Earning a bachelor degree in nonprofit management online is the best way to start a leadership career in public administration. If you are ready to serve public needs in efficient and valuable ways, an online degree will serve your professional and financial conditions best. Online public administration bachelor degree programs are best suited for those interested in learning more about leadership, human resources, fundraising, social services, and more in the vein of public service.
An online bachelor’s degree in nonprofit management can lead to higher-paying career opportunities than the entry-level administrator makes. From social and community service management, averaging $69,600 a year, to public relations and fundraising management, which averages around $118,430 a year. Consider an online bachelor’s degree in nonprofit management with concentrations like organizational leadership, community leadership, or public administration to pursue jobs in government agencies and federal programs. If you’re ready to start this essential professional development, the next step is to determine your academic budget. If you factor in that a bachelor degree in nonprofit management online could cost over $89,000 while the cheapest is less than $15,000, you have to admit, it pays to get educated before you enroll.
GetEducated compared 50 online public administration bachelor degree programs from 39 regionally accredited schools to create this ranking. Below is our editorially independent list of the 23 ‘Best Buys’ for an affordable bachelor degree in nonprofit management online. Each degree costs less than the national average.
ARTICLE NAVIGATION: Rankings Table | Career Guide
Average Cost (In-state): ~$53,300
Least Expensive: Indian River State College ~$14,652.00
Most Expensive: Cleary University ~$89,520.00
Our data-driven research creates a truly reliable system of scientific rankings. There are 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 public administration bachelor degree programs. The online bachelor’s degrees listed above the gray dividing line are official 2022 “Best Buys” and cost less than the national average.
Most Affordable Bachelor Degree in Nonprofit Management Online
Eastern Oregon University 
Southern New Hampshire University 
| Rank | School / Degree | State | Price | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Indian River State College | (FL) | $14,652.00 $48,600.00 | In-State Out-of-State |
2 | Montana State University-Northern | (MT) | $26,462.72 $77,302.72 | In-State Out-of-State |
3 | Barry University | (FL) | $30,600.00 | All Students |
4 | Central Methodist University | (MO) | $33,675.00 | All Students |
5 | Peru State College | (NE) | $35,945.00 | All Students |
6 |  Southern New Hampshire University | (NH) | $38,550.00 $27,150.00 | In-State/Out-of-State Military |
7 | University of Colorado Denver | (CO) | $40,800.00 $62,520.00 | In-State Out-of-State |
8 | William Peace University | (NC) | $42,360.00 | All Students |
8 | University of Wisconsin-Green Bay | (WI) | $42,360.00 | All Students |
10 | Columbia College - MO | (MO) | $45,000.00 $30,000.00 | In-State/Out-of-State Military |
11 | Toccoa Falls College | (GA) | $45,580.00 | All Students |
12 | LeTourneau University | (TX) | $47,550.00 | All Students |
13 | Mount Vernon Nazarene University | (OH) | $47,760.00 | All Students |
14 | Franklin University | (OH) | $47,850.00 $30,090.00 | In-State/Out-of-State Military |
14 | Austin Peay State University | (TN) | $47,850.00 $64,890.00 | In-State Out-of-State |
16 | Eastern Oregon University | (OR) | $48,100.00 $55,300.00 | In-State Out-of-State |
17 | Liberty University | (VA) | $48,892.00 $32,092.00 | In-State/Out-of-State Military |
18 | University of Massachusetts-Dartmouth | (MA) | $48,960.00 | All Students |
19 |  Aurora University | (IL) | $51,200.00 $30,200.00 | In-State/Out-of-State Military |
20 | Montreat College | (NC) | $52,300.00 | All Students |
21 | Huntington University | (IN) | $52,456.00 | All Students |
22 | Roger Williams University | (RI) | $52,815.00 $30,855.00 | In-State/Out-of-State Military |
23 | Park University | (MO) | $52,875.00 $30,075.00 | In-State/Out-of-State Military |
| School / Degree | State | Price | Note | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Los Angeles Pacific University | (CA) | $54,075.00 $48,675.00 | In-State/Out-of-State Military | |
Central Michigan University | (MI) | $54,350.00 $35,930.00 | In-State/Out-of-State Military | |
Northern Arizona University | (AZ) | $56,264.00 | All Students | |
University of the Southwest | (NM) | $57,200.00 | All Students | |
Golden Gate University | (CA) | $57,606.00 $31,530.00 | In-State/Out-of-State Military | |
Upper Iowa University | (IA) | $59,830.00 $30,070.00 | In-State/Out-of-State Military | |
University of Arizona | (AZ) | $61,264.00 $31,264.00 | In-State/Out-of-State Military | |
 Colorado Christian University | (CO) | $62,040.00 $35,760.00 | In-State/Out-of-State Military | |
University of Arizona | (AZ) | $62,764.00 $32,014.00 | In-State/Out-of-State Military | |
Lipscomb University | (TN) | $66,150.00 | All Students | |
National University (School Merged) Bachelor of Public Administration 14 | (CA) | $66,600.00 | All Students | |
Point Park University | (PA) | $67,200.00 | All Students | |
North Park University | (IL) | $69,750.00 | All Students | |
University of La Verne | (CA) | $78,440.00 | All Students | |
California Baptist University | (CA) | $79,107.00 | All Students | |
Villanova University | (PA) | $84,840.00 | All Students | |
Cleary University | (MI) | $89,520.00 | 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
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 bachelor degree in nonprofit management online programs. 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 bachelor 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 bachelor’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 nonprofit management 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 bachelor degree in nonprofit management online for use on your website. Our mission: Help consumers GetEducated ® about the best online colleges for cost and credibility.
