The 10 Most Affordable Online Associate’s in Marketing Degree Programs

Marketing has gone through a revolution in the digital age. If you’re willing to learn new skills, you’ll have a huge leg up on thousands of people working in marketing positions with outdated education. Current marketing degrees focus on social media marketing, digital branding, website maintenance, business to business marketing, and much, much more to prepare the next generation of professionals in this field.. If you’re interested in marketing, management, sales, or carving out a niche in the business world, a great place to start is with an Associate’s degree in marketing. Here we’ve ranked 10 of the best online Associate programs in marketing, focusing intently on affordability. Because let’s face it: entering a marketing position without being thousands of dollars in debt is invaluable.

1) Albany Technical College

Albany Technical College is a member of the Technical College System of Georgia (TCSG), made up of 22 technical colleges. It delivers undergraduate degrees and certificates online, and on campuses in seven counties in southwest Georgia. It was founded in 1961, and currently has over 3,250 students enrolled, with a 15:1 student to faculty ratio. 99% of its students receive financial aid. Albany has programs in Agriculture, Business, Communication Technologies, Computer and Information Science, Construction, Education, Engineering Technology, Health, Homeland Security and much more.

Albany’s Marketing Management Associate degree is a 62 credit hour program. Students must have a high school diploma or GED to apply. The program is designed to prepare students for a variety of positions in the marketing and management fields. Students can graduate with specializations in marketing management, entrepreneurship, and retail management. Students will also learn extensively about computers, digital technology, accounting, regulations and compliance, consumer behavior, marketing channels and much more. Tuition at Albany was $2,654 for in-state (Georgia) students, and $4,794 for out-of-state full-time beginning undergraduate students in 2016-17.

2) Atlanta Technical College

Atlanta Tech is also part of the Technical College System of Georgia (TCSG). It was founded after World War II in 1945 as an adult vocational school, then became a Technical School in 1967. Currently, 3,775 students are served by Atlanta Tech, and it has a 15:1 student to faculty ratio. 97% of students receive financial aid. It offers 39 one year certificate programs, 12 1 to 2 year certificate programs, and 11 Associate programs. It also allows students to take 2 to 4 year certificate programs. It is outspoken about its anti-discriminatory philosophy.

Atlanta Tech offers a Marketing Management Associate Degree Program through their Marketing and Entrepreneurship department. The program requires at least 5 semesters, and has an estimated cost of $10,256. Students may specialize in Entrepreneurship, Social Media Marketing, e-Business, Professional Selling and Sports Marketing. The program requires 64-67 credit hours. After Gen Ed courses like College Algebra, Public Speaking, Composition and Rhetoric, Introductory Psychology and Intro to Humanities, students take 38-40 hours of occupational courses. Some standouts include Global Marketing, Marketing Research, Professional Selling, Hospitality Marketing and Project Management. Then students will spend 11-12 hours on one of the following specializations: Marketing Management, Entrepreneurship, e-Business, Professional Selling, Sports Marketing or Social Media Marketing.

3) Coastal Pines Technical College

Coastal Pines was founded in 2014, and is also part of the 28-member Technical College System of Georgia. The school currently2,775 students and educates students in thirteen counties in Georgia, as well as all over the world online through its distance programs. The school has seven campuses in Alma, Baxley, Brunswick, Hazlehurst, Jesup, Kingsland and Waycross in southeastern Georgia. Coastal Pines offers associate’s degree, certificate or diploma programs in health, business and computer, personal services, and technical and industrial technology. It has a 13:1 student to faculty ratio, and 91% of its students receive financial aid.

Coastal Pines offers an Associate of Applied Science in Marketing. Its goal is giving students the education the need to enter diverse marketing and management positions. Students 16 and older are eligible for the program with a high school diploma or GED. Sample courses include Financial Accounting, Principles of Marketing, Business Regulations and Compliance, Professional Selling, Integrated Marketing Communications, and Marketing Research. Students in this program can specialize in marketing management, entrepreneurship, or retail management. A major focus of the program is teaching students how to gain employment, stay employed and advance throughout their careers. Tuition at Coastal Pines was $4,785 for 2016-17 for all full-time beginning undergraduates.

