Best 20 Cheapest MBA Programs in Illinois in 2024

The University of Illinois at Springfield’s MBA program features a blended format with core classes held weeknights on campus. Electives are held either online or on-campus in the evening or on weekends. Students have the option to add a specialization certificate to their degree in fields such as finance, human resource management, and business analytics.

Quincy University is a private Roman Catholic university offering on-campus and online MBA programs. To meet the needs of working professionals, courses are offered year-round and on-campus classes meet once a week for 3 ½ hours. Additional certifications in health care administration, organizational leadership, and operations management are available.

The MBA program at Eastern Illinois University is offered at the Charleston campus and at Parkland Community College in Champaign. Students can also earn this degree online. There are several concentration options available: accountancy, applied management, research, and geographic information sciences. The school offers an MBA with MS in cybersecurity dual degree program.

McKendree University is a private university affiliated with the United Methodist Church. The school offers an MBA program on-campus and online. Concentrations include corporate finance, cyber defense, digital marketing, and human resource management.

MBA students at Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville may take classes in two formats: flex and accelerated. Flex classes are held one evening per week on campus with online assignments or online courses. Accelerated classes are all online. Specializations include business analytics, management information systems, and project management.

Governors State offers their MBA program in a hybrid or fully online format. They also have a program for undergraduate students looking to earn a Bachelor of Arts in Business Administration and MBA within five years. Students may choose a specialization in business analytics, finance, or leadership.

SIU Carbondale has residential and online MBA programs and several dual degree options. Students who complete the MBA program may seek higher education through the school’s PhD in Business Administration program. Concentrations offered include agribusiness economics and analytics for managers.

Concordia is a private university affiliated with the Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod. Features of their MBA program include no GRE requirement and two completion track lengths: one-year and two-year. There are eight specializations to choose from: accounting, chief school business official, digital marketing, finance, health care management, leadership and change management, project management, and sports management.

Greenville is a private institution affiliated with the Free Methodist Church. They offer an online MBA program as well as a Bachelor of Science in Business Management for undergrads. Each course in the MBA program is 8 or 16 weeks long. Students may transfer up to 6 credits from other courses to speed up completion.

The MBA program at Aurora University can be taken in three different formats: Plus One, Evening, and Online. The Plus One format is designed to last one year full-time with daytime classes on the main campus. Evening format classes are designed to be completed in two years part-time and are held at the main campus as well as Woodstock Center. Online coursework can take one to two years to complete dependant on student pacing.

Judson is a private Evangelical Christian university. Students may attend on-campus classes in the evening, or earn their MBA online. The quickest timeline for degree completion is 18 months. Two concentration areas are available: organizational leadership and not-for-profit administration.

Benedictine University is a private Roman Catholic university within the Chicago metro area. They offer different MBA formats aimed at different types of students. Working adult students can earn their degree part-time on campus at their own pace. In the full-time internship program, recent graduates take an internship as their concentration to gain professional experience while they earn their degree. The 4+1 MBA program is for undergrads who want to earn a bachelor’s degree plus one-year post-grad to complete their MBA.

Students at Rockford University can take their MBA degree courses on campus, in the evenings, or fully online. Evening classes include dinner. Enrolled students also have access to the Bloomberg Business Lab. Three degree concentrations are available: finance, healthcare administration, and project management.

National Louis University’s MBA program is offered through on-campus, online, or blended formats. This degree may be earned in about 20 months. Students may choose from five concentration areas: accounting, entrepreneurship, health services administration, human resource management, or nonprofit management.

The Traditional MBA program at Illinois State University is delivered in a hybrid format. Students attend on-site classes one weeknight per week, then complete the rest online. Courseloads are flexible for students to take at their own pace. They also offer a Corporate MBA in an accelerated five-weeks-per-course format. The CMBA can be earned in 22 months.

Dominican University is a private Dominican Catholic institution. Their MBA degree can be earned on campus or in a hybrid format for full or part-time study. Students may be able to waive some or all of the foundation courses based on past academic or professional experience. Specialization certificates can be added to the degree.

Northeastern Illinois University’s MBA classes occur on campus during weeknights and occasionally on Saturday. There are also hybrid and online settings available. Students who have a certain undergrad GPA or work experience may be excepted from having to take the GMAT or GRE. The school offers a concentration in accounting.

Western Illinois University offers its MBA courses on campus during the day or evenings and online. There are nine integrated bachelor/master programs available for current undergrads. Concentration courses are determined by the department based on the student’s individual interests.

Lewis University is a private Lasallian Roman Catholic university. Learning options for their MBA program include on-campus evening and weekend classes at Romeoville and Oak Brook, as well as hybrid and online courses. Certain foundation courses may be waived based on previous undergraduate work. Concentrations include accounting, finance, healthcare informatics, human resources, marketing, and operations management.

Northern Illinois University offers four different learning formats for MBA students: Executive, One-Year, Global, and Online. Online study is flexible for full or part-time students holding a bachelor’s degree. Executive MBA courses are designed for working professionals with a minimum of five years work experience and company sponsorship. One-Year courses are preferably for students with three to five years of experience. Global courses feature two study abroad trips.