What’s the Cost of an Online Master’s in Marketing?

Professional aspirations and the drive to achieve are powerful motivators when you choose to pursue an online master’s degree in marketing. As you weigh the many factors that influence your choice of program—curriculum, faculty, university standing, program format, location, accreditation, and so on—tuition will surely be an element to consider.

Fortunately, there are numerous ways to navigate and manage the monetary cost of graduate school. In addition to federal loans for which you apply using the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) form, you may choose to pursue graduate assistantships or loan funding from private organizations. There are also diverse opportunities for scholarships, fellowships and grants from public and private sources who will not require repayment. Sallie Mae, a national giant in educational funding, recommends conducting targeted searches for graduate scholarships, based on a number of factors:¹

Search by school. Many universities offer scholarships to attract graduate students who have particularly strong academic records.

Search by field. Corporations, foundations and professional organizations offer graduate scholarships in fields where expertise is in short supply and high demand.

Search by demographic. With some research, you’ll find graduate scholarships offered for students of specific populations, including women, African Americans, Hispanics, Asians and Native Americans. In addition, there is scholarship funding available for foster children, first-generation college students, and non-traditional students who are cognitively and physically challenged.

Search by region. Don’t let national scholarships distract you from the opportunities available in your region or home state. The applicant pools are smaller, so your chances of success are higher. Check your state’s Department of Education website for more information.

To plan your graduate school budget, of course, you must start by learning what your overall tuition costs will be. Read on to survey the cost of online master’s in marketing programs from around the continental United States.

It’s common practice for public universities to require different tuition sums from students who live in state and out of state, respectively. This is also true regarding online education, although not all institutions vary their rates this way. In looking at tuition costs from universities in diverse locations, we have chosen to include numbers from those requiring the same tuition amount from all students, regardless of where they live.

Some university websites list ancillary costs, such as application and graduation fees, while others do not. Some show tuition based on credit hour and some show only the grand total. The numbers shown here are those readily available online. They reflect tuition as of the 2020-2021 academic year and may not include additional fees which comprise a small percentage of a degree’s overall cost.

You’ll see that tuition varies widely, from less than $20,000 to more than $100,000. By dropping the highest and lowest numbers from our sample set and averaging the rest, we found a median tuition price of $34,085.

For this sample, we chose universities across the country that offer online master’s in marketing programs. Each listing here is for the online program from one university in the named state.

California
Degree: Master of Business Administration in Marketing
Total credit hours: 52
Cost per credit hour, if listed: $1,920
Total cost of the online master’s in marketing, based on 2020-2021 tuition: $99,840

Colorado
Degree: Master of Science in Marketing
Total credit hours: 30
Cost per credit hour, if listed: $920
Total cost of the online MS in marketing, based on 2020-2021 tuition: $27,600

Florida
Degree: Master of Science in Marketing
Total credit hours: 30
Cost per credit hour, if listed: N/A
Total cost of the online MS in marketing, based on 2020-2021 tuition: $27,500

Kentucky
Degree: Master of Business Administration in Marketing
Total credit hours: 30
Cost per credit hour, if listed: N/A
Total cost of the online master’s in marketing, based on 2020-2021 tuition: $16,140

Nebraska
Degree: Master of Science in Strategic Marketing
Total credit hours: 36
Cost per credit hour, if listed: $610
Total, based on 2020-2021 tuition: $21,960

New Hampshire
Degree: Master of Science in Marketing
Total credit hours: 36
Cost per credit hour, if listed: $627
Total cost of the online MS in marketing, based on 2020-2021 tuition: $22,722

North Carolina
Degree: Master of Business Administration in Marketing
Total credit hours: 62
Cost per credit hour, if listed: N/A
Total cost of the online master’s in marketing, based on 2020-2021 tuition: $125,589

Ohio
Degree: Master of Science in Marketing Communication
Total credit hours: 36
Cost per credit hour, if listed: $670
Total cost of the online master’s in marketing, based on 2020-2021 tuition: $24,518

Oregon
Degree: Master of Business Administration in Marketing
Total credit hours: 45
Cost per credit hour, if listed: N/A
Total cost of the online master’s in marketing, based on 2020-2021 tuition: $19,350

Texas
Degree: Master of Business Administration in Marketing
Total credit hours: 36
Cost per credit hour, if listed: N/A
Total cost of the online master’s in marketing, based on 2020-2021 tuition: $30,219

Wisconsin
Degree: Master of Business Administration in Marketing
Total credit hours: 36
Cost per credit hour, if listed: $779
Total cost of the online master’s in marketing, based on 2020-2021 tuition: $28,044

State: Virginia
Total credit hours: 33
Cost per credit hour: $1,125
Total cost of the Online MS in Marketing, based on 2020-2021 tuition: $39,095

The Online Master of Science in Marketing program at William & Mary creates Renaissance Marketers: innovative, adept, courageous leaders with a passion for making a positive impact on their workplace, the market they serve and the wider world. Well-versed in the technological and strategic standards that define the field but willing to think outside of established processes, Renaissance Marketers inspire important creative work and drive strategy with clarity and vision. Review our curriculum for insight into the courses that will help you grow into this unique brand of marketing leader. For further information about our program and the application process, reach out to an Admissions Advisor today.