4) Chattahoochee Technical College

Chattahoochee was founded in 1963, in Marietta, Georgia. It’s also known asChattahoochee Tech, CTC, or Chatt Tech. The school boasts 8 campuses in the north-northwest metro-Atlanta area, with one campus just outside that area. It confers technical certificates of credit, diplomas, and associate degrees to students. The school is a product of the 2009 merging of Appalachian Technical College, Chattahoochee Technical College, and North Metro Technical College. Just under 10,000 students currently attend Chatt Tech, and it has a 23:1 student to faculty ratio. 86% of its students receive financial aid.

CTC offers a Marketing Management Associate’s degree aimed at helping its graduates find gainful, evolving employment. Students can choose to specialize in marketing management, entrepreneurship or social media. Sample courses include Integrated Marketing Communications, Global Marketing, Information Literacy, Business Regulations and Compliance, Professional Selling, but students also have a wide selection of electives in different areas. For example, they can take Music Appreciation, or World Literature, among other options in the General Education Core on Humanities. This program requires 63 total credit hours. In 2016-17, in-state tuition was $2,746, and out-of-state tuition was $4,882 annually for full time beginning undergraduate students.

5) Kennebec Valley Community College

KVCC is one of seven colleges inthe Maine Community College System. It was founded in 1969, and is a public, two-year college conferring certificates (in less than a year or less than two year schedules) and Associate degrees. In total, KVCC has over 30 degree, diploma and certificate programs. Over 2,500 students attend the school, which has an 18:1 student to faculty ratio. 89% of KVCC students receive financial aid. It focuses on education, business and industry outreach degree offerings. The College is accredited by the New England Association of Schools and Colleges, Inc.

Through its Business Administration Associate program KVCC offers a Marketing/Management program. It requires 63 credits and a C average throughout for all students. The program focuses on preparing students for “managerial positions in organizations operating in the marketing of a product or in a service capacity.” Students can collaborate with students from other program options (including Accounting and Computer Systems Integration) in a “simulated office environment.” This program utilizes a “Virtual Office” and an “incorporated internship program.” Students will be educated to enter a variety of positions in marketing, advertising, insurance, human relations, retail management, wholesale sales, among much more. In 2016-17, in-state tuition was $3,790, and out-of-state tuition was $6,550 annually for full time beginning undergraduate students.

6) Dakota College at Bottineau

This two-year, public college is based out of Bottineau, North Dakota. It was founded in 1906 as a forestry school, and has added degrees in Business, Computer Technology, Education, Health Professions, Natural Resources and Horticulture, and more at the certificate and Associate level. There are over 800 students, and an extremely cozy 9:1 student-to-faculty ratio. 89% of its students receive some sort of financial aid. Dakota has a commitment to community education, human diversity and workforce training and development.

Dakota College offers an Advertising and Marketing Associates degree. Students will learn how to build an audience and market it products. Students will learn the ins and outs of “buyer behavior and dynamics, principles of marketing research, demand analysis, cost-volume and profit relationship, pricing theory, marketing campaigns and strategic planning, market segments, advertising methods, sales operations and management, consumer relations and retailing, and more.” Sample classes include Advertising, Entrepreneurship, Public Relations, Human Relations and much more. Students also choose many electives throughout the program to better tailor it towards their goals. In 2016-17, in-state tuition was $4,281 and out-of-state was $6,016 for full-time beginning undergraduate students.

7) Northcentral Technical College

This technical college is based out of Wausau, Wisconsin, and was founded in 1912. It’s one of 16 schools in the Wisconsin Technical College System, and serves students online, as well as in Marathon, Lincoln, Taylor, Price, Langlade, Menominee, Clark, Portage, Shawano and Waupaca counties. It grants students associate degrees, technical diplomas, and over 100 certificates in agriculture, business, community services, general studies, health, public safety, tech and trades. Over 4,200 students attend NTC, which has a 18:1 student to faculty ratio. 78% of its students receive financial aid.

