10 Most Affordable Business Analytics Bachelor’s for 2020

Earning a degree can be expensive. Instead of settling for a cheap analytics degree, look for ways to defray the cost of earning your diploma. Applying for grants and scholarships is one of the best ways to pay for your college classes. Grants are often recurring which means that they will continue to provide funds for anywhere from two to four years, depending on your degree program. Scholarships, like grants, are considered “gifts” and don’t need to be paid back. Most scholarships are given to students one time. Some are offered by organizations while others may come from endowments. Either way, students are required to meet specific requirements and need to prove eligibility. Scholarships vary in amount, so students may want to apply to several different programs.

Another way to defer the cost of your education is to see if your employer has a reimbursement program for students who want to return to school. If you are going to earn a degree that will benefit your employer, many companies will offer to reimburse you for all or part of your educational expenses once you have passed your classes and can show them your grades. The cheapest analytics degrees aren’t necessarily inexpensive. It all depends on the different ways you can find to pay for them.

Methodology: Ranking the Most Affordable Business Analytics Degrees 

Great Business Schools editors focus on accredited, reputable institutions for the ranking of the most affordable business analytics degrees, but when it comes to arranging the list, one factor matters above all: tuition cost, from lowest to highest, according to IPEDS data. 

1. Miami Dade College

Miami Dade College offers a BS in Data Analytics that is considered one of the most affordable business analytics degrees available. Degree candidates enrolled in MDC’s most affordable analytics degree program must complete 120 credit units over a four-year timeframe. Students study the areas of regression analysis, statistical methods, business analytics, and data visualization. MDC’s BS in Data Analytics is available on the Wolfson and Kendall Campuses.

Miami Dade College was established in 1959 as a junior college on the property of farm owned by the county school system. The school operates eight satellite campuses in Miami Dade county. Miami Dade College is recognized for enrolling a large number of Hispanic students. 

Highlight Miami Dade College holds the distinction of being the largest college within the state’s college system with more than 160,000 students.

Degree Data Analytics, BS

2. Indiana University-Purdue University-Indianapolis

Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis’s (IUPUI) School of Informatics and Computing offers a Bachelor of Science (BS) degree in Applied Data & Information Science that is considered a most affordable analytics degree program. As one of the most affordable business analytics degrees available, IUPUI’s BS in Data and Information Science prepares graduates to harness the power of big data analytics with regard to business decisions. The Applied Data and Information Science concentrations each have a specific curriculum. IUPUI offers an accelerated option that includes earning a BS and MS in only five years.

Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis is a public institution of higher education that was established in 1969. The school is a core campus for Indiana University with the authority to grant Purdue Degrees. IUPUI’s campus is situated on a peninsula surrounded by the White River and Fall Creek. 

Highlight The school’s urban campus serves more than 30,000 students.

Degree Applied Data and Information Science, BS

3. Brigham Young University

Brigham Young University offers a BS in Applied Statistics & Analytics that is considered one of the most affordable business analytics degrees in the education marketplace. BYU’s most affordable analytics degree requires degree candidates to complete 50 and one-half hours in coursework related to the applied statistics and analytics degree. Coursework for Brigham Young University’s undergraduate business analytics degree includes Calculus 1 & 2, Statistics, Regression, Inference & Probability, and Base Programming, to name a few.

Brigham Young University was established in 1875. The school maintains a close affiliation with the LDS Church – the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The school operates as a space-grant university that serves nearly 33,500 students. 

Highlight Students enrolled in Brigham Young University must comply with the school’s honor code that aligns with LDS teachings of honesty and abstinence.

Degree Statistics: Applied Statistics & Analytics, BS

4. Indiana University – Bloomington

Indiana University – Bloomington’s Kelley School of Business offers a BS in Business Analytics that prepares graduates for careers in corporate info technology or business consulting. IU Bloomington’s most affordable analytics degree program is offered as a second major as well. Coursework for one of the most affordable business analytics degrees available includes Modeling Business Data, Security Trading, Business Strategy, Predictive Analytics, and business Econometrics. The undergraduate program from Kelly School of Business requires the completion of 120 credit units.

