10 Most Affordable Online Doctorate/DBA Programs in 2024

DBA is a most sought-after course nowadays. This course is in high demand and many students opt for this course who have work experience and are looking to upskill.

DBA is offered Online mode to working professionals. At present, you can pursue an online Doctorate program from elite foreign universities for just INR 8 lakhs for the whole program.

Today in this blog, we are here to know some of the most affordable online doctorates and universities offering such affordable degrees. 

DBA is a 3 to 5 years long program that is offered to students with work experience skills and prior knowledge of the relevant field. The program is offered to the students in online mode. And that makes it well-suited to the candidates who are looking to pursue the course with the job.

  The candidate looking to enrol in this program must have some work experience along with the skills. The candidate with a master’s degree or bachelor's degree can apply to the program.

The students also have to appear in the interview to enrol in these programs. As this program is offered in online mode, it is highly pursued by working professionals. So, if you also looking to upskill and want to add a Dr title to your name then you can pursue an online DBA.

Top Universities Offering Affordable Doctorate Programs

Here we have listed the top doctorate programs that are offering affordable doctorate programs.

Golden Gate University

The Golden Gate University has especially designed courses for working professionals. This University offers affordable degree programs. The University offers hybrid and online degree and certificate programs that are specially for working professionals.

Whether you are about to get into a university to pursue a degree or looking to get many more opportunities, you can get the advantages of pursuing a degree from Golden Gate University.

The university offers 60+ degrees and certificates that are specialised in business, accounting, technology, taxation, law and many more. 

• Online Doctorate Programs Available: Doctor of Business Administration(DBA)
• Location: 536 Mission St, San Francisco, CA
• Tuition Fees- INR 10,00,000- INR 12,00,000

SSBM Geneva 

Swiss School of Business Management also offers DBA to working professionals. This university is among the highly committed universities that continuously try to improve academic excellence.

The University is situated in Geneva, Switzerland and offers online as well as on-campus programs. It offers a diverse range of courses like UG, PG and doctorate programs as well.

You can pursue Executive DBA, International DBA and global DBA to the students. The University is approved and accredited by many reputed organisations like ACBSP, EduQua and AACSB. SSBM is listed among the top 10 European Universities for online studies. 

•  Location: Geneva, Switzerland
• Online Doctorate Programs Available: Doctor of Business Administration 
• Tuition Fees(Full): INR 7,00,000

Rushford Business School

This is located in Lucerne, Switzerland and is approved by Swiss EduQua, ACBSP, AACSB, UN PRME, IACBE and many more. Rushford Business School offers courses in management, accounting, marketing and finance.

DBA(Doctorate in Business Administration) is offered by this university and is a holistic study of management, business, leadership and finance.

The course is well-suited for working professionals as it offers great learning to the students along with the job. It offers in-depth theoretical knowledge and also gives the idea of how to use the knowledge on practical grounds. 

•  Location: Lucerne, Switzerland
• Online Doctorate Programs Available: Doctor of Business Administration 
• Tuition Fees(Full): INR 8,12,000

ESGCI School of Business

ESGCI School of Business also offers DBA at an affordable cost to the students. Working professionals can enrol in this program who are looking to upskill and get to senior-level positions.

The institution is approved and recognised by elite organisations. The online doctorate program is three to five years long and is offered in online mode.

The candidate gets in-depth knowledge related to the business management field and also gives them idea of using the theoretical knowledge in the real business problem.  

•  Location: Paris, France
• Online Doctorate Programs Available: Doctor of Business Administration 
• Tuition Fees(Full): INR 8,14,000

Columbia Southern University 

This University provides an Online Doctorate in Business administration that offers in-depth knowledge of the application of theoretical concepts, advanced methods to solve industry-specific knowledge, decision-making ability, and leadership skills in the business field.

Students are taught about investigation and exploring skills, and data analysis, and this contributes to the improved and new knowledge of a particular segment of the Business administration field. 

