10 Most Affordable Bachelor’s in Entrepreneurship for 2021

uvu mba ranking

Entrepreneurs should know a good investment when they see one, and an affordable entrepreneurship degree is a good investment. By earning credentials in a low-cost setting, like a small public college, entrepreneurs set themselves up for success with little debt to weight them down. 

There are several ways to save money on an entrepreneurship degree. For instance, starting with an associate’s degree from a community college will give you the head start at a lower price. With an entrepreneurship degree that you earn online, you can start working right away. Many employers will assist their workers to continue their education by offering to reimburse them for their school costs. Employers will often choose to invest in their employees so that they get the very best out of them.

Methodology: Ranking the Most Affordable Entrepreneurship Degrees

The Great Business Schools ranking of the most affordable entrepreneurship degrees is presented in order of tuition (according to current IPEDS statistics), but cost isn’t everything. That’s why GBS editors feature only accredited, reputable institutions known for their return on investment. 

1. Utah Valley University

The BS in Entrepreneurship at Utah Valley University has a core curriculum of business foundation classes that teaches students how to be an independent thinker while being mindful of how a business operates. Some of the classes include microeconomics, business calculus, career development for entrepreneurs, and new venture financing. A student who successfully completes the coursework and earns their degree is well-equipped to find employment in the corporate world or apply their knowledge to starting a new business of their own. 

Utah Valley University (UVU) is a public university and is part of the Utah System of Higher Education. The school features one main campus and five satellite campuses in the region to accommodate over 41,000 students that enroll each academic year. UVU features schools that include the Arts, Education, Science, Engineering and Technology, Science, Business and more.

Highlight UVU’s sports teams compete in the Western Athletic Conference in the NCAA Division I.
Degree Entrepreneurship, BS

2. Thomas Edison State University

Thomas Edison State University offers a BS in Business Administration Entrepreneurship program. The program focuses on teaching students how to develop their management and financial skills along with how to identify business opportunities, find and secure funding, and organize the functional areas of a business such as accounting, marketing, manufacturing and more. The program requires students to complete a capstone requirement of Strategic Management in order to integrate the content of the program and lets the student show that they’ve learned what the program is designed to impart. 

Thomas Edison State University (TESU) is a public university that primarily serves the adult student population of New Jersey. The school offers associate and undergraduate degrees in over 100 areas of study, 18 graduate degrees, and multiple non-credit certificates.

Highlight TESU features a modestly sized campus in downtown Trenton, New Jersey, but offers most of its classes in an online format.
Degree Business Administration: Entrepreneurship, BS

3. Brigham Young University – Idaho

Brigham Young University – Idaho offers an Entrepreneurial Management, BS program that’s designed to teach students how to build up family businesses, identify and start new businesses, help established businesses find new opportunities, and handle the daily operations of businesses of all sizes. Students learn about innovation, apply business theories in hands-on tasks, and discuss business cases. The program also encourages students to work with community organizations and non-profits to help them succeed. The program only accepts 40 students each year and coursework for the 63-credit hour program starts in the fall.

Brigham Young University – Idaho (BYU-Idaho or BYU-I) is a private university that’s operated by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS) and features a space-grant affiliation. The school enrolls just under 30,000 students each academic year and offers 87 bachelor’s degrees, 20 associate degrees, and 26 certificates.

Highlight Students who attend BYU-I are expected to uphold the school’s honor code that is aligned with the teachings of the LDS.
Degree Entrepreneurial Management, BS

4. University of North Texas

The University of North Texas offers a BBA in Entrepreneurship that prepares students to work in businesses of all sizes and focus. Students learn how to be a flexible manager that can plan, organize, manage employees, understands business finances, and can control the day-to-day operations of a business. The program also teaches students how to recognize a business opportunity and develop it into their own fully-fledged business. The school offers internship opportunities and job placement for graduates who want to work in an established organization for work experience.

The University of North Texas (UNT) is the flagship state university in the University of North Texas system. It’s classified as an R1: Doctoral Universities – Very High Research Activity and is known for attracting exceptional students from the Texas public school system. Its athletics teams participate in the NCAA Division I FBS – Conference USA.

