 per six-month term from October 1, 2026, flat at 12 or more units | $7,700 |
| Purdue Global | $371 per quarter credit, online undergraduate, published September 16, 2026 (45 = 30 semester credits) | $16,695 |
| ASU Online | $580 per credit, its 2026-27 rate for most undergraduate programs | $17,400 |
WGU charges the flat rate to students taking 12 or more units in a term (WGU calls them CUs) and prorates tuition below that. In a full-rate term, the more courses you pass, the less each one costs.
Fees come on top of tuition. WGU lists an e-books and resources fee of $200 a term (its January 2026 business rates), and Purdue Global charges most undergraduates a $345 resource fee per term. ASU Online adds program fees that vary by program and calls its rate “not your final price.”
Purdue Global bills by the quarter credit, and one semester credit equals 1.5 quarter credits, so $371 works out to $556.50 per semester credit. Its self-paced ExcelTrack bachelor’s in business administration charges $2,500 a term and is not eligible for VA education benefits or federal Tuition Assistance.
Purdue Global offers a 3-week trial. If you continue after it, Purdue Global bills the full first term’s tuition, including the trial weeks.
Flat terms beat $354 a credit through 10 full-rate WGU terms, with the listed fees
SNHU puts its whole bachelor’s in business administration at $42,480 in tuition at 2026-2027 rates, which is 120 credits at $354, and adds a $100 conferral fee when you graduate. At WGU, a full-rate term is $3,850 in tuition plus the $200 resources fee, or $4,050, so the total depends on how many terms you need.
Your number depends on what transfers and how many courses you pass each term. These totals leave out aid and SNHU’s course materials, which vary by course (WGU’s fee covers its e-books and materials), and WGU’s fee is its January 2026 business rate.
What transfers is each school’s decision. SNHU accepts up to 90 transfer credits toward a bachelor’s and gives a free credit evaluation when you apply.
ASU Online accepts up to 64 credits from community, junior or two-year colleges, and you must complete 30 credits at ASU to graduate. It evaluates transfer credit after you apply.
Graduates earned a $68,257 median four years after finishing
College Scorecard’s October 15, 2026 release reports pay for business administration bachelor’s graduates nationwide. These figures cover 183,303 graduates who finished in 2017-18 and 2018-19, measured in 2022 and 2023, in 2024 dollars.
One year after finishing, the median was $55,206, for graduates who finished in 2020-21 and 2021-22. Scorecard counts only graduates who were working and not enrolled. It does not separate online graduates from campus graduates.
Scorecard lists 1,725 school programs in this field at the bachelor’s level, which awarded 159,702 degrees in 2023-24. At 322 of them, the school reports that every credential in the field can be finished fully online.
To see one school’s own row, search the school on College Scorecard, open its page and scroll to the fields of study. For how to read the figures, see how to check what a college’s graduates earn.
The highest school median debt is twice the lowest; pay differs by 27%
Each of these 12 schools awarded more than 500 of these bachelor’s degrees in 2023-24, and reports that some or all of them can be finished fully online. It is an editorial selection, not a ranking, and each row covers online and campus graduates together.
| School | Median pay, 4 years out | Median federal debt | Est. monthly payment |
|---|---|---|---|
| American Public University System | $75,722 | $17,511 | $199 |
| Arizona State University Digital Immersion | $82,535 | $20,159 | $229 |
| Colorado Technical University | $65,877 | $34,769 | $395 |
| Franklin University | $68,306 | $17,778 | $202 |
| Grand Canyon University | $65,828 | $23,423 | $266 |
| Liberty University | $67,269 | $20,500 | $233 |
| Purdue University Global | $66,495 | $30,896 | $351 |
| Southern New Hampshire University | $75,423 | $20,608 | $234 |
| University of Arizona Global Campus | $71,782 | $28,125 | $320 |
| University of Maryland Global Campus | $79,801 | $17,575 | $200 |
| University of Phoenix | $69,425 | $29,688 | $337 |
| Western Governors University | $83,654 | $17,299 | $197 |
Median pay at these 12 ran from $65,828 to $83,654, so the highest is 27% above the lowest. Median federal debt ran from $17,299 to $34,769, so the highest is about twice the lowest.
Pay is for graduates who finished in 2017-18 and 2018-19. Debt is for 2022-23 and 2023-24 graduates and counts federal loans only. The payment is Scorecard’s estimate for that debt on a 10-year plan.
A school’s median covers its past graduates of the field, online and campus together, in whatever jobs they took. It is not a forecast of your pay.
