You can go to a trade school for business. Technical colleges, community colleges and career schools offer business certificates, diplomas and associate degrees in fields such as accounting, bookkeeping, office administration, marketing and human resources, and most of them can be taken fully online.
Short programs take a few months to a year and lead to jobs such as bookkeeper, administrative assistant or HR assistant. Roles such as accountant, financial analyst and purchasing manager usually call for a bachelor’s degree, and many two-year credits count toward one.
Choose the kind of work you want to do below, then open the program page for a full school comparison.
Which Business Path Fits You?
Money and Numbers
Keep the books, run payroll, prepare taxes and financial reports, or analyze investments and lending.
A fit if you like detail and numbers. Bookkeeping takes a few months; becoming a CPA or financial analyst takes a bachelor’s degree.
Office and People
Keep an office running, manage operations and staff, hire and support employees, or lead teams through change.
A fit if you’re organized and good with people. Office jobs need little training; management roles often call for a degree.
Marketing and Your Own Business
Find customers through advertising, social media, search and email, or plan, fund and launch a business of your own.
A fit if you’re creative and like to sell. Online certificates teach the tools in months, and no license is required.
Data, Projects and Operations
Turn data into reports, run projects on time and on budget, buy goods and services, or move products from suppliers to customers.
A fit if you like solving problems and planning. Certificates are a start; most analyst and manager jobs ask for a bachelor’s.
Want to work in a medical office? See how to become a medical office manager and our healthcare administration degree page.
Compare Business Programs
Lengths and costs are from the schools featured on each program page.
| Program | What You’ll Learn | Length | Featured School Cost Examples | Online Option |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| AccountingCompare schools → | Recording transactions, payroll, tax preparation, financial statements and accounting software | 1 to 4 yearsCertificate in 2 semesters, AAS in about 2 years; the CPA needs a bachelor’s | About $5,530 to $42,480Ivy Tech’s in-state certificate estimate to SNHU’s online bachelor’s for 120 credits | Penn Foster AAS, $6,900 to $7,400WGU and SNHU offer online bachelor’s degrees |
| BookkeepingCompare schools → | Invoices and bills, payroll, bank reconciliations, QuickBooks and basic financial reports | About 4 to 12 monthsNo degree or license needed; QuickBooks and Intuit certifications are optional | About $160 to $4,320Intuit Academy on Coursera to ed2go’s bookkeeping and payroll course | Most programsPenn Foster’s diploma is $1,039; Intuit’s certificate is $39 a month |
| FinanceCompare schools → | Banking and lending, financial analysis, investments, financial modeling and planning | Months to 4 yearsOnline certifications are self-paced; banking AAS in about 2 years; analyst jobs usually need a bachelor’s | From $372.75 a yearCFI’s FMVA subscription; MATC’s banking AAS is $2,221 a semester in-state; CFP education $5,565 to $8,250 | YesSNHU associate degree at $354 a credit; WGU bachelor’s at $3,850 a term |
| Administrative AssistantCompare schools → | Microsoft Office, business writing, scheduling, records management and basic bookkeeping | About 6 months to 2 yearsDiploma or certificate in under a year; associate degree in 2 years | $839 to $15,249Penn Foster’s online diploma (list price) to CET’s California campus program (2024 total) | Penn Foster, $839Madison College and Bryant & Stratton also teach online |
| Business AdministrationCompare schools → | Management, accounting, marketing, finance, business law and supervising people | 1 semester to 4 yearsCertificates, associate degrees and accelerated bachelor’s degrees | About $3,211 to $64,700Ivy Tech’s 18-credit in-state certificate to ECPI’s bachelor’s over eight semesters | Penn Foster AS, $6,700 to $7,100SNHU’s online bachelor’s is $354 a credit |
| Human ResourcesCompare schools → | Recruiting and onboarding, payroll and benefits, employment law and employee relations | About 4 months to 4 yearsCertificates in months, associate degrees in 2 years; HR manager roles usually need a bachelor’s | $2,899 to about $11,600Penn Foster’s HR certificate (list price) to NTC’s associate degree estimate | Most programseCornell certificate $3,900; WGU bachelor’s $3,850 a term |
| Organizational LeadershipCompare schools → | Leading teams, communication, conflict resolution, change management and strategy | 1.5 to 4 yearsAssociate or bachelor’s degree; a master’s takes about a year after a bachelor’s | From about $153 a creditMoraine Park’s in-state AAS rate; Fort Hays State’s online bachelor’s is $275.65 a credit | YesGMC, Fort Hays State and WGU’s master’s ($4,850 a term) are online |
| MarketingCompare schools → | Marketing principles, selling, advertising, branding, social media and market research | About 4 months to 4 yearsProfessional certificate in about 4 months; associate degree in 2 years | $3,750 to about $12,000eCornell’s certificate to Madison College’s in-state associate degree | YesIvy Tech, Madison College and ASU Online ($580 a credit) |
