I’m a firm believer that information is the key to financial freedom. On the Stilt Blog, I write about the complex topics — like finance, immigration, and technology — to help immigrants make the most of their lives in the U.S. Our content and brand have been featured in Forbes, TechCrunch, VentureBeat, and more.
See all posts Frank GogolTen Cheapest Universities to do an MBA with Out of State Tuition
Updated on March 6, 2024
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Written by
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Rohit Mittal
Reviewed by
Rohit Mittal
Rohit Mittal is the co-founder and CEO of Stilt. Rohit has extensive experience in credit risk analytics and data science. He spent years building credit risk and fraud models for top U.S. banks. In his current role, he defines the overall business strategy, leads debt and capital fundraising efforts, leads product development, and leads other customer-related aspects for the company. Stilt is backed by Y Combinator and has raised a total of $275M in debt and equity funding to date.
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At a Glance: If you’re on a tight budget and planning to study an MBA in the United States, this article highlights the cheapest universities offering MBA programs. Ivy League schools like Harvard and Stanford are expensive, costing over $95,000. However, for more affordable options, universities like the University of Hawaii, Lamar University, and the University of North Carolina—Wilmington offer MBA programs with out-of-state tuition fees ranging from $14,934 to $24,230. This guide provides information on these universities and others, helping you make a cost-effective choice for your MBA studies.
If you are planning to study your MBA in the United States and are on a tighter budget than most, this article will show you what the cheapest universities in the US are for you to pursue higher education. Whether you are an international student or out of state student, you will learn which school gives the most bang for your buck.
First we are going to have a look at two Ivy League school and the cost of an MBA in one of their Top MBA programs.
Ivy League MBA Program
If you are planning to study your MBA at an Ivy League such as Harvard, be prepared to shell out a lot of cash because those schools are really expensive. The Tuition fee is about $60,000, but on top of that you will need to pay fees for a student health insurance plan and for your housing. The cost to cover just those two things comes out to more than $20,000. If you have a spouse or children, it can get even more expensive. Without considering the costs associated with taking care of your family, an MBA program at Harvard will cost you more than $95,000. At Stanford the cost is even higher and all in all it sums up to almost a $100,000.
If you do not have an extra $100,000 lying around, we will give you the inside scoop on the cheapest MBA programs that will not leave you in a hole of debt.
The Cheapest MBA program in the United States with Out of State Tuition Fees
Now that we have shocked you with Ivy League tuition fees, here’s our list on the cheapest MBA programs you can find in the United States by paying the out of state tuition fee.
| University or Business School | Out-of-state tuition |
| University of Hawaii | $14,934 |
| Lamar University (TX) | $15,868 |
| University of North Carolina—Wilmington | $17,300 |
| University at Buffalo | $19,627 |
| Clemson University (SC) | $20,010 |
| University of North Carolina | $20,896 |
| Iowa State University | $21,864 |
| San Diego State University | $22,868 |
| University of Houston | $23,638 |
| University of Alabama | $24,230 |
For more information on our favorite cheap universities, keep reading the analysis on the different MBA programs offered at various schools below. We start with Lamar university.
Lamar University (TX)
Website: www.lamar.edu
Type: 4-year, Public
Lamar university in Texas offers Associate’s degree, Bachelor’s degree, Master’s degree, Doctor’s degree – research/scholarship and Doctor’s degree for professional practice. The campus is a mid-size campus with campus housing and a plethora of organizations to join. The student population is about 14,000 with about 10,000 undergraduate students. A plus about this university is that the student to faculty ratio is 20 to 1.
University of North Carolina, Wilmington
Website: www.uncw.edu
Type: 4-year, Public
The university of North Carolina offers Bachelor’s degree, Post baccalaureate certificate, Master’s degree, Post-master’s certificate and Doctor’s degree for research/scholarship. The campus is a mid-size campus that includes on campus housing. The student population is about 13,000 with about 12,000 undergraduate students. You would be of a few graduate students at this university. Furthermore, the student to faculty ratio is 16 to 1.
University at Buffalo
Website: www.buffalo.edu
Type: 4-year, Public
The university at Buffalo offers degrees for one – two years’ certificate, Associate’s degree, Bachelor’s degree, Master’s degree, Post-master’s certificate, Doctor’s degree for research/scholarship as well as Doctor’s degree for professional practice. The suburb campus is a large campus with on campus housing and a student population of about 29,000 with about 19,000 undergraduate students. The student to faculty ratio is 15 to 1.
Clemson University (SC)
Website: www.clemson.edu
Type: 4-year, Public
Clemson University in South Carolina offers Bachelor’s degree, Master’s degree, Post-master’s certificate and Doctor’s degree for research/scholarship. The campus is a distant from town, making it a large college town with lots of on campus housing. The student population is about 20,000 with about 16,000 undergraduate students. Furthermore, the student to faculty ratio is 18 to 1.
University of North Carolina
Website: www.uncg.edu
Type: 4-year, Public
The university of North Carolina offers Bachelor’s degree, Post baccalaureate certificate, Master’s degree, Post-master’s certificate, and Doctor’s degree for research/scholarship. The campus is in a large city but there is on campus housing, although many chose to live in the city. The student population is about 19,000 with about 15,000 undergraduate students. Furthermore, the student to faculty ratio is 17 to 1.
Iowa State University
Website: www.iastate.edu
Type: 4-year, Public
The university of Iowa State offers Bachelor’s degree, Post baccalaureate certificate, Master’s degree, Doctor’s degree for research/scholarship and Doctor’s degree for professional practice. The campus is in a small city, with many choosing to live in the on campus housing. The student population is about 30,000 with about 24,000 undergraduate students. Furthermore, the student to faculty ratio is 18 to 1.
San Diego State University
Website: www.sdsu.edu
Type: 4-year, Public
The university of San Diego State offers Bachelor’s degree, Master’s degree and Doctorates. The campus is in a large city and the student population is about 31,000 with about 26,000 undergraduate students. Furthermore, the student to faculty ratio is 27 to 1.
University of Houston
Website: www.uh.edu
Type: 4-year, Public
The university of Houston offers Bachelor’s degree, Master’s degree, and Doctorates for research/scholarship as well as for professional practice. The campus is in a large city, has on campus housing, and the student population is 40,000 with about 32,000 undergraduate students. Furthermore, the student to faculty ratio is 23 to 1.
University of Alabama
Website: www.ua.edu/
Type: 4-year, Public
The university of Alabama offers Bachelor’s degree, Master’s degree, Post-master’s certificate, and Doctor’s degree for research/scholarship and professional practice. The campus is in a small city, it has on campus housing, and the student population is 32,000 with about 26,000 undergraduate students. Furthermore, the student to faculty ratio is 19 to 1.
Although there are some pricey US universities, there are many good quality colleges that offers a lot of affordable MBA programs. I hope we have helped you with this guide to help you choose a strong MBA school in the United States. Save a couple of thousand dollars, or tens of thousands of dollars depending on the school you choose to do your MBA!
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Frank Gogol
I’m a firm believer that information is the key to financial freedom. On the Stilt Blog, I write about the complex topics — like finance, immigration, and technology — to help immigrants make the most of their lives in the U.S. Our content and brand have been featured in Forbes, TechCrunch, VentureBeat, and more.