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2023 Best Value Colleges for General Business/Commerce (Income $0-$30k)

463 Ranked Colleges
56,042 Degrees Awarded
$5,200 Avg Net Price*
Best Value General Business Schools For Those Making $0-$30k

When it comes to choosing a college, students have a lot of options - but not all of them are good. At College Factual, we’re committed to helping you make that decision by providing information such as that found in our “Best Value General Business Schools For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking.

With 56,042 degrees handed out in 2020-2021, general business/commerce is the 10th most popular major in the United States.

This year’s “Best Value General Business Schools For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking analyzed 463 colleges that offered a degree in general business/commerce. Not only do the schools that top this list have excellent general business/commerce programs, but they also cost less that schools of similar quality.

Some of the factors we look at when determining these rankings are overall quality of the general business/commerce program at the school and the cost of the school after aid is awarded among other things. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.

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The general business school you choose to invest your time and money in matters. To help you make the decision that is right for you, we’ve developed a number of major-specific rankings, including this list of “Best Value General Business Schools For Those Making $0-$30k”.

To further help you make the college decision, we’ve developed a unique tool called College Combat that allows you to compare schools based on the factors that matter the most to you. Go ahead and give it a try, or bookmark the link so you can check it out later.

Best Value General Business Schools For Those Making $0-$30k

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value General Business Schools For Those Making $0-$30k.

Top 25 Best Value Colleges for General Business/Commerce (Income $0-$30k)

1
Northwestern crest
Northwestern University
Evanston, Illinois

Out of the 463 schools in the Best Value General Business Schools For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, Northwestern University landed the #1 spot on the list. Located in Evanston, Illinois, this large private not-for-profit school awarded 114 degrees to qualified ’s general business students in 2020-2021.

Northwestern not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #1 on our “Best General Business/Commerce Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend Northwestern University is $245 for general business students whose families make $0-$30k.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 97%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.

Read full report on General Business/Commerce at Northwestern University

2
UPenn crest
University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Out of the 463 schools in the Best Value General Business Schools For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Pennsylvania landed the #2 spot on the list. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s general business degrees to 32 students in 2020-2021.

UPenn also took the #3 spot in our “Best General Business/Commerce Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Pennsylvania is $580 for general business students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 95%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.

Read full report on General Business/Commerce at University of Pennsylvania

3
Johns Hopkins crest
Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, Maryland

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Johns Hopkins University. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Best Value General Business Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. Baltimore, Maryland is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s general business degrees to 312 students in 2020-2021.

Johns Hopkins also took the #5 spot in our “Best General Business/Commerce Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Johns Hopkins is $2,084 for general business students whose families make $0-$30k.

With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 97%. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Johns Hopkins University General Business/Commerce Report

4
UChicago crest
University of Chicago
Chicago, Illinois

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Chicago. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Best Value General Business Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Chicago, Illinois, this fairly large private not-for-profit school awarded 14 degrees to qualified ’s general business students in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UChicago, the school also landed the #7 spot in our “Best General Business/Commerce Schools” ranking. It costs about $2,500 for General Business students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend UChicago.

With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 5 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.0% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 100%.

Read full report on General Business/Commerce at University of Chicago

5
MIT crest
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Cambridge, Massachusetts

Out of the 463 schools in the Best Value General Business Schools For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, Massachusetts Institute of Technology landed the #5 spot on the list. Cambridge, Massachusetts is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s general business degrees to 53 students in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our general business students whose families make $0-$30k list, MIT has also earned the #4 rank in our “Best General Business/Commerce Schools” ranking. It costs about $5,193 for General Business students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 3 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 98%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full MIT General Business/Commerce Report

6
IU Bloomington crest
Indiana University - Bloomington
Bloomington, Indiana

Indiana University - Bloomington ranked #6 on this year’s Best Value General Business Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. Indiana University - Bloomington is located in Bloomington, Indiana and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 3,071 ’s general business degrees to qualified students.

IU Bloomington not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #8 on our “Best General Business/Commerce Schools” list. It costs about $5,752 for General Business students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Indiana University - Bloomington.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%.

Full Indiana University - Bloomington General Business/Commerce Report

7

University of Wisconsin - Madison came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Value General Business Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. UW - Madison is a public institution located in Madison, Wisconsin. The school has a large population, and it awarded 221 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

UW - Madison not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #12 on our “Best General Business/Commerce Schools” list. It costs about $3,981 for General Business students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of Wisconsin - Madison.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 95%.

Read more about General Business/Commerce at University of Wisconsin - Madison

8
Wake Forest University crest
Wake Forest University
Winston-Salem, North Carolina

Wake Forest University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value General Business Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #8. Located in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, this medium-sized private not-for-profit school handed out 131 degrees to qualified ’s general business students in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our general business students whose families make $0-$30k list, Wake Forest University has also earned the #15 rank in our “Best General Business/Commerce Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Wake Forest University is $10,401 for general business students whose families make $0-$30k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 95%. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on General Business/Commerce at Wake Forest University

9
Harvard crest
Harvard University
Cambridge, Massachusetts

Harvard University came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Value General Business Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, this large private not-for-profit school handed out 22 degrees to qualified ’s general business students in 2020-2021.