Indiana University – Bloomington is a public university that was founded in 1920. Indiana University – Bloomington is the flagship school of the state and the Indiana University system. The school’s small city campus covers nearly 2,000 acres and serves nearly 44,000 students. 

Highlight IU Bloomington is recognized among the country’s elite public ivy universities.  

Degree Business: Business Analytics, BS

5. Rutgers University

Rutgers University offers a BS in Business Analytics & Information Technology (BAIT) that is recognized among the most affordable business analytics degrees available today. Students enrolled in Rutgers most affordable analytics degree program graduate to find rewarding careers as a statistician, a risk analyst, a business analyst, an operations researcher, and security specialist, among others. Coursework includes object-oriented computer programming statistical analysis, risk modeling, database design, and decision analysis, among others.

Rutgers University was established in 1766 as one of the nine colonial colleges, schools established before the signing of the Declaration of Independence. The school is a land-grant, sea-grant, and space-grant school with nearly 69,000 students. 

Highlight Rutgers University is the state and flagship university of the state of New Jersey. The school was initially named Queens College and founded in 1766.

Degree Business Analytics and Information Technology

6. Montana Technological University

Montana Technological University offers a BS in Data Science that prepares students for the number one best job in 2018, as a Data Scientist. Montana Technological University’s most affordable analytics degree is the only undergraduate data science degree offered in the state of Montana. MTU’s data science bachelor’s degree is considered one of the most affordable business analytics degrees offered in the upper midwestern portion of the US. Degree candidates graduate prepared for a career as a data architect, statistician, or data scientist, to name just a few.

Montana Technological University was established in 1889 as the Montana State School of Mines. Montana Technological University is a member school of the University of Montana. The school’s campus in Butte serves nearly 2,500 students studying for the school 40+ degree programs. 

Highlight The Washington Post ranked Montana Tech’s graduates among the highest paying grads based on starting salaries.

Degree Data Science, BS 

7. Southern Utah University

Southern Utah University offers either Bachelor of Arts (BA) degree or a Bachelor of Science (BS) degree in Economics with an emphasis on Business Analytics that is considered one of the most affordable business analytics degrees in the four-corner area of the US. Coursework for SUU’s most affordable analytics degree program includes Quantitative Business Methods, Calculus, Econometrics, Macro/Microeconomics, and Statistical Inferences, among others. SUU’s undergraduate economics degree with a concentration in business analytics requires the completion of 120 credit units to graduate.

Southern Utah University was founded in 1897 as a teacher’s normal college. SUU is a public institution of higher learning that serves more than 11,000 undergraduate and graduate students each year. SUU is a member of the Big Sky Conference. 

Highlight Southern Utah University is the official site for the state’s annual summer games.

Degree Economics – Business Analytics Emphasis, BS/BA

8. Florida Polytechnic University

Florida Polytechnic University offers a BS in Business Analytics that is recognized among the most affordable business analytics degrees in Florida and the Southern United States. Florida Poly’s most affordable analytics degree program offers degree candidates several concentrations from which to choose – Health Systems, Supply Chain Management/Logistics, Quantitative Economics/Econometrics, Intelligent Mobility, and Health Informatics. Degree candidates participate in a team capstone project that lasts for twelve months.

Florida Polytechnic University is a public institution of higher education that was founded in 2012. Florida Poly is one of the twelve member schools of the State University System of Florida. The school’s suburban 170 acre is home to more than 1,200 students. 

Highlight Value Colleges recognizes the affordable tuition at Florida Poly by ranking the school first in the country for the lowest tuition for out of state students.