Highlight UNT enrolls about 41,000 students each academic year and offers 109 bachelors degrees, 94 masters degrees and 36 doctorate degrees.
Degree Entrepreneurship, BBA 

5. University of Utah

The University of Utah offers a BS in Entrepreneurship that’s designed to prepare students to work on interdisciplinary teams, add value to an existing organization, identify opportunities to start up a business, generate ideas and follow existing ones to grow them into new opportunities, and work with communities. Students will develop a wide range of foundational skills that are needed to be effective as an entrepreneur. The program offers students access to networking events, start-up support, innovation programs and more.

The University of Utah is the flagship school of the Utah System of Higher Education and is classified as R1: Doctoral Universities – Very High Research University. It features a space-grant affiliation and spent around $552 million on research and development in 2018. The school’s athletics teams participate in the NCAA Division I FBS/Pac-12 conference. 

Highlight UU has produced multiple Rhodes Scholars, Nobel Prize winners, Turing Award winners, and Pulitzer Prize winners to name a few.
Degree Entrepreneurship, BS

6. University of Illinois at Chicago

University of Illinois at Chicago offers a BS in Entrepreneurship program that teaches students how to become independent business thinkers and effective managers for small businesses and non-profit organizations. Some of the curriculum classes include introduction to entrepreneurship, family business management, international entrepreneurship, entrepreneurial accounting, finance, and more. An internship is included as part of the curriculum. 

University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC) is a public research university with a space-grant affiliation and is part of the Illinois public university system. The school has a strong student media presence in the form of multiple newspapers, a journal, magazines, a radio station and a closed-circuit cable system. The athletics teams participate in the NCAA Division I – Horizon League.

Highlight UIC enrolls over 33,000 students each academic year in 86 undergraduate degree programs and 70 minors.
Degree Entrepreneurship, BS

7. Indiana University – Bloomington

Indiana University – Bloomington offers an Entrepreneurship & Corporate Innovation major for students who are interested in creating small businesses and managing existing ones. The degree program focuses on teaching specialized skills and knowledge that are essential to the operation of small organizations and non-profits. Students can engage in extra-curricular activities that involve being mentored while creating a start-up, getting work experience in start-ups, and participate in a competition that uncovers the best venture ideas. 

Indiana University Bloomington (IU or IU Bloomington) is the flagship school of the Indiana University system and is a public research university with a space-grant affiliation. Almost 44,000 students enroll in the school on an annual basis each academic year.

Highlight Graduates from IU have gone on to win Nobel prizes, become Rhodes and Marshall scholars, MacArthur Fellows, and winners of Academy Awards, Grammys, Pulitzer Prizes and Olympic medals. 
Degree Entrepreneurship & Corporate Innovation

8. Arizona State University

The Business Entrepreneurship, BS program at Arizona State University prepares students to become business innovators capable of identifying business opportunities and applying problem-solving skills to tough business situations. Students can customize their education within the program and engage in programs that include the use of collaborative workspaces to engage students across the campus, structured workshops, competition for seed funding, and internships. Upon graduation, students will be prepared to put their skills to use within an existing organization or use their education and connections to start their own business. 

Arizona State University (ASU or Arizona State) is a public research university that features a space-grant affiliation and is part of the Arizona public university system. It’s a member of the Universities Research Association and is classified as R1: Doctoral Universities – Very High Research Activity. The school offers 350 degree programs and 400 graduate degree and certificate programs. Its sports teams participate in the NCAA Division 1 Pac-12 Conference. 

Highlight About 150,000 students enroll each academic year and about a quarter of those students attend ASU via online classes.
Degree Business Entrepreneurship, BS

9. Ball State University

Ball State University offers an Entrepreneurial Management BS/BA degree program that allows students to decide if they want to focus on an Arts or Science curriculum. The program is designed to simulate a real-world business environment to prepare students to become an entrepreneur and a leader. Some of the classes include principles of accounting, business law, business finance, job search skills, new venture creation, and opportunity identification. Students apply their classroom education to real-world scenarios, participate in internships, and learn from accomplished entrepreneurs. 