On top of its placing in this ranking, Harvard also did well on our “Best General Business/Commerce Schools” list. It’s in the top 10% of all schools reviewed in that analysis. The yearly cost to attend Harvard is $2,564 for general business students whose families make $0-$30k.

With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 5 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on General Business/Commerce at Harvard

10

With a ranking of #10, University of South Florida - Main Campus did quite well on the 2023 Best Value General Business Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. USF Tampa is a large school located in Tampa, Florida that handed out 337 ’s general business degrees in 2020-2021.

USF Tampa also claimed a top spot on our “Best General Business/Commerce Schools” list. It’s in the top 10% of all schools reviewed in that analysis. The estimated yearly cost for University of South Florida - Main Campus is $4,176 for General Business students whose families make $0-$30k.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 92%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full USF Tampa General Business/Commerce Report

11
Northeastern crest
Northeastern University
Boston, Massachusetts

Northeastern University came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Best Value General Business Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Northeastern is a large private not-for-profit school situated in Boston, Massachusetts. It awarded 1,021 ’s general business degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our general business students whose families make $0-$30k list, Northeastern has also earned the #10 rank in our “Best General Business/Commerce Schools” ranking. It costs about $10,240 for General Business students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Northeastern University.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 97%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about General Business/Commerce at Northeastern

12
South Texas College crest
South Texas College
McAllen, Texas

With a ranking of #12, South Texas College did quite well on the 2023 Best Value General Business Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. South Texas College is a large school located in McAllen, Texas that handed out 327 ’s general business degrees in 2020-2021.

It costs about $1,200 for General Business students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend South Texas College.

Read full report on General Business/Commerce at South Texas College

13
El Centro College crest
El Centro College
Dallas, Texas

El Centro College did quite well in the 2023 Best Value General Business Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #13. Dallas, Texas is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s general business degrees to 228 students in 2020-2021.

El Centro College excels when it comes to general business quality. It’s in the top 15% of all schools reviewed in that analysis. It costs about $3,791 for general business students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend El Centro College.

Read full report on General Business/Commerce at El Centro College

14
Notre Dame crest
University of Notre Dame
Notre Dame, Indiana

University of Notre Dame did quite well in the 2023 Best Value General Business Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #14. Notre Dame, Indiana is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s general business degrees to 120 students in 2020-2021.

Notre Dame also made our “Best General Business/Commerce Schools” list, coming in at #6. It costs about $9,872 for general business students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Notre Dame.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 97%. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.7% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.

Full Notre Dame General Business/Commerce Report

15

Indiana University - Purdue University - Indianapolis landed the #15 spot on the 2023 Best Value General Business Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. IUPUI is a large public school situated in Indianapolis, Indiana. It awarded 785 ’s general business degrees in 2020-2021.

IUPUI excels when it comes to general business quality. It’s in the top 10% of all schools reviewed in that analysis. The estimated yearly cost for Indiana University - Purdue University - Indianapolis is $7,026 for general business students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about General Business/Commerce at Indiana University - Purdue University - Indianapolis

16

With a ranking of #16, University of Maryland - College Park did quite well on the 2023 Best Value General Business Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in College Park, Maryland, this large public school awarded 27 diplomas to qualified ’s general business students in 2020-2021.

UMCP did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #17 on our “Best General Business/Commerce Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for UMCP is $6,067 for General Business students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 95%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Full UMCP General Business/Commerce Report

17
Emory crest
Emory University
Atlanta, Georgia

Emory University ranked #17 on this year’s Best Value General Business Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. Atlanta, Georgia is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s general business degrees to 6 students in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Emory, the school also landed the #9 spot in our “Best General Business/Commerce Schools” ranking. It costs about $8,538 for General Business students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Emory.

The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%.

Read more about General Business/Commerce at Emory University

18
Florida State crest
Florida State University
Tallahassee, Florida

With a ranking of #18, Florida State University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value General Business Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. Florida State University is a large public school situated in Tallahassee, Florida. It awarded 144 ’s general business degrees in 2020-2021.

Florida State also claimed a top spot on our “Best General Business/Commerce Schools” list. It’s in the top [COLLEGE_QUALITY_PECTENTILE_ALL_LEVES]% of all schools in this category. The estimated yearly cost for Florida State University is $4,950 for General Business students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.8% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 95%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on General Business/Commerce at Florida State University

19
NKU crest
Northern Kentucky University
Highland Heights, Kentucky

Northern Kentucky University ranked #19 on this year’s Best Value General Business Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. NKU is a public institution located in Highland Heights, Kentucky. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 221 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on this list, NKU is in the top on our “Best General Business/Commerce Schools” list. It’s in the top [COLLEGE_QUALITY_PECTENTILE_ALL_LEVES]% of all schools in this category. It costs about $4,632 for general business students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend NKU.

Read more about General Business/Commerce at NKU

20

University of Central Florida did quite well in the 2023 Best Value General Business Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #20. This large school is located in Orlando, Florida, and it awarded 890 ’s general business degrees in 2020-2021.