• Online Doctorate Programs Available: Doctor of Business Administration(DBA)
• Location: Orange Beach, Alabama
• Tuition Per Credit Hour: $545

American College of Education

It also offers many online doctorate programs to students that help working professionals to get advanced knowledge through research and studies. The college has a dedicated group of teachers and faculties that help them to grasp the concepts. After completion of the program, the candidates get various career and job opportunities. 

• Location: Indianapolis, IN
• Online Doctorate Programs Available: Ed.D. in Nursing Education, Ed.D. in Leadership, Ed.D. in Early Childhood Education, Ed.D. in Leadership, Ed.D. in Special Education, Ed.D. in Public Health Education, Ed.D. in Curriculum and Instruction, Ed.D. in Instructional Technology, Ed.D. in Second Language Instruction
• Total Program Cost: $23,914

William Howard Taft University 

This university offers an Online doctorate program in business administration and a doctorate in education. DBA is tailor-made for mid & senior-level managers who are looking to obtain higher-level education in practical as well as theoretical aspects.

The University also offers a doctorate in education that is best for people looking to pursue a career in the teaching field and administrative positions. 

• Location: Denver, Colorado
• Online Doctorate Programs Available: Doctor of Business Administration, Doctor of Education
• Tuition Per Credit: $395 (DBA), $360 (Ed.D.)

Arizona State University

It offers many doctorate programs to students in online mode. It is also a popular choice among working professionals. The fees depend on the program selected, and the mode of study chosen.

You can also apply for the facilities like scholarships, loans and grants. The University has dedicated faculty members who help the candidate understand the theoretical topics clearly and later apply the same to practical problems. 

• Location: Scottsdale, AZ
• Online Doctorate Programs Available: Doctor of Behavior Health (Clinical), Doctor of Education - Leadership & Innovation, Doctor of Behavior Health (Management), Doctor of Professional Practice - Regulatory and Clinical Research Management

• Tuition Per Academic Year: $13,709 (DBH), $9,233 (Ed.D.), $7,037 (DPP)

American College of Education

It offers various online doctorate programs to students to help experienced students advance their knowledge through experts. The college has a dedicated team of faculty members to support and guide students through research by completing every topic.

You can complete the doctorate program from the university in three to five years. 

• Location: Indianapolis, IN
• Online Doctorate Programs Available: Ed.D. in Nursing Education, Ed.D. in Leadership, Ed.D. in Early Childhood Education, Ed.D. in Leadership, Ed.D. in Special Education, Ed.D. in Public Health Education, Ed.D. in Curriculum and Instruction, Ed.D. in Instructional Technology, Ed.D. in Second Language Instruction
• Total Program Cost: $23,914

Post University 

The University is offering a Doctorate in Nursing Practice(DNP), from the American Sentinel College of Nursing & Health Sciences, which is specially designed for working professionals. The University helps the students to get advanced knowledge. 

• Location: Waterbury, CT
• Online Doctorate Programs Available: Doctor of Nursing Practice
• Tuition Per Credit Hour: $770

Top 10 affordable Doctorate program

Here in this blog, we have given some top and affordable doctorate degrees

1) Doctorate in Business Administration

DBA is best if you are a business enthusiast and looking to get the advanced skills to get better opportunities. DBA(Doctorate in Business Administration) is a three to five-year program that is offered in online mode by many top universities.

The program aims to offer in-depth advanced knowledge of the topics related to business, economics, marketing, and working on unique and creative research work.

The candidates enrolled in the program are engaged in research work that focuses on finding a solution to a practical business problem. As DBA is the highest level of education and hence the candidate enrolled in this program gets an amazing job and career opportunities after completion of this program. 

Top DBA specialisations are -

• DBA in Supply Chain Management
• DBA in Generative Artificial Intelligence
• DBA in Human Resource Management
• DBA in Emerging Technologies
• DBA in Marketing
• DBA in  Leadership
• DBA in Healthcare Management
• DBA in International Business
• DBA in Accounting
• DBA in Project Management

2) Online Doctorate in Counsellor Education and Supervision

Counselling is a crucial part of anyone in their career, and if you are looking to pursue a career in counselling then get ready to take the responsibility.  You can pursue a doctorate in counsellor education and supervision.

