10 Most Affordable Online Business Degrees in California (2025)

H1 Title: The Ten Most Affordable Online Business Degrees in California (2024)

If you're a working professional living in California and would like to return to school to earn (or to finish) your bachelor's degree in business, the state's universities offer you many options to help propel you forward in your career.

Earning a business degree online while continuing to work is a dream for many mid-career professionals, and it is entirely possible through either a full four-year program or a two-year degree completion program.

Read on to find out more about affordable business degrees in California!

List of California Affordable Business Degrees Online at Public Universities

California's public universities are excellent places to find a highly affordable undergraduate business education if you are a state resident.

Cal State, the most common nickname for California State University (sometimes abbreviated CSU), is not only California's but also the nation's largest four-year public university system.

All students enrolled full-time at any Cal State campus pay the same systemwide tuition of $5,742 per academic year for California residents, whether studying on-campus or online. In addition, each campus may have its own mandatory campus fees.

The Cal State system offers business degrees at the bachelor's level based at the following campuses, all fully online. Please note that most of these are degree completion programs for the final two years of the bachelor's degree.

1. Cal State Channel Islands

California State University Channel Islands is home to an online Bachelor of Science in Business Administration degree completion program. Candidates should be able to transfer 60 credit hours or units with a minimum GPA of 2.0.

Highlights of the CSU Channel Islands program include asynchronous courses taught in a cohort model that most transfer students can complete in 16 to 18 months.

2. Cal State Chico

Transfer students with two years (about 60 credit hours) under their belts can apply to California State University at Chico (also known as Chico State) for its online Bachelor of Science in Business Administration (BSBA) completion program.

Incoming students can transfer up to 70 credit hours or units toward the 120-unit degree program. Depending upon your course background and schedule, you may be able to graduate in as few as 16 months.

3. Cal State East Bay

California State University at East Bay pioneered the first AACSB-accredited online Business Administration degree completion program at a California university.

This affordable online Bachelor of Science in Business Administration degree completion program comes with concentrations in the following areas:

• Accounting
• Finance
• General Management
• Human Resource Management and Organizational Behavior
• Information Technology Management
• Marketing Management
• Operations and Supply Chain Management

The University's College of Business and Economics and its University Extension offer the two-year, fully online program exclusively for transfer students who have completed their general education courses.

4. Cal State Fullerton

Cal State Fullerton's College of Business and Economics online BA in Business Administration degree completion program, with its concentration in Professional Business, was designed for business professionals seeking to enhance their career prospects and managerial skills.

Applicants must have completed at least 60 transferable semester credit hours in general education coursework prior to transfer, with a 2.50 cumulative grade point average.

5. Cal State San Bernardino

A partnership between the Jack H. Brown College of Business and Public Administration, in collaboration with Stater Bros. Markets and the College of Extended and Global Education, is behind the fully online Bachelor of Arts in Administration degree.

As a degree completion program, students will need at least 60 hours of prior academic credit to enroll in the online BA in Administration. You can choose a concentration in

• Entrepreneurship
• Management
• Supply Chain Management

6. San Diego State University

Located in the vibrant city of San Diego, San Diego State University's Fowler College of Business offers its degree completion program to working professionals.

If you have completed at least 60 credit hours including the general education requirements, you may be able to jumpstart your career by completing a BS in Business Administration (General Business) with a minimum of 51 credit units.

7. San Francisco State University

Situated in a distinctive urban environment, San Francisco State University's Lam Family College of Business and the College of Professional & Global Education offer a fully online BS in Business Administration (General Business) degree completion program.

To qualify, a student should have earned at least 60 credit hours prior to enrolling.

8. San Jos?State University

Dating back to 1857, San Jos?State University is the oldest public university in California ?and it was the original campus of the California State University system.

AT SJSU, you can earn a BS in Business Administration (General Business) fully online from the Lucas College and Graduate School of Business in the heart of Silicon Valley. Since it's a degree completion program, you'll need to transfer in at least 60 credit hours.

California Affordable Business Degrees Online at Private Universities

9. California Coast University

California Coast University is a private, for-profit online university based in Santa Ana with an innovative tuition and payment plan that strives to be affordable. Tuition for a bachelor's degree is $170 per credit unit (with the degree requiring 126 units), averaging out to $5355 per year for tuition.

Moreover, students in the following categories receive a 10% tuition discount:

• Active-duty service members and veterans
• Law enforcement officers and employees
• Firefighters and employees
• US government employees
• Corporate partner employees

CCU undergraduate online degrees in business include:

• Bachelor of Science in Business Administration
• Bachelor of Science in Management
• Bachelor of Science in Business Marketing
• Bachelor of Science in Health Care Administration

10. Fresno Pacific University

A private Christian university, Fresno Pacific University is affiliated with the Mennonite Brethren Churches.

For students who have completed their first two years of college, FPU offers an online BA in Business Administration degree completion program with a choice of concentrations in:

• Business Management
• Emergency Management
• Healthcare Administration
• Informatics and Technology
• Organizational Leadership
• Project Management

While the published undergraduate tuition is $34,960 per year, the university notes that financial aid covers 74% of tuition, room, and board for the average student. That would reduce the average annual tuition to about $9000 per year.

How Much Does an Online Business Degree Program Cost?

As noted above, California residents can graduate from a two-year degree-completion program at one of the Cal State campuses for as little as $11,500 total tuition, which is remarkably low when compared to other universities and other states.

How To Pay for an Online Business Degree

To pay for your online degree, you have many options. The best option is to consult with a financial aid officer at the school you would like to attend.

• You can set aside money while you're working by living frugally for a few years.
• You can apply for financial aid through the federal FAFSA application process to qualify for low-interest loans, grants, and scholarships.
• You can apply to your employer for funding to enhance your professional knowledge and skills.
• You can apply to some of the thousands of private scholarship sources available.
• Finally, you can see if you qualify for tuition discounts based on your past experiences, such as being a veteran, active military, in law enforcement, or a civil servant.

Is an Online Business Degree Worth It?

Investing in earning your Bachelor of Business Administration online will, without a doubt, increase your chances for career advancement and higher salary.

Find an Online Business Degree Program Today

As a resident of the Golden State, you are in a fortunate position to have access to so many affordable business degrees in California. Start preparing your application today!