Business and financial jobs paid a $82,660 median in May 2025
The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) put the median for business and financial occupations at $82,660 in May 2025, against $50,980 for all occupations. Management occupations had a median of $126,520, and BLS, Bureau of Labor Statistics. The U.S. Department of Labor agency that publishes pay and job outlook figures for each occupation. lists work experience for the manager jobs below.
| Job (BLS code) | Median pay, May 2025 | Work experience |
|---|---|---|
| Financial managers (11-3031) | $166,570 | 5 years or more |
| Sales managers (11-2022) | $148,270 | Less than 5 years |
| Project management specialists (13-1082) | $102,320 | None |
| Accountants and auditors (13-2011) | $83,680 | None |
| Market research analysts (13-1161) | $78,760 | None |
| Human resources specialists (13-1071) | $75,940 | None |
BLS lists a bachelor’s degree as the typical entry education for all six. The manager jobs pay the most, and BLS expects related work experience for them as well. A median is the middle worker, not a starting salary: one in ten accountants earned less than $56,020 in May 2025 (OEWS, 13-2011).
Whether the degree pays for itself depends on your current pay and the price you pay.
Federal aid and your employer can lower the price
Pell Grants pay up to $7,395 for 2026-27 to undergraduates who qualify. That maximum is $305 less than two WGU terms and $3,225 less than 30 credits at SNHU.
Federal Student Aid caps Direct Loans for an independent undergraduate at $9,500 in the first year, rising to $12,500 from the third year, with $57,500 in total. Undergraduate Direct Loans first paid out in 2026-27 carry a 6.52% fixed rate.
If you work, up to $5,250 of employer-paid tuition in 2026 can be tax-free under IRS Section 127. Ask HR which schools the plan accepts before you apply.
Four checks before you enroll
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Confirm the school's accreditation
Federal aid depends on the school’s institutional accreditor. See how to check whether an online school is legit.
-
Find out how credits are counted
Semester credits, quarter credits and flat terms price differently. Convert before you compare.
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Get a transfer evaluation in writing
If you have fewer than 60 credits, compare the price of finishing an online associate degree first, and how much of it the bachelor’s school accepts.
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Read your employer's tuition plan
Note the yearly cap, the schools it accepts and any rule about staying after you are reimbursed.
Frequently asked questions
Is an online business administration degree worth it?
It depends on the price you pay and the job you move into. Business administration bachelor’s graduates who finished in 2017-18 and 2018-19 earned a median $68,257 in 2022 and 2023 (College Scorecard, October 2026). Compare that with your pay now and the price for the credits you have left.
How much does an online business administration degree cost?
At 2026-27 rates, tuition is $354 a credit at SNHU and $3,850 per six-month term for WGU’s B.S. in Business Management at 12 or more units. ASU Online’s 2026-27 rate for most undergraduate programs is $580 a credit, plus program fees, and Purdue Global’s rate published September 16, 2026 is $371 a quarter credit. SNHU puts its whole business administration bachelor’s at $42,480 in tuition.
Is this the same as an online MBA?
No. This page covers the bachelor’s. For master’s programs, see the online MBA programs compared on accreditation and outcomes.
Next step: see your cost after aid
Pick two schools from the tables and get each one’s transfer evaluation. Then run the aid check: it shows your estimated Pell Grant and federal loans under the rules for the year you plan to start (2026-27 or 2027-28), so you can subtract them from each school’s price. School matching comes after your result, and it is optional.
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See what aid applies before you pick a school
Free. Your estimated Pell Grant and federal loans show on screen, with no name, email or phone. School matching after your result is optional.
Check my aidSources
Every figure in this guide comes from one of these pages. How we check sources
- U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard data files, October 15, 2026 release (field of study: Business Administration, Management and Operations, CIP 52.02, bachelor's)
- College Scorecard, school search
- College Scorecard data dictionary, October 15, 2026 release (FieldOfStudy_Cohort_Map: cohort years)
- BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook, Business and Financial Occupations (May 2025 pay, 2025-35 outlook)
- BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook, Management Occupations (May 2025 pay)
- BLS OEWS May 2025, Financial Managers (11-3031)
- BLS Employment Projections 2025-35, occupational projections and worker characteristics
- Southern New Hampshire University, online tuition 2026-2027
- Western Governors University, 2026-2027 tuition (terms starting on or after October 1, 2026)
- Western Governors University, School of Business tuition and fees
- Purdue Global, undergraduate and graduate tuition and fees (published September 16, 2026)
- Purdue Global, ExcelTrack bachelor's in business administration
- ASU Online, what it costs (2026-27)
- Federal Student Aid, 2026-27 Federal Pell Grant maximum and minimum award amounts
- Federal Student Aid, Direct Loan interest rates and limits
- IRS Publication 5993, employer educational assistance
Related Resources
Best Online Business Programs 2026: MBA Outcomes
Seven online MBA programs compared on AACSB or ACBSP accreditation and Scorecard outcomes. Financial managers earned a $166,570 median in May 2025.
How to check what a college's graduates earn (2026)
The College Scorecard shows graduates' median pay by program, 1 and 4 years out. The FAFSA flags schools whose graduates earn less than high school graduates.
Is an online degree worth it? 2026 payback math by field
An online degree pays off when the job it leads to pays well above what you earn now. BLS 2025 wages by field, Scorecard costs and the payback formula.