Rising through the ranks in business administration is best done with an online master’s in human resources. A bachelor’s in the field can gain you entry-level roles, but most employers today require master’s degrees for leadership positions. The upside of an online HR master’s degree includes the flexibility designed for working adult students; for example, many virtual programs offer asynchronous courses, small class sizes, and accredited curriculums delivering workplace-applicable knowledge. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the top ten percent of HR management earners will see an annual salary of over $208,000. And with an as-fast -as-average rate of job growth over the next ten years, it’s guaranteed to be a competitive market for such a great paycheck. Even with such great prospects for this popular career, a degree can cost a small fortune to the aspiring master student.
Looking for an online master’s degree in human resources to bolster your career without breaking the bank? GetEducated’s rankings reveal all of the programs that cost less than the national average so that you, the consumer, can make the most informed decision.
GetEducated compared 103 master’s programs in human resources from 89 regionally accredited online schools to create this ‘Best Buy’ list. Our rankings reveal the most affordable options in the United States—51 online master’s in human resources for under $28,300.
ARTICLE NAVIGATION: Rankings Table | Career Guide
Average Cost (In-state): ~$28,300
Least Expensive: Fort Hays State University ~$8,956.50
Most Expensive: New York University ~$99,253
Our data-driven research creates a truly reliable system of scientific rankings. There’s no fancy formulas here. We meticulously calculate total full-time tuition—including any fees—for the most accurate total cost. Our rankings cannot be bought, and therefore factually showcase the cheapest online master’s in human resources. The online HR degrees listed above the gray dividing line are official 2022 “Best Buys” and cost less than the national average.
Most Affordable Online Master’s in Human Resources
| Rank | School / Degree | State | Price | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Fort Hays State University | (KS) | $8,956.50 | All Students |
2 | Union Commonwealth University | (KY) | $10,250.00 | All Students |
3 | Amberton University | (TX) | $10,525.00 | All Students |
4 | Tarleton State University | (TX) | $11,287.80 $23,527.80 | In-State Out-of-State |
5 | Pittsburg State University | (KS) | $11,501.00 | All Students |
6 | Athens State University | (AL) | $12,130.00 | All Students |
7 | Western Carolina University | (NC) | $12,408.12 $35,022.24 | In-State Out-of-State |
8 | Wichita State University | (KS) | $12,779.40 | All Students |
9 | University of Wisconsin-Stout | (WI) | $14,024.10 $28,150.50 | In-State Out-of-State |
10 | Indiana State University | (IN) | $14,806.00 $19,096.00 | In-State Out-of-State |
11 | Troy University | (AL) | $15,750.00 | All Students |
12 | University of Valley Forge | (PA) | $16,673.00 | All Students |
13 | Midwestern State University | (TX) | $16,675.55 | All Students |
14 |  Concordia University-Saint Paul | (MN) | $17,100.00 $12,600.00 | In-State/Out-of-State Military |
15 | Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical College | (LA) | $17,316.00 | All Students |
16 | The University of Texas at Tyler | (TX) | $17,804.00 $35,156.00 | In-State Out-of-State |
17 | Stony Brook University | (NY) | $17,942.40 $20,355.00 | In-State Out-of-State |
18 | Colorado State University-Global Campus | (CO) | $18,000.00 | All Students |
19 | Touro University Worldwide | (CA) | $18,200.00 | All Students |
20 | Colorado Christian University | (CO) | $19,350.00 | All Students |
21 | Calvary University | (MO) | $19,383.00 $14,313.00 | In-State/Out-of-State Military |
22 | Murray State University | (KY) | $19,767.00 | All Students |
23 | Lindenwood University | (MO) | $20,105.00 | All Students |
24 | Indiana Wesleyan University | (IN) | $20,124.00 $15,093.00 | In-State/Out-of-State Military |
25 | Lakeland University | (WI) | $20,610.00 | All Students |
26 | Cambridge College | (MA) | $20,810.00 $16,320.00 | In-State/Out-of-State Military |
27 | University of Houston - Clear Lake | (TX) | $20,892.00 $39,684.00 | In-State Out-of-State |
28 | West Chester University of Pennsylvania | (PA) | $21,090.00 $21,795.00 | In-State Out-of-State |
29 | Fielding Graduate University | (CA) | $21,600.00 | All Students |
30 | Lasell University | (MA) | $22,536.00 | All Students |
31 |  Southern New Hampshire University | (NH) | $22,722.00 $17,070.00 | In-State/Out-of-State Military |
32 | Edgewood College | (WI) | $22,920.00 | All Students |