Career Guide: Bachelor Degree in Nonprofit Management Online
If you aspire for a career helping others in nonprofit or public administration, one of these degrees may be the perfect choice. A bachelor degree in nonprofit management online can not only bring a rewarding, fulfilling occupation, it can also bring a stable career with a strong income.
What to Expect from a Bachelor Degree in Nonprofit Management Online
Unless you have previous college credit that can transfer to these degrees generally take four years of study. They will include a variety of general classes, such as math, literature, history, and science, as well as business, nonprofit, and public-administration management courses.
These degrees are delivered through a college or university’s school of business. They are, at their core, business degrees, so they deliver many of the fundamental skills that are important to business leaders, but also to managers of non-profit organizations and government offices. Classes may include human resources, marketing, accounting, finance, leadership principles, and other business-related topics.
The classes in each bachelor degree in nonprofit management online will differ from program to program, and the specific courses you take will depend largely on whether the degree is focused on nonprofit organizations or public administration.
For degrees focused on nonprofit management, you can expect classes that include the laws impacting nonprofit groups, raising funds, managing volunteers, and evaluating nonprofit organization. Grant writing (which is really grant-application writing) is also a part of many nonprofit degree; in some programs it’s an entire class.
Public administration degrees focus more on the work of a government office, agency, or department. Classes may include policy making, the administration of public benefits, maintaining a strong public image, and local government management.
While these are not profit-driven organizations (like a company), they are not free from financial concerns. (In fact, one could argue they need to be more concerned with finances.) Therefore, the classes will often include issues such as nonprofit finance, accounting basics, and other issues that help these organizations maintain a strong, responsible financial profile.
Once you complete these degrees, you’ll have the right skills to lead a variety of organizations. You can assist a nonprofit in their important work or even create your own nonprofit organization.
Popular Careers in Nonprofit and Public Administration
Fundraising Manager
- Salary: $118,430
- Education: Bachelor’s degree
- Experience: Over 5 years
A fundraising manager helps an organization raise money. For a nonprofit, this generally means seeking out and securing donations that help the organization carry out their goals. Specific duties will vary widely, but you can expect tasks like planning fundraising strategies, identifying target donors, and meeting face-to-face with people who can support the organization.
A fundraising manager can earn a large salary, and the top 10% of this career have annual incomes over $208,000. The growth for this career is also high; between 2020 and 2030 the Bureau of Labor Statistics expects this occupation to grow by 13%, compared to an 8% national job growth.
Management Analyst
- Salary: $87,660
- Education: Bachelor’s degree
- Experience: Under 5 years
Companies, nonprofits, and government departments need the most efficient, cost-effective, and productive organization possible. There is no room for waste, even in the most profitable and well-funded group. These organizations often turn to management analysts to improve efficiencies. These professionals provide expert advice on how to make an organization more efficient, and they often work as independent consultants.
The growth for this career is also strong. If you work as a management analyst, you’ll work in a career that is expected to grow by 14% between 2020 and 2030, adding over 124,000 jobs (for a total of over 1 million) in just a ten-year span. This allows you to enjoy a career that is both high-paying and stable.
Additional Requirements for These Careers
To work in these careers, you likely won’t need mandated licensing. You may, however, improve your skills and your career potential by completing voluntary certification. For example, becoming a Certified Management Consultant through the Institute of Management Consultants USA (IMC USA) could be a good choice if you want to work as a management analyst.
Most of all, you’ll need experience. To work in corporate, nonprofit, or government management, which is the goal for many of these online public administration bachelor degree programs, you’ll likely need to work in the industry for about five years. A fundraising manager will likely work as a public relations specialist or fundraiser before going into management.
Want to find the best bachelor degree in nonprofit management online for your budget and schedule? Visit GetEducated.com today for more information on world-class degrees that lead to some of the most exciting careers possible.