Online Business Administration Degrees

Key takeaway: Online business administration degrees are offered at the associate, bachelor’s (BBA), and master’s (MBA) level by accredited schools nationwide, and the degree builds a broad foundation across management, finance, marketing, and operations. Related occupations pay a median $65,850 to $166,570 a year, and across business administration roles employers are expected to fill approximately 913,300 positions annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025)1. Compare accredited programs below.

An online business administration degree is an academic program that studies how organizations plan, manage, and improve day-to-day operations. It typically covers core business functions such as management, accounting, finance, marketing, operations, and business decision-making across private, public, and nonprofit settings. Accredited online programs deliver the same curriculum through digital learning platforms, with courses that may be asynchronous, scheduled, or a mix of both. Programs accredited by AACSB, ACBSP, or IACBE meet recognized standards for business education quality.

Compare Online Business Administration Degrees

These accredited schools offer online programs, report business administration completions, and are ordered by our independent BOC Score. Request information to compare programs, costs, and formats.

How We Rank Schools

Every school list on this site is ordered by the BOC Score, computed from the most recent school-level data published by the U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard and IPEDS). To qualify, a school must be currently operating and accredited by an agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. Each eligible school is then scored on five measures, percentile-ranked against schools at the same credential level:

  • Graduation rate 30%
  • Median earnings, 10 years after entry 25%
  • Average net price (lower is better) 20%
  • Retention rate 15%
  • Fully online availability 10%

Schools without enough outcome data appear after ranked schools, without a score. Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.

#1

University of Maryland, Baltimore

Baltimore, MD BOC Score 96.7
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 9

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

Georgia Institute of Technology-Main Campus

Atlanta, GA BOC Score 95.4
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 13

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

University of California-Berkeley

Berkeley, CA BOC Score 93.9
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
  • Accredited
Acceptance rate 11%
Graduation rate 93%
Tuition
In鈥憇tate$16,347
Out鈥憃f鈥憇tate$50,547
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 5

Source:Accreditor: Western Association of Schools and Colleges Senior Colleges and University CommissionIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

University of Michigan-Ann Arbor

Ann Arbor, MI BOC Score 93.4
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 21

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#7

Vanderbilt University

Nashville, TN BOC Score 91.4
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 6

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#8

Grove City College

Grove City, PA BOC Score 91.1
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 4

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

Can You Get A Business Administration Degree Online? explains how accredited online business administration programs work, including specializations, cost, and salary outcomes.

Browse business administration programs by state


Quick Answers

What do online business administration programs cover?

Online business administration programs cover core business functions including management, accounting, finance, marketing, operations, and organizational behavior.

What degree levels are common in this field?

Common degree levels include an associate degree, a bachelor’s degree (BBA), and a master’s degree (MBA). Associate programs typically require 60-64 credits, bachelor’s programs require 120-128 credits, and master’s programs require 36-60 credits.

Is an online business administration degree as good as on-campus?

Yes. Online and on-campus business administration programs typically share the same curriculum standards, accreditation, and degree titles. Transcripts from accredited online programs typically do not distinguish between delivery formats.

Why does accreditation matter for business programs?

Accreditation helps confirm that a program meets established academic standards. Business-specific accreditation from AACSB, ACBSP, or IACBE evaluates curriculum design, faculty qualifications, and academic oversight.

What jobs can you get with a business administration degree?

Graduates qualify for management, finance, operations, and consulting roles – general and operations managers, financial managers, human resources managers, management analysts, and accountants, among others. Combined, these roles offer approximately 913,300 annual job openings1.


What you’ll study

Business administration curricula are built around foundational courses plus electives, spanning management and organizational behavior, accounting and finance, marketing, operations and supply chain, and business law and ethics. Most programs let you focus through an optional concentration before specializing in a target role.

See the full breakdown on the Business Administration Curriculum and Business Administration Concentrations pages.


Careers and salaries

Business administration graduates apply their skills across industries in management, finance, operations, and consulting roles. Administrative and support roles are accessible with an associate degree; manager and analyst roles generally require a bachelor’s; senior financial-manager and consulting positions typically require a bachelor’s plus experience and often a master’s.

CareerMedian annual wage (May 2025)Job growth (2024-2034)Annual openings
Financial Manager$161,70014.8%74,600
Human Resources Manager$140,0305.0%17,900
Administrative Services Manager$108,3904.6%23,200
General and Operations Manager$102,9504.4%308,700
Management Analyst$101,1908.8%98,100
Project Management Specialist$100,7505.6%78,200
Accountant or Auditor$81,6804.6%124,200
Office and Administrative Support Supervisor$66,140-0.3%144,500
Training and Development Specialist$65,85010.8%43,900

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025. Job growth projections from BLS Employment Projections 2024-2034.


How to choose an online business administration program

  1. Accreditation – confirm recognized institutional accreditation and any programmatic accreditation from AACSB, ACBSP, or IACBE.
  2. Fit – compare core requirements, elective flexibility, and applied learning such as case studies and capstone projects; see admissions requirements.
  3. Concentration – finance, human resources, marketing, project management, entrepreneurship, or international business, matched to your target role; browse concentrations.
  4. Format and paceaccelerated, part-time, self-paced, or online vs campus.
  5. Cost – compare net price, not sticker price; see Affordable Programs and Is It Worth It.

Business administration or accounting? Choose business administration for broad management, marketing, and operations coverage before specializing; choose accounting for a defined technical specialty with a CPA licensure pathway.


Next Steps

Compare programs by level or specialty:


  1. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025; Employment Projections 2024–2034. ↩︎ ↩︎