33 | Bellevue University | (NE) | $23,060.00 | All Students |
34 | Claremont Lincoln University | (CA) | $23,100.00 | All Students |
35 | Clemson University | (SC) | $23,789.00 | All Students |
36 | Champlain College | (VT) | $24,000.00 $12,090.00 | In-State/Out-of-State Military |
37 | Ottawa University | (KS) | $24,159.00 | All Students |
38 | Franklin University | (OH) | $24,205.00 $19,381.00 | In-State/Out-of-State Military |
39 |  Saint Mary's University of Minnesota | (MN) | $24,300.00 $21,870.00 | In-State/Out-of-State Military |
40 | Thomas Edison State University | (NJ) | $24,346.00 | All Students |
41 | University of Massachusetts Global | (CA) | $24,480.00 $14,400.00 | In-State/Out-of-State Military |
42 | Johnson & Wales University | (RI) | $24,510.00 | All Students |
43 | University of Louisville | (KY) | $24,816.00 $8,250.00 | In-State/Out-of-State Military |
44 | Widener University | (PA) | $25,312.00 | All Students |
45 | Florida Institute of Technology | (FL) | $25,641.00 $23,076.90 | In-State/Out-of-State Military |
46 | University of Kentucky | (KY) | $26,006.90 | All Students |
47 | Abilene Christian University | (TX) | $26,352.00 | All Students |
48 | Saint Francis University | (PA) | $26,445.00 | All Students |
49 | Saint Louis University | (MO) | $26,790.00 | All Students |
50 | Webster University | (MO) | $28,180.00 $13,780.00 | In-State/Out-of-State Military |
| School / Degree | State | Price | Note | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Pennsylvania State University | (PA) | $28,500.00 | All Students | |
National Louis University | (IL) | $28,716.00 | All Students | |
 University of Scranton | (PA) | $28,875.00 | All Students | |
La Roche University | (PA) | $29,608.00 | All Students | |
Walden University | (MN) | $29,700.00 $25,402.50 | In-State/Out-of-State Military | |
Regis University | (CO) | $29,740.00 | All Students | |
University of the Incarnate Word | (TX) | $30,990.00 $7,590.00 | In-State/Out-of-State Military | |
Pennsylvania State University | (PA) | $31,350.00 | All Students | |
 National University | (CA) | $31,370.00 | All Students | |
North Central College | (IL) | $31,644.00 | All Students | |
Robert Morris University | (PA) | $32,250.00 | All Students | |
Purdue University | (IN) | $33,078.00 $34,578.00 | In-State Out-of-State | |
Golden Gate University | (CA) | $33,140.00 $14,690.00 | In-State/Out-of-State Military | |
Saint Joseph's University | (PA) | $33,228.00 | All Students | |
Hawaii Pacific University | (HI) | $33,950.00 | All Students | |
Saint Joseph's University | (PA) | $34,200.00 | All Students | |
Florida International University | (FL) | $35,000.00 | All Students | |
Northeastern University | (MA) | $35,325.00 | All Students | |
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign | (IL) | $35,520.00 | All Students | |
Mercy College | (NY) | $35,656.00 | All Students | |
Temple University | (PA) | $35,788.00 | All Students | |
University of Denver | (CO) | $35,904.00 | All Students | |
Moravian University | (PA) | $36,288.00 | All Students | |
Villanova University | (PA) | $37,260.00 | All Students | |
Rutgers University | (NJ) | $40,158.50 | All Students | |
 American University | (DC) | $40,510.00 | All Students | |
Roosevelt University | (IL) | $40,740.00 | All Students | |
North Park University | (IL) | $43,890.00 | All Students | |
Drexel University | (PA) | $45,765.00 $42,300.00 | In-State/Out-of-State Military | |
Georgetown University | (DC) | $48,939.00 | All Students | |
University of Southern California | (CA) | $49,007.00 | All Students | |
The George Washington University | (DC) | $55,980.00 | All Students | |
Cornell University | (NY) | $58,586.00 | All Students | |
Pepperdine University | (CA) | $66,105.00 | All Students | |
Columbia University in the City of New York | (NY) | $86,633.00 | All Students | |
New York University | (NY) | $99,253.00 | All Students |
Accreditation & Program Notes
To qualify for a ranking, a program must be regionally accredited. Additional programmatic accreditation is noted in the rank table.
14 Options for this program have changed since publication.
AACSB AACSB International
IACBE International Assembly for Collegiate Business Education
ACBSP Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs
Rankings Note
These online college rankings are based on a GetEducated Winter 2021 review of regionally accredited online master’s in human resources. Total cost includes full-time tuition and fees and was valid at the time of collection and specific to the online learning program. School profiles for the online master degree programs in our directory may reflect a slightly different cost based on different editorial update schedules.