| Digital MarketingCompare schools → | SEO, paid search and social ads, content and email marketing, and Google Analytics | About 6 months to 4 yearsOnline certificate in about 6 months; technical diploma or bachelor’s degree | From $49 a monthGoogle’s certificate on Coursera; NTC’s diploma about $3,700; bachelor’s $42,480 to $65,000 | All featured programsGoogle, NTC, Full Sail, SNHU and WGU |
| EntrepreneurshipCompare schools → | Business plans, small business accounting, pricing, taxes, business law and marketing | About 6 months to 4 yearsCareer diploma, one-year certificate, associate or bachelor’s degree | $989 to about $11,100Penn Foster’s online diploma to Fox Valley Tech’s associate degree estimate | YesPenn Foster, Thaddeus Stevens, ODU and LSU Online |
| Data AnalyticsCompare schools → | Excel, SQL, Python, data cleaning and dashboards in Tableau or Power BI | About 6 months to 4 yearsOnline or college certificate in about a semester; bachelor’s or master’s degree | From $49 a monthGoogle’s certificate on Coursera; Madison College’s certificate about $2,800; WGU’s bachelor’s $3,925 a term | All featured programsECPI also teaches on campus in six states |
| Project ManagementCompare schools → | Scheduling, budgeting, managing risk, leading teams and preparing for the CAPM or PMP | 1 semester to 4 yearsCertificate in a semester; bachelor’s, graduate certificate or master’s | About $2,320 to $29,700Madison College’s certificate estimate to Boston University’s master’s | All featured programsWGU’s bachelor’s is $3,830 a term |
| Purchasing and ProcurementCompare schools → | Sourcing, negotiation, contracts, supplier management and government purchasing | About 6 months to 4 yearsCertificates in 6 months to a year; most manager jobs need a bachelor’s | About $2,650 to $3,100Online certificates from ed2go, UC San Diego and CSU Dominguez Hills; APU’s bachelor’s about $43,200 | All featured programsShoreline’s college certificate is $1,571 to $1,758 a quarter |
| Supply Chain ManagementCompare schools → | Purchasing, inventory, warehousing, transportation, forecasting and logistics planning | 1 semester to 4 yearsCertificates and associate degrees; most analyst and logistics manager jobs ask for a bachelor’s | About $10,700 to $64,700Ivy Tech’s in-state associate degree to ECPI’s bachelor’s over eight semesters | All featured programsWGU’s bachelor’s is $3,850 a term |
Looking for a lower-cost option? Your local community or technical college likely teaches accounting, office administration, marketing and business administration for less than private schools: in-district tuition and fees at public two-year colleges average about $4,150 a year (College Board, 2025-26).
Schools publish prices per credit, per term or for the whole program, so these figures aren’t directly comparable. They’re before grants and exclude exam fees unless noted. Checked November 2026; subject to change. Campuses, dates and sources are on each program page.
Which Schools Offer More Than One Business Program?
If you’re still choosing a field, or might add a second credential later, these featured schools appear on three or more of our business program pages.
| School | Programs We Feature | Format | Published Cost Examples |
|---|---|---|---|
| Penn Foster College | Accounting and human resources associate degrees, a business management associate degree, and administrative assistant, bookkeeping and small business diplomas | 100% onlineSelf-paced; start any time | $839 to $7,400Career diplomas $839 to $1,039 (list); associate degrees $6,700 to $7,400 |
| Western Governors University | Bachelor’s degrees in accounting, finance, HR, data analytics, project management and supply chain; master’s in digital marketing and leadership | 100% onlineSelf-paced; starts every month | $3,830 to $4,850 a termFlat rate per six-month term: bachelor’s $3,830 to $3,925, master’s $4,850 |
| Ivy Tech Community College | Certificates and associate degrees in accounting, business administration, marketing and supply chain management | Online or on campusAbout 20 Indiana locations | $178.38 a creditIndiana residents; about $10,703 for a 60-credit associate degree; $348.97 a credit out of state |
| Madison College | Data analytics and project management certificates; administrative professional and marketing associate degrees | Online, hybrid or on campusMadison, WI area; online classes aren’t charged out-of-state tuition | About $2,320 to $12,000Certificates about $2,320 to $2,800; associate degrees about $11,450 to $12,000 |
| Southern New Hampshire University | Bachelor’s degrees in accounting, business administration and digital marketing; an associate degree in finance | 100% online8-week terms, six starts a year | $354 a credit2026-27 rate; about $42,480 for a bachelor’s with no transfer credit |
| ECPI University | Bachelor’s degrees in business administration, AI/ML and data analytics and supply chain management | Online or on campusYear-round classes; campuses in six states | $8,088 to $8,976 a semesterBusiness and technology tuition rates |
Checked November 2026. Prices are for the featured programs only and vary by program and campus; see each program page for details.