Ball State University (Ball State or BSU) is a public research university with a space-grant affiliation and has an R2 classification for high research activity. A little over 21,000 students are enrolled each academic year in undergraduate and graduate programs. There are about 120 undergraduate programs, 130 minors, and 100 degrees in master’s doctoral, specialist degrees, and certificates.

Highlight Ball State’s athletics teams participate in the Mid-American Conference at the NCAA Division I level. 
Degree Entrepreneurial Management, BS/BA

10. University of Central Missouri

University of Central Missouri offers an Entrepreneurship and Social Enterprise, BSBA program that’s designed to teach students how to follow their passion and turn it into a business. Coursework focuses on aspects that include how to research an innovative business idea or model, test the market for a new product or service, how to write a successful business plan, and how to sustainably launch a start-up. The program offers internships, opportunities to volunteer with community organizations, and participate in a business mentorship program. Students learn how to become business leaders and how to turn their business visions into reality. 

University of Central Missouri (UCM) is a public state university and is part of the Missouri university system. The school offers a broad range of educational opportunities including aviation, criminal justice, technology and more. UCMs athletic teams participate in the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association at the NCAA Division II level.

Highlight A total of 26 Greek organizations are associated with the school and about 11% of the total student body is associated with Greek life.
Degree Entrepreneurship and Social Enterprise, BSBA

Can I Get an Entrepreneurship Degree for Free?

Earning an entrepreneurship degree for free is not an impossible task if you know where to find funding. Employer reimbursement programs are the best option and will allow you to stay at work with your current job while attending class. With an entrepreneurship degree, you are able to apply what you learn as soon as you learn it. This allows your employer to take advantage of your new skills and put them to good use. It also gives you the option ot apply for new positions as they appear.

Scholarships and grant programs will also take over when paying for your degree program. While they may not pay for every dime of your student tuition and the other costs associated with your education, they will cover a large chunk of it. Companies that offer scholarships and grants may also offer internships that you can use to supplement your income with your time working being taken into consideration for class credit. The more time you spend continuing your education, the more opportunities you will be able to take advantage of, both in school and in the workforce.

Scholarships are offered by many organizations and corporations so that they have access to qualified candidates for employment. Students who receive scholarship and grant awards often go to the companies that offer them to apply for jobs after they graduate. Companies rely on this and will often hire grant and scholarship recipients to get the best return on their investment.

Will an Entrepreneurship Certification Help My Career?

Earning an entrepreneurship certificate will definitely boost your career. For someone who has already been employed for many years, an entrepreneurship certification course may be just what you need to validate all of the experience you have gained while being on the job. A certification program will reinforce the entrepreneurship skills you already have while keeping you up-to-date on new skills and technology that may be trending. You will also gain experience in building your problem-solving skills. 

With an online entrepreneurship certification program, you don’t have to take time off of work to complete your courses. You can do your coursework at home or while you have free time at work. The ultimate goal is to provide you with the credentials you need to move forward with your career. You can take advantage of new opportunities at work or set out on your own and start your own business. Either way, you are paving the way for a brighter future for yourself and your family. Set your goals high and continue to work for them!

How Much Can I Make with an Entrepreneurship Degree?

Individuals who earn an entrepreneurship degree, either online or in the classroom have the potential to earn over $60,000 per year on average. In all honesty, your earning potential is only limited by your own goals. If you set your goals high enough, you will be able to earn whatever amount you want, especially if you go the extra mile and continue to pursue your education. An entrepreneurship degree is only the first step. The rest is up to you. Once you set your goals, you will need to take the necessary steps to meet them. The more experience you have, the more opportunities you will be able to pursue.

If you are already employed, you have the option to go back to school and earn either a certificate or a degree in entrepreneurship. The more you learn, the more skills you will have to take on the bigger jobs within your company. Your earnings will only be limited by your own motivation. The unique thing about an entrepreneurship degree is that you can use it to benefit your career with the company you currently work for or you can set out on your own and become your own boss. Establishing yourself as an independent contractor will allow you to set your own prices and take on the jobs you want to complete. You will be in charge of your career and have the ability to take on any challenge you want. 

Carrie Morris
Author

Warren Dahl
Editor-in-Chief