People who work in management positions of small businesses often need to fulfill a wide variety of roles within their company. Earning an associate’s degree in small business management helps students develop the wide range of skills that they need. This would likely include courses covering organizational management, marketing, accounting and other relevant topics. Those who graduate with this degree significantly raise their value for potential employers or set themselves up to be successful entrepreneurs.
The 10 programs on this list are from a pool of over 50 schools that offer an associate’s degree in small business management and have a tuition of less than $9,000 (based on tuition reported to collegenavigator.gov). Those low cost programs were then ranked according to quality (based on graduation rate and student teacher ratio) to determine the top 10 affordable small business management associate’s degree programs.
The Top 10 Affordable Associate’s in Business Management are:
- Eastern Arizona College
- Miles Community College
- Highline College
- Dakota College at Bottineau
- Mt. San Antonio College
- College of the Canyons
- Butte College
- Cuyamaca College
- Cuyahoga Community College
- Canada College
Ranking the Top 10 Affordable Associate’s Degrees in Small Business Management
10. Canada College
Redwood City, California
Associate in Science in Entrepreneurship and Small Business Management
At Canada College, students can earn an affordable associate’s degree in small business management and learn all the necessary fundamentals for starting and managing a business. The curriculum includes 24 credits of major-required units, and the school requires a minimum of 60 credits to earn an associate’s degree. The program is a good fit for students wishing to become business owners as well as current business owners desiring to update their skill set.
Tuition: $4,870
9. Cuyahoga Community College
Cleveland, Ohio
Associate of Applied Business in Business Management
Cuyahoga Community College offers an AAS in Business Management with a concentration in Small Business Management. This affordable program fits those students aspiring to be entrepreneurs, as well as those already in the process of opening a small business. The 61-62 credit program takes four semesters to complete, and emphasizes the fundamentals of entrepreneurship and solid management foundation.
Tuition: $4,722
8. Cuyamaca College
El Cajon, California
Associate in Science in Entrepreneurship – Small Business Management
The program at Cuyamaca College is a good option for those wishing to earn an affordable associate’s degree in small business management. This thorough program provides more than 40 credits of degree-specific curriculum to be completed along with the general education credits. The small business management associate’s degree program provides a working knowledge of small business operations to prospective business persons, as well as owners of existing businesses. Students will graduate with a deeper understanding of functional areas needed to run a small business.
Tuition: $4,368
7. Butte College
Oroville, California
Associate in Science in Small Business Entrepreneurship
Butte College offers an affordable option for an associate’s in small business management. Students need to complete 60 credits to graduate from this small business management associate’s degree program, 38 of which are degree-specific required credits. Program outcomes include identifying business terms and concepts, effective communication, and learning to make effective business decisions, as well as how to develop high standards of professional practice.
Tuition: $7,613
6. College of the Canyons
Santa Clarita, California
Associate in Science in Entrepreneurship and Small Business Management
The AS degree in Entrepreneurship and Small Business Management at College of the Canyons is a comprehensive program designed to meet the needs of both transfer and non-transfer students. The program requires the completion of 23 major-specific credits as well as the general education courses needed for an associate’s degree. Graduates of the small business management associate’s degree program will be able to demonstrate the management skills needed for successful operation of a small business enterprise, including financial, marketing, and management strategies.
Tuition: $6,538
5. Mt. San Antonio College
Walnut, California
Associate of Science in Small Business Management
Mt. San Antonio College offers an affordable AS in Small Business Management, which comes in at #5 on our list of the most affordable associate’s degrees in small business management. This program is designed for students wishing to immediately enter the workplace following graduation. Students must complete 32 general education credit requirements as well as 29.5 required credits for the major. The program’s faculty suggests that students add their own choice of electives to best suit their career plans.
Tuition: $4,387
4. Dakota College at Bottineau
Bottineau, North Dakota
Associate of Applied Science in Small Business Management
Dakota College at Bottineau’s AAS in Small Business Management degree program prepares students for either the workplace or for a transfer to a 4-year program. The 61-66 credit small business management associate’s degree program focuses specifically on business management courses, and includes fewer general education courses than comparable programs. Students will learn general strategical skills, as well as buyer behavior and dynamics, sales operations and management, demand analysis, cost-volume and profit relationship, and pricing theory.
Tuition: $8,570
3. Highline College
Des Moines, Washington
Associate of Applied Science in Small Business Management/Entrepreneurship
At Highline College, students can earn a two-year associate’s in business management. The 91-credit program offers flexible class times, and the curriculum consists of 46 core credits, 25 supporting credits and 20 related instruction courses. Highline’s small business management/entrepreneurship program emphasizes preparation in specific job skills required for entry-level employment.
Tuition: $8,472
2. Miles Community College
Miles City, Montana
Online Business Management Associate’s Degree
Miles Community College offers an affordable associate’s degree in small business management that can be completed entirely online. This 2-year program is designed to provide students with the necessary skills to start their own business or to qualify for middle-level management positions. The course can be completed in four semesters, and the school offers flexible options, with all of the required 61 credits offered both on campus and online.
Tuition: $8,001
1. Eastern Arizona College
Thatcher, Arizona
Associate of Applied Science in Small Business Management
Eastern Arizona College offers our #1 ranked affordable associate’s degree in small business management. The 64-credit course combines 19 curriculum-required credits, 27 curriculum-related credits chosen by the student, and 18 general education credits. The degree program is designed to prepare those desiring to enter the field in a middle-management position in retail, wholesale and industrial organizations, as well as self-employed individuals running their own small business.
Tuition: $6,299
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