An online bachelor’s degree in sports management is an investment in a dynamic, challenging and rewarding field. These programs are designed to intersect the world of business with the sports industry, which can look as much like coaching a team as handling organizational finances, running an entertainment facility or managing a marketing team. Management occupations overall can expect a higher projected ten-year growth and salary than the national average for all careers, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. In 2020, sales managers alone reported an annual median salary of $132,290, which is an exceptional paycheck for a career that only requires a bachelor’s degree. Explore college sport management programs offering flexible online scheduling, customizable curriculums, and course loads designed for working adult students.
Looking for an online bachelor’s degree in sports management that will set you up for a long and prosperous 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 70 bachelor’s programs in sports management from 60 regionally accredited online schools to create this ‘Best Buy’ list. Our rankings reveal the most affordable online bachelor’s degree in sports management options in the United States—37 for under $56,000.
ARTICLE NAVIGATION: Rankings Table | Career Guide
Average Cost (In-state): ~$55,700
Least Expensive: University of Florida ~$15,501.60
Most Expensive: Nova Southeastern University ~$138,380.00
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 bachelor’s degree in sports management. The online degrees listed above the gray dividing line are official 2022 “Best Buys” and cost less than the national average.
Most Affordable Online Bachelor’s Degree in Sports Management
| Rank | School / Degree | State | Price | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | University of Florida | (FL) | $15,501.60 $66,314.40 | In-State Out-of-State |
2 | Lewis-Clark State College | (ID) | $27,953.00 $80,977.00 | In-State Out-of-State |
3 | Florida International University | (FL) | $28,286.72 $42,333.92 | In-State Out-of-State |
4 | Emporia State University | (KS) | $33,558.00 $44,114.40 | In-State Out-of-State |
5 | University of Iowa | (IA) | $35,552.00 | All Students |
6 | Southeastern Oklahoma State University | (OK) | $36,332.00 | All Students |
7 |  American Public University System | (WV) | $36,900.00 $30,100.00 | In-State/Out-of-State Military |
8 |  Southern New Hampshire University | (NH) | $38,550.00 $27,150.00 | In-State/Out-of-State Military |
9 |  University of West Alabama | (AL) | $39,555.00 | All Students |
10 | Tarleton State University | (TX) | $41,852.40 $90,812.40 | In-State Out-of-State |
11 | SUNY College of Technology at Canton | (NY) | $42,001.00 $48,961.00 | In-State Out-of-State |
12 | Columbia College - MO | (MO) | $45,000.00 $30,000.00 | In-State/Out-of-State Military |
13 | Shorter University | (GA) | $45,165.00 | All Students |
14 | University of Minnesota-Crookston | (MN) | $45,528.00 | All Students |
15 | Toccoa Falls College | (GA) | $45,580.00 | All Students |
16 | Texas A & M University - Commerce | (TX) | $46,104.00 $95,064.00 | In-State Out-of-State |
17 | Wilmington University | (DE) | $47,140.00 | All Students |
18 | Franklin University | (OH) | $47,850.00 $30,090.00 | In-State/Out-of-State Military |
19 | Indiana Institute of Technology | (IN) | $47,950.00 | All Students |
20 | Colorado Mesa University | (CO) | $48,000.00 | All Students |
21 | McKendree University | (IL) | $48,125.00 | All Students |
22 | Spring Hill College | (AL) | $48,630.00 $30,750.00 | In-State/Out-of-State Military |
23 | Liberty University | (VA) | $48,892.00 $32,092.00 | In-State/Out-of-State Military |
24 | University of Northwestern Ohio | (OH) | $49,500.00 | All Students |
25 | Eastern Kentucky University | (KY) | $50,040.00 $30,000.00 | In-State/Out-of-State Military |
26 | Missouri Baptist University | (MO) | $50,260.00 | All Students |
27 | Concordia University, St. Paul | (MN) | $50,400.00 $30,000.00 | In-State/Out-of-State Military |
28 | Voorhees College | (SC) | $50,545.00 | All Students |
29 | Culver-Stockton College | (MO) | $51,550.00 | All Students |
30 | Truett McConnell University | (GA) | $51,698.00 | All Students |
31 | Salem University | (WV) | $51,800.00 $66,800.00 | In-State Out-of-State |
32 | Regent University | (VA) | $52,600.00 $30,000.00 | In-State/Out-of-State Military |
33 | Westcliff University | (CA) | $53,000.00 | All Students |
34 | Wesleyan College | (GA) | $53,760.00 | All Students |
35 | Lancaster Bible College | (PA) | $54,000.00 | All Students |
36 | Cairn University | (PA) | $54,400.00 | All Students |
37 | Greenville University | (IL) | $55,229.00 | All Students |
| School / Degree | State | Price | Note | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Calvary University | (MO) | $56,502.00 $39,492.00 | In-State/Out-of-State Military | |
Bellevue University | (NE) | $56,710.00 $33,850.00 | In-State/Out-of-State Military | |
University of the Southwest | (NM) | $57,200.00 | All Students | |
United States Sports Academy | (AL) | $59,238.00 $30,690.00 | In-State/Out-of-State Military | |
Johnson & Wales University | (RI) | $59,400.00 | All Students | |
Northwood University | (MI) | $59,770.00 $31,830.00 | In-State/Out-of-State Military | |
Upper Iowa University | (IA) | $59,830.00 $30,070.00 | In-State/Out-of-State Military | |
Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College | (IN) | $60,045.00 | All Students | |
University of Memphis | (TN) | $60,480.00 | All Students | |
Walsh University | (OH) | $61,600.00 | All Students | |
University of Louisville | (KY) | $62,484.00 $30,750.00 | In-State/Out-of-State Military | |
Monroe University | (NY) | $65,704.00 | All Students | |
Concordia University - Chicago | (IL) | $66,560.00 | All Students | |
Maryville University | (MO) | $67,375.00 | All Students | |