UCF excels when it comes to general business quality. It’s in the top 10% of all schools reviewed in that analysis. The yearly cost to attend UCF is $4,468 for general business students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 92%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about General Business/Commerce at University of Central Florida

21

University of Missouri - Columbia came in at #21 in this year’s edition of the Best Value General Business Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. University of Missouri - Columbia is located in Columbia, Missouri and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 783 ’s general business degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our general business students whose families make $0-$30k list, Mizzou has also earned the #11 rank in our “Best General Business/Commerce Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Mizzou is $11,005 for general business students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 89%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about General Business/Commerce at Mizzou

22
Michigan State crest
Michigan State University
East Lansing, Michigan

Michigan State University came in at #22 in this year’s edition of the Best Value General Business Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Michigan State University is a large school located in East Lansing, Michigan that handed out 120 ’s general business degrees in 2020-2021.

Michigan State excels when it comes to general business quality. It’s in the top [COLLEGE_QUALITY_PECTENTILE_ALL_LEVES]% of all schools in this category. It costs about $6,927 for general business students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Michigan State.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 91%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on General Business/Commerce at Michigan State

23

Austin Community College District came in at #23 in this year’s edition of the Best Value General Business Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Austin, Texas is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s general business degrees to 352 students in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend Austin Community College District is $3,264 for general business students whose families make $0-$30k.

Full Austin Community College District General Business/Commerce Report

24
Mt. SAC crest
Mt. San Antonio College
Walnut, California

Mt. San Antonio College came in at #24 in this year’s edition of the Best Value General Business Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Mt. SAC is located in Walnut, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 116 ’s general business degrees to qualified students.

The estimated yearly cost for Mt. San Antonio College is $2,412 for General Business students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read full report on General Business/Commerce at Mt. San Antonio College

25

Citadel Military College of South Carolina came in at #25 in this year’s edition of the Best Value General Business Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Citadel Military College of South Carolina is a small school located in Charleston, South Carolina that handed out 284 ’s general business degrees in 2020-2021.

The Citadel excels when it comes to general business quality. It’s ranked in the top 10% of all schools on our “Best General Business/Commerce Schools” list. It costs about $7,451 for General Business students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend The Citadel.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%.

Full The Citadel General Business/Commerce Report

Rest of the Best 50 in Best Value General Business Schools For Those Making $0-$30k

Not only did these schools make the top 50 list, but they also landed in the top 15% of this year’s ranking:

26
Pima County Community College District crest
Pima Community College
Tucson, Arizona
27
UMSL crest
University of Missouri - St Louis
Saint Louis, Missouri
28
American Military University crest
American Public University System
Charles Town, West Virginia
29
Salt Lake Community College crest
Salt Lake Community College
Salt Lake City, Utah
30
UGA crest
University of Georgia
Athens, Georgia
31
Ball State crest
Ball State University
Muncie, Indiana
32
CSI crest
College of Staten Island CUNY
Staten Island, New York
33
34
Skidmore crest
Skidmore College
Saratoga Springs, New York
35
Montgomery College crest
Montgomery College
Rockville, Maryland
36
Macomb Community College crest
Macomb Community College
Warren, Michigan
37
38
39
Lehigh crest
Lehigh University
Bethlehem, Pennsylvania
40
41
Oakland crest
Oakland University
Rochester Hills, Michigan
42
Virginia Tech crest
Virginia Tech
Blacksburg, Virginia
43
SUNY Empire crest
SUNY Empire State College
Saratoga Springs, New York
44
OCCC crest
Oklahoma City Community College
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
45
Indiana University - Southeast crest
Indiana University - Southeast
New Albany, Indiana
46
UK crest
University of Kentucky
Lexington, Kentucky
47
Brandeis crest
Brandeis University
Waltham, Massachusetts
48
49
Frederick Community College crest
Frederick Community College
Frederick, Maryland
50
PFW crest
Purdue University Fort Wayne
Fort Wayne, Indiana

Rest of the Top 15% Colleges in Best Value General Business Schools For Those Making $0-$30k

While not in the ‘top 50’, these schools make the top 15% of this year’s ranking:

Rank College Location
51 Brigham Young University - Provo Provo, UT
52 Truckee Meadows Community College Reno, NV
52 Texas Tech University Lubbock, TX
54 Glendale Community College Glendale, CA
55 Collin County Community College District McKinney, TX
56 University of Oregon Eugene, OR
57 Tacoma Community College Tacoma, WA
58 Howard College Big Spring, TX
59 Community College of Philadelphia Philadelphia, PA
60 Springfield Technical Community College Springfield, MA
61 University of Houston - Clear Lake Houston, TX
62 West Virginia University Morgantown, WV
63 Gateway Community College New Haven, CT
64 Hagerstown Community College Hagerstown, MD
65 Community College of Rhode Island Warwick, RI
Rank College Location
66 Holmes Community College Goodman, MS
67 Horry-Georgetown Technical College Conway, SC
68 Northern Essex Community College Haverhill, MA
69 Raritan Valley Community College Branchburg, NJ
70 San Jacinto Community College Pasadena, TX

Notes and References

References

Read more about our data sources and methodologies

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