NTC offers a Digital Marketing Associates degree that can be accessed completely online. It prepares students to work as SEO Analysts, Managers, Social Networking Specialists, Digital Marketing Analysts, Ecommerce Managers, among much more. The approximate cost of the program is $12,693, according to NTC. It requires 68 credits, and sample classes include two courses in Social Media Campaigns, an Internet Marketing Strategies class, Email Marketing Campaigns, Mobile Marketing, Publishing on the Internet, and much more. The focus of the program is using digital media to attract and retain customers.

8) Ozarks Technical Community College

Ozarks is a public college conferring Associate and certificate degrees. It’s based out of Springfield, Missouri, and is the region’s first open admission, two-year community college focusing on technical education. In 2007, it received permission from the Higher Learning Commission to offer all of its degrees online. It offers Technical Education, Developmental Education, Customized Training and an array of student services to applicants. Over 13,200 students currently attend the school, which has a 18:1 student-to-faculty ratio. 93% of its students receive financial aid.

Ozarks offers an Associate’s degree in Business and Marketing. It’s aimed at giving students a general background in business and foundational education in accounting, retailing, marketing or management, to prepare them for entry-level positions in those fields. Sample classes include Business Law, Business Strategy, Technology & Digital Literacy, Managerial Acccounting, and more. Students take four elective classes as well. Ozarks’ tuition was as follows in 2016-17 for full-time beginning undergraduates: in-district ($2,952), in-state ($4,164), and out-of-state ($5,352).

9) Dakota County Technical College

DCTC is a public, two-year technical college founded in 1970. The school is headquartered out of Dakota County in the Minneapolis/St. Paul metro area. It’s part of the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities System and is one of five self-sufficient technical colleges in Minnesota. Over 2,500 students attend DCTC, which offers students a 19:1 student-to-faculty ratio. 78% of its students receive financial aid. It offers students 57 distinct instructional programs through six departments: Business and Information Systems, Business and Management, Design, Health and Human Services, Technical Careers, and Transportation Careers. It also offers a long list of universities it’s reached credit transfer agreements with.

DCTC offers a 60 credit A.S. Degree in Marketing. This program goes in depth on marketing and managerial strategies, business law, ethics, proposal writing, and much more. Graduates will gain experience managing marketing projects, using targeted strategies on desired markets, distributing products and content, research, and building/maintaining an alluring and efficient web presence. This program offers “Credits for Prior Learning,” which can include life experience that is used to hasten degree completion. Core courses include Marketing Research, Business Law, International Marketing, Public Relations, Digital Marketing, Consumer and Professional Buying Behavior, among others. This program is intended for those looking to seek a higher degree afterwards. In 2016-17, tuition for full-time beginning undergraduate students at Dakota County was $5,662.

10) North Hennepin Community College

NHCC was founded in 1966, and is based out of Brooklyn Park, Minnesota. It’s part of the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities system, the fifth largest higher education system in the country. Currently, the school serves over 6,800 students, and offers a 23:1 student-to-faculty ratio. 76% of its students receive financial aid. North Hennepin was ranked the 67 best community college in a list of 700 two year colleges in the nation by WalletHub in 2017. NHCC offers Associate degrees in Art and Science and certificates in Entrepreneurship, Business principles, Construction management and more. They also offers 13 bachelor’s degree programs in collaboration with other Minnesota schools.

North Hennepin offers an Associate’s in Marketing. The program was designed to allow matriculation and Bachelor’s completion at a number of universities and in a number of specialties. Partner universities include Concordia, Kaplan, Minnesota State and the University of Minnesota. Some of the degrees students can continue on to earn include Human Resources Management, Marketing Management, Business and more. Marketing Specialty courses in this program include Consumer Behavior, Legal Environment of Business, Entrepreneurship, Principles of Management, and more. In 2016-17, tuition was $4,367 for full-time beginning undergraduate students.