Business Program Costs and Financial Aid
What you pay depends mostly on the credential. Online certificates and career diplomas cost from under $100 to a few thousand dollars, technical college associate degrees about $10,000 to $12,000 for in-state students, and bachelor’s degrees from about $3,850 a term at flat-rate schools to $65,000 or more.
Published prices before aid
- $39 to $49 a monthOnline professional certificates on Coursera: Intuit Bookkeeping, Google Data Analytics and Google Digital Marketing
- About $840 to $4,000Career diplomas and short certificates: Penn Foster diplomas from $839, college certificates and eCornell certificates up to $3,900
- About $6,700 to $12,000Associate degrees: Penn Foster’s online totals and in-state estimates at Ivy Tech, Madison College, NTC and Fox Valley Tech
- $3,850 a term to about $65,000Bachelor’s degrees: WGU’s flat six-month rate, SNHU at $354 a credit, and ECPI and Full Sail at the top of the range
Before you compare prices, check:
- Whether the price is per credit, per term or for the whole program
- Whether in-district, in-state and out-of-state students pay different rates
- How many credits you can transfer in, which lowers the cost of a degree
- Whether certification exam fees, books and software are included
- Whether the program accepts federal financial aid
- Your net price after grants, using the school’s net price calculator
Public college benchmark: College Board, Trends in College Pricing 2025-26. Campus, date and source for each featured price are in the cost section of each program page.
Paying for school: Accredited colleges such as Ivy Tech, Madison College, SNHU, WGU and ECPI accept federal student aid for their degree programs, including Pell Grants for eligible students. Penn Foster, Coursera certificates and some short college certificates don’t, though many offer monthly payment plans, and some employers pay for job-related courses. See our guides to financial aid for trade school and scholarships.
Business Trade School FAQs
Can you go to trade school for business?
Yes. Technical colleges, community colleges and career schools offer business certificates, diplomas and associate degrees in accounting, bookkeeping, office administration, marketing, human resources and more. Business isn’t a licensed trade, so there’s no apprenticeship or state license, but these programs teach the job skills employers look for in a year or two.
What’s the fastest business program?
Online certificates in bookkeeping, data analytics or digital marketing take about 4 to 6 months part time, and Penn Foster’s administrative assistant diploma takes about 6 to 9 months. They prepare you for entry-level work; see the bookkeeping and administrative assistant pages.
Which business jobs don’t need a degree?
Bookkeepers, administrative assistants, HR assistants, marketing assistants and small business owners can start without a degree. Accountants, financial analysts, HR managers, purchasing managers and supply chain analysts usually need a bachelor’s degree.
Should I study business administration or a specific field?
Business administration covers management, accounting, marketing and finance, so it suits you if you aren’t sure which area you want or plan to run a business. A focused program such as accounting, HR or digital marketing gets you job-ready for one role faster. Compare both on the business administration page.
Can you study business online?
Yes. Business is one of the easiest fields to study online, and every program type on this page has a fully online option, from Penn Foster and Coursera certificates to associate degrees at technical colleges and bachelor’s degrees at schools such as WGU and SNHU.
Do business certificate and associate degree credits transfer to a bachelor’s?
Often, but not always. College-credit certificates and associate degrees from accredited schools usually transfer, especially within the same school or state system, while noncredit and professional certificates usually don’t. Check with the school you plan to transfer to before you enroll.
Schools With Business Programs
These schools offer one or more business programs. Open a school’s profile for programs, costs and contact details.
View More SchoolsRelated Resources
- Healthcare Administration Degree
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- How Much Are Trade Schools?
- Financial Aid for Trade School
- Business and Financial Occupations (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics)
- Office and Administrative Support Occupations (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics)
- Management Occupations (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics)