Cheap Online Master's Degrees in Data Science

Updated November 17, 2022

Find most affordable online master's degree programs in data science that don't compromise on quality.

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These are the 38 most affordable online master's degrees in data science. Most of these schools' tuition rates are below the average cost of a college education. For your convenience, we've sorted them in descending order of cost, with the least expensive school at #1, according to the hourly, online tuition rate. In cases where only the quarterly or semester rate was available, we have divided that rate by 6 (standard full-time graduate enrollment) and placed them accordingly on the list.

Unfortunately, only a limited number of master's degrees in data science degree programs are available online. Therefore it was not possible to compile a pool of options large enough to justify a multifactorial ranking system in which scoring of colleges and universities would be based on a list of specific considerations. Instead, we ranked the programs solely according to their affordability. See below for the best cheap master's degrees in data science degrees online, ranked from least to most expensive, according to their per credit hour online rate, along with several useful facts about each program.

38 Most Affordable Online Master's Degrees in Data Science

  1. Georgia Tech
    Location

    Atlanta, GA

    Tuition

    $27872

    Georgia Tech has an online master of science in analytics degree that is a 36 credit hour program that offers three tracks: analytical tools; computational analytics; and business analytics. With a student to faculty ratio of 20 to 1, the program asks that applicants have completed coursework in calculus, computing, and statistics. Georgia Tech charges an online, graduate tuition rate of $275 per credit hour for this program. The school is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, Commission on Colleges.

  2. Dakota State University
    Location

    Madison, SD

    Tuition

    $10575

    Dakota State University has an online master of science in analytics degree that is a 30 credit hour program that offers four specializations: business; healthcare analytics; information systems; and general. With a student to faculty ratio of 17 to 1, the program requests that applicants have an undergraduate GPA of at least 2.7 on a 4.0 scale. Dakota State University charges an online, graduate tuition rate of $450.90 per credit hour for this program. The school is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools.

  3. University of West Florida
    Location

    Pensacola, FL

    Tuition

    $22166

    The University of West Florida has an online master of science in computer science - database systems degree that is a 30 credit hour program that includes coursework in data mining and database systems. With a student to faculty ratio of 22 to 1, the department bases decisions for regular admission on a holistic review of credentials. The University of West Florida charges an online, out of state, graduate tuition rate of $478.83 per credit hour for students who qualify for the out of state tuition waiver. The school is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, Commission on Colleges.

  4. Western Governors University
    Location

    Salt Lake City, UT

    Tuition

    $6500

    Western Governors University has an online master of science in data analytics degree that is a 10 course program that includes certification in Oracle Database SQL, SAS Certified Statistical Business Analyst Using SAS 9, and SAS Certified Base Programmer for SAS 9. With a student to faculty ratio of 41 to 1, the program will waive certain coursework for people with any of the above certifications. Western Governors University offers a full-time, graduate rate of $3,490 per semester. The school is accredited by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities.

  5. Colorado State University-Global Campus
    Location

    Greenwood Village, CO

    Tuition

    $9000

    Colorado State University has an online master of science in data analytics degree that is a 36 credit hour program including coursework in business analytics and data warehousing. With a student to faculty ratio of 32 to 1, the program will provisionally admit some students from unrelated academic backgrounds, but they may need to take extra courses. Colorado State University charges an online, graduate tuition rate of $500 per credit hour, regardless of residency. The school is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools.

  6. Grand Canyon University
    Location

    Phoenix, AZ

    Tuition

    $9737

    Grand Canyon University has an online master of science in health informatics degree that is a 42 credit hour program that includes coursework in foundations of informatics and healthcare data management. With a student to faculty ratio of 19 to 1, the program welcomes candidates from all academic backgrounds. Grand Canyon University charges an online, graduate tuition rate of $515 per credit hour for this program. The school is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools.

  7. Oregon State University
    Location

    Corvallis, OR

    Tuition

    $21799

    Oregon State University has an online master of science in data analytics degree that is a 45 quarter credit hour program that includes coursework in time series analytics and multivariate analytics. With a student to faculty ratio of 18 to 1, the program asks that candidates have an understanding of study design, probability distributions, and the fundamentals of confidence intervals and hypothesis tests. Oregon State University charges an online, graduate tuition rate of $538 per credit hour for this program, regardless of residency. The school is accredited by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities.

  8. University of Arkansas
    Location

    Fayetteville, AR

    Tuition

    $18,842

    The University of Arkansas has an online professional master of information systems degree that is a 30 credit hour program including coursework in enterprise computing platforms and data modeling. With a student to faculty ratio of 18 to 1, the program waives the GMAT requirement for applicants with more than five years of professional experience. The University of Arkansas charges an online, graduate tuition rate of $573.14 per credit hour for this program. The school is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools.

  9. Bellevue University
    Location

    Bellevue, NE

    Tuition

    $9,810

    Bellevue University has an online master of science in data science degree that is a 30 credit hour program that includes coursework in data preparation and Big Data. With a student to faculty ratio of 31 to 1, the program asks that applicants have a cumulative GPA of 2.5 or higher for their last 60 hours of undergraduate coursework. Bellevue University charges an online, graduate tuition rate of $575 per credit hour. The school is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools.

  10. Colorado Technical University
    Location

    Colorado Springs, CO

    Tuition

    $13,393

    Colorado Technical University has an online master of science in computer science - data science degree that is a 48 credit hour program that includes coursework in data warehouse and algorithms for data science. With a student to faculty ratio of 28 to 1, applicants are encouraged who have an intermediate level of ability to program in a current object-oriented programming language such as C++ or Java. Colorado Technical University charges an online, graduate tuition rate of $585 per credit hour for this program. The school is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools.

At Best Value Schools, we help students of all ages get the best possible value for their education. When choosing the best schools and programs, we prioritize tuition rates, student debt, financial aid opportunities, graduation rates, and the availability of online programs.

We source unbiased data from government and educational databases like the National Center for Education Statistics and the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics for 6,374 schools across the U.S. We organize that data into five weighted categories to compile our school rankings.

Metric Data Used Percentage
Academic Quality Full-time faculty percentage, student-to-faculty ratio, student retention and graduation rates 25%
Affordability Tuition rates, median student debt, and financial aid 35%
Reputation Admission and enrollment rates 15%
Program Offerings Number of program options 10%
Online Enrollment Score Portion of learners taking at least one online course 15%
You can read more about our comprehensive evaluation process on our methodology page.

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