This field comprises offering education counselling,   program direction teaching administration, consultancy, research, clinical supervision and many more.

The counsellors’ work is of big responsibility and there is no room for mistakes. This degree is also in demand and is considered one of the most affordable doctorate degrees. 

3) Online Doctorate in Business Management Leadership

The next on our list is PhD in Business Management Leadership program. This is one of the most affordable doctorate degrees. The candidates looking to enrol in this program are required to have some prior experience and knowledge related to the field.

This doctorate program is best suited for the people who are working in the senior-level positions. You can be a part of this program if you completed a master's program. The program is the choice of the people who are in senior positions at top companies or entrepreneurs. 

4) Online Doctorate in Business Management Project Management

Online doctorate program in Business Management Project Management covers topics like management theory, project management, management principles & practice, organisational leadership, profile and portfolio management, performance management, risk & quality management and many more.

Project managers work in technical, government-based firms, scientific and professional fields but around 21% of them are self-employed. 

5) Doctorate in Behavioral Health

A doctorate program in behavioural health aims to advance learning in mental health, & human behaviour. The courses included in the program are advanced psychopathology, counselling theories, neuroscience, and research methods.

The syllabus of the course integrates clinical practice and evidence-based interventions. Students engage in specialised activities like addiction counselling, and family therapy. With the help of research, dissertation, and practicum the candidate gets advanced learning and understanding of the behavioural health principles. 

6) Doctorate in Occupational Therapy

Doctor of Occupational Therapy program aligns an advanced training for occupational therapists. Most courses encompass the advanced study of healthcare policy, leadership, clinical practice, and evidence-based dissertations. Students get engaged in research and fieldwork, with an emphasis on the application of theoretical knowledge on practical grounds. 

The curriculum focuses on ethical considerations, interdisciplinary collaboration, and emerging trends. This doctorate program finalises with a doctorate project, which is the integration of academic learning along with hands-on experience in a particular field. 

7) Doctorate in General Psychology Cognition & Instruction 

Online doctorate in General Psychology Cognition & Instruction focuses on cognition and instructions that emphasise helping students looking to work with adult educational populations.

The course is among the most affordable doctorate programs. This course is highly opted by the candidates, so if you are looking to make a career in the general psychology cognition and instruction field, you can pursue this program as this is the highest degree of education and it also adds a doctor's title with your name.

The degree is generally three to five years long and offered by many top universities. 

8) Doctorate in Educational Leadership and Management

This doctorate in Educational leadership and management is specially designed for professionals from the education field who are aspiring to handle top leadership roles.

The course includes organisational theory, finance, strategic planning, and policy analysis. The curriculum includes research, focusing on data-driven and better decision-making along with educational innovation.

Communication skills and leadership are also honed by this course and students get engaged in applying the theoretical knowledge to the practical ground like internships and capstone projects. Students pursuing this course must have a master’s degree from an accredited university. 

9) Doctorate in Business Management Accounting

The doctorate in Business Management Accounting is more than just financial record management and further challenges accountants to use accounting principles to get economic insights & broader perspective of the organisation.

Graduates with this degree can pursue careers in accounting, academia, management and many more. As per the job outlook reports, jobs for financial management the jobs are expected to grow 16% from 2022 to 2032. 

10) Online Ed.D. in Organisational Leadership

Ed.D. in organisational leadership special education is a qualitative research doctorate best suited to professionals who are looking to advance mastery in the field of special education with the organisational system.

After the completion of the program, the candidates can pursue roles in teaching in primary and secondary, special education and higher education backgrounds. On average the principal of a public school can earn an annual salary of $101,320, per year and on the same hand, the administrator can get $99,940 per year as per the BLS 2023. 

Conclusion

It is difficult to invest 5 to 7 years in one doctorate, but things are changing. The candidates are not required to drop the job, they can work and study at the same time and that too in an affordable manner. Now students can work and at the same time, you can also pursue your doctorate program starting in just INR 8 lakhs for the whole program.