Degree Business Analytics, BS

9. Eastern Michigan University

Eastern Michigan University offers a BS in Data Science and Analytics that is considered among the most affordable business analytics degrees available in the education marketplace. Students enrolled in EMU’s most affordable analytics degree program graduate prepared for a rewarding career as a data science analyst, data engineer, decision scientist, machine learning analyst, or data architect, to name a few. Students must complete 124 credit units to graduate from Eastern Michigan University’s undergraduate business analytics degree program.

Eastern Michigan University was established in 1849 as a teacher’s normal school.  EMU’s 800-acre campus is home to more than 23,000 students studying for a degree offered by the university’s seven colleges/schools. 

Highlight Eastern Michigan University operates eight satellite campuses in Ypsilanti, Brighton, Detroit, Jackson, Livonia, Monroe, Lapeer, and Traverse City.

Degree Data Science and Analytics, BS

10. Iowa State University

Iowa State University of Science & Technology offers a BS in Business Analytics that is recognized as one of the most affordable business analytics degrees available today. Coursework for Iowa State’s most affordable analytics degree program includes Database Management, Analytical Finance, Marketing Analytics, Accounting Information Systems, Supply Chain Analytics, Introduction to Data Science, and Logistician Decision Making, to name a few. Students enrolled in Iowa State’s BS in business analytics program requires the completion of 122 credit units to graduate.

Iowa State University is a public, flagship university that was established in 1858 under the Morrill Land Grant Act. Additionally, Iowa State is a space-grant institution of higher education. The school’s urban campus covers more than 1,800 acres and serves more than 33,100 students. 

Highlight Iowa State University holds the distinction of being the largest institution of higher education in the state of Iowa.

Degree Business Analytics, BS

Will a Business Analytics Certification Help My Career?

Certifications in business analytics can open the door to new opportunities for individuals who already have several years of experience in their chosen field. For a person who has 15, 20, or more years of experience, going back to school to earn a degree can be a little overwhelming. It’s also unnecessary for many. The experience they have gained simply by working in the field and completing the processes and tasks required, already shows they have the knowledge without having to go back to school to earn a degree.

Earning a certification in business analytics, however, will give them the credentials they need to back up all of their hard-earned experience. Certification in business analytics programs can be completed in a much shorter period of time than an actual degree program. They can also be completed online which means they can continue to work and support their family while attending school. Another benefit of working and learning at the same time is that the student has the opportunity to use new tools and skills as they are taught, reinforcing the lessons.

Certifications in business analytics do more than just provide credentials. Most certification programs provide students with up to date information that will keep them current with the latest teaching trends. The courses taught in most certification programs can also be used as continuing education classes required to keep credentials and licenses that are already in place, current and in good standing. Being licensed and certified allows for a higher level of accountability and responsibility that is often rewarded with pay rises that will put the graduate at the high end of the pay scale.

How Much Can I Make With a Business Analytics Degree?

A graduate’s business analytics salary will vary depending on several different factors. The first factor is the type of job a student applies for when they are first entering their workforce. Depending on the industry they are entering into, a graduate who applies for a business analyst’s job can expect to receive anywhere from $40,000 or higher, on average. If they continue to remain in that position on a long-term basis, their earning potential may increase to as much as $150,000.

For graduates who are looking to enter the workforce at the management level, a business analytics manager can make anywhere from $96,000 to $150,000 per year if they stay in place and continue to move up as new opportunities present themselves. Many who go back to school while working can actually increase their earnings substantially even if they only pursue a certificate in business analytics. The key to new opportunities is to continue to pursue their education so they can stay up to date on the latest trends in business and economics.

Individuals who have been employed for many years can still improve their chances of moving up into a management position. Earning a degree or certificate is often the key to advancement. Along with the new credentials, the graduate can also expect to receive offers for new, higher-paying positions that they may not have received if they had maintained their prior status. Advancing a student’s career, even if they have been employed for many years, is something to look forward to. Business analytics is a highly specialized field and those who enjoy doing the work are often rewarded. They are the core of the business and are often recognized as leaders in their field. Earning their degree gives them a chance to showcase their abilities.