The published cost is an estimated sticker price for the entire online degree including fees. Actual costs may vary by student. Factors such as transfer credits, prerequisite courses, professional licensing and financial aid availability will affect final cost.
Editorial Note
Online schools do NOT pay to be included in any GetEducated online degree ranking. These rankings are editorially independent, open to any regionally accredited or candidate college that offers a master’s degree that is available at least 80 percent through online learning and that is open to enrollment by the public. If your online college is regionally accredited and not currently reviewed by GetEducated, please contact us for inclusion.
These rankings of the cheapest online schools for human resources may NOT be re-posted online or reprinted in any format without a license from GetEducated ®. Consumer finance bloggers and writers can contact our editors for a free custom article on the best online master’s in human resources for use on your website. Our mission: Help consumers GetEducated ® about the best online colleges for cost and credibility.
Career Guide: Online Master’s in Human Resources
Whether you are studying for a bachelor’s degree in human resources or currently working in an HR department, these degrees create tremendous opportunities to advance your expertise in this important field.
Human resources is an academic discipline that can be used in any area and any industry. It’s also a high-paying career, one that can be even more rewarding with an online master’s in human resources.
What to Expect from an Online Master’s in Human Resources
Human resources is the practice of recruiting, training, developing, and managing employees within a business or organization. The ultimate goal is to increase the effectiveness of a business by creating a useful staff of motivated and efficient workers.
This is a complex and ever-changing discipline, one that requires both education and experience to perform effectively. While a bachelor’s degree is a fine start, and will certainly qualify you for numerous job opportunities, a master’s degree will propel your career to even greater heights.
To gain entry into these programs, you’ll need to meet a variety of requirements. Each college or university has different standards, but you’ll certainly need a bachelor’s degree in human resources, business, or a similar field. Not only do you need a bachelor’s degree, you’ll need to meet specific GPA standards; most schools require a 3.0 or better in previous courses. A master’s degree is a high-level education, so transcripts, application assays, references, and other requirements will also be requested.
Once you gain entry, you’ll have access to some of the most engaging courses you’ve ever experienced. Most online master’s in human resources programs consist of roughly six or seven core courses, as well as roughly eight elective courses, which focus on a variety of human-resource related topics.
Core courses will likely include human resource leadership, HR consulting, employee evaluation, and other important subjects. Elective courses can include coaching, talent development, employee benefits, and many other subjects.
Many of these online programs offer specializations in a specific topic. You could, for example, complete an online master’s in human resources that focuses on HR and business, which helps you balance to demands of human resources with the needs of a business. Other specializations include training and development, leadership, strategic management, and organizational performance.
Once complete, these master’s degrees allow you to move into numerous high-paying careers in all sorts of industries.
Careers in Human Resources
One of the benefits of an HR master’s degree is that you can work in virtually any industry. All sectors of the economy need experts in human resources, so you can work in manufacturing, entertainment, sports, hospitality, outdoor leisure, healthcare, and more. Name an industry that you find interesting, and there is, almost certainly, a human resources expert working behind the scenes.
Human Resources Manager
- Salary: $121,220
- Education: Bachelor’s degree
- Experience: Over five years
Human resources, especially for large companies and organizations, can be extremely complicated. Businesses often hire human resource managers to plan, coordinate, and execute these efforts. Specific duties may include creating a hiring campaign, setting goals and standard for job candidates, and overseeing work performance.
While you need over five years of experience in human resources to be eligible for most management jobs, a master’s degree gives you a competitive edge. You’ll have a deeper and broader understanding of human resources, which will make you a more attractive candidate when you interview for these careers.
Reliable human resource experts are so important that companies are willing to pay top-dollar for these professionals. With a master’s degree, you may be able to work your way into the top 10% of HR managers, a group that earns over $208,000 annually!
Compensation & Benefits Manager
- Salary: $125,130
- Education: Bachelor’s degree
- Experience: Over five years
Compensation and benefits managers provide oversight for a company’s benefits package. They may oversee recruitment, set pay and benefit packages, and could also choose outside partners, including insurance brokers and investment managers.
While there is overlap between these professionals and human resource managers, the main difference is that benefits managers focus, at least more often, on the benefits being provided to employees. HR managers tend to focus on the hiring, placement, and training process.
In this career, you’ll have the opportunity to earn a strong salary, as the top 10% also earn over $208,000 a year.
Requirements to Work in Human Resources
To work in human resources, you likely won’t need licensing, although voluntary certification can boost an already stellar resume. Certification through organizations such as the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM), and HR Certification Institute (HRCI) can strengthen your knowledge and increase your potential earnings and job opportunities.
If you expect to work in management after completing an online master’s in human resources, you will also need experience. Most employers expect their managers to have about five years of experience before working as a human resources or benefits manager.