Point Park University | (PA) | $67,760.00 | All Students | |
George Mason University | (VA) | $70,130.00 $187,430.00 | In-State Out-of-State | |
Post University | (CT) | $72,400.00 | All Students | |
Mercy College | (NY) | $83,136.00 | All Students | |
Cleary University | (MI) | $89,520.00 | All Students | |
Harrisburg University of Science and Technology | (PA) | $95,600.00 | All Students | |
Mount Aloysius College | (PA) | $99,800.00 | All Students | |
Davenport University | (MI) | $103,000.00 $70,480.00 | In-State Out-of-State | |
Nova Southeastern University | (FL) | $138,380.00 | 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 bachelor’s degree in sports management. 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 sports 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 online bachelor’s degree in sports management for use on your website. Our mission: Help consumers GetEducated ® about the best online colleges for cost and credibility.
Career Guide: Online Bachelor’s Degree in Sports Management
If you love sports, but can’t hit a curveball, can’t throw a tight spiral, can’t sink a long-distance three pointer, you don’t have to leave sports entirely. While you may not be able to earn a living as an athlete, you can still work in the sports industry. A degree in sports management can help you stay near the sports you love while allowing you to use your natural talents for organization, communication, and leadership. When you can’t run, jump, and throw for a living, you can still work in sports thanks to an online bachelor’s degree in sports management.
What to Expect from a Degree in Sports Management
A degree in sports management is, essentially, a business degree. What makes it unique is that it’s a business degree focused entirely on the sports industry. You’ll learn to apply management theories to sports, helping teams or leagues stay financially strong and competitive. Once complete, you’ll know how to analyze legal and ethical issues, and you’ll be able to implement concepts and theories to sports-related enterprises.
You’ll learn important financial skills that are crucial to all businesses and organizations, but your studies will focus specifically on how these financial topics can be applied to sports teams and leagues. The same goes for marketing; you’ll learn the broad-range marketing skills, then study how they apply to sports organizations; how to attract fans to your events or how to sell merchandise that increases team profits.
Within these degrees, concentrations or specializations are usually available. This will depend on what online bachelor’s degree in sports management you select, but you may find concentrations such as sports leadership or management in a specific sport.
Classes within these programs come in many different titles and topics. You’ll likely take classes that include supervision and leadership, sports ethics, and intercultural issues in sports. Because these are often part of a business degree, you’ll also need to complete finance-related topics that may include macroeconomics, accounting, and budgeting. Teams and leagues often operate on tight budgets, so these skills will be crucial for your career.
Potential Careers in Sports Management
Within the sports industry, there are numerous employment opportunities that go far beyond the athletes and coaches.
Marketing Manager
- Salary: $141,490
- Education: Bachelor’s degree
- Experience: Previous experience required
Sports need to attract fans. They need paying customers to order tickets, buy merchandise, and purchase concessions. From the biggest sports league in the world to a lowly minor league baseball team, effective marketing is the key to success. Marketing managers provide the broad-level oversight to keep a sports organization’ marketing efforts going strong. They work with various departments to create promotions, and develop pricing to attract the most customers.
Marketing managers earn a strong income, but you’ll need experience in the marketing industry before you can become a manager. These professionals usually need about five years of experience, but the top 10% earn over $208,000 a year, so it’s likely worth your time and energy.
Management Analyst
- Salary: $87,660
- Education: Bachelor’s degree
- Experience: None
How well is a sports team being run? How effective is the management structure and organization? These professionals are not managers themselves, but instead advice management to make organizations more profitable and effective. They usually develop solutions to obvious problems and make recommendations for changing management, which are often delivered in written reports or presentations.
In sports, a management analyst may analyze the overall structure of the team or league’s front office, helping to find ways that the group can be more effective. They could also look at the management and leadership of a team to help it become more connected as a group. In this career, you may not be hired by a team, but instead take on consulting roles on an contractural basis.
Requirements to Work in Sports Management
To work in sports management, you likely won’t need licensing. Certification, however, could boost your overall resume and make you more attractive to employers or clients. Working with organizations such as the Institute of Management Consultants USA could make you a stronger professional.
In addition to your sports management education, you’ll likely need some experience in the sports industry. Working as an intern after college could help you get a “foot in the door,” allowing you to launch your career.
If you want to become a strong contributor to the sports industry, if you want a career in athletics but don’t have the physical gifts for athletic competition, an online bachelor’s degree in sports management may be perfect for your future!