Concordia University-Chicago (CUC) offers an online Bachelor of Science in Human Resource Management program that aims to provide students with a foundational knowledge of work environments, labor relations, and how human resource professionals can positively contribute to the workplace. The program is delivered entirely online and requires a total of 128-credit hours to graduate.
Best Online Human Resources Bachelor's Degrees
Our lists of best online bachelor's programs and best online master's programs in human resources highlight top schools, based on tuition rates and alumni salary data provided by PayScale.
Human resources is a good choice for students who enjoy working with and helping others. Prospective students can learn about accreditation standards for human resources degrees or read our overview of the three main subject areas covered in most human resources degree programs: accounting and finance, law, and management. We also provide information about the many degree specializations available in human resources to help you narrow down your options.
Online Bachelor's in Human Resources with the Highest Return on Investment

These are the top bachelor’s degree programs in human resources ranked by return on investment. The ROI takes into account salary growth and loan interest and is based on alumni salary and debt data. Our list provides HR graduates with a gauge for determining whether their program's initial cost is likely to be worth the benefits in future earnings. All 25 human resources programs on this list have a higher ROI than the national average of $440,153. Concordia University - Chicago tops our list with an ROI of $728,200.
ROI amounts are based on data reported by the U.S. Department of Education. Tuitions are manually researched in order to determine tuition amounts specific to online degrees. Read our methodology for more details.
Rank | School | Annual Tuition | Median Starting Salary | Median Debt | 10-year ROI |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Concordia University - Chicago | $32,660 | $73,949 | $26,544 | $728,200 | |
Waldorf University | $9,150 | $64,493 | $13,416 | $647,200 | |
Benedictine University | $19,800 | $65,797 | $33,938 | $635,100 | |
Trident at AIU | $12,150 | $59,722 | $16,095 | $594,800 | |
Colorado Christian University | $14,070 | $57,318 | $27,167 | $556,300 | |
Colorado State University Global | $10,500 | $55,383 | $20,931 | $544,100 | |
University of Massachusetts Global | $15,000 | $55,770 | $25,000 | $543,000 | |
Saint Mary's University of Minnesota | $13,020 | $53,179 | $18,750 | $524,100 | |
Capella University | $10,000 | $53,137 | $30,759 | $508,700 | |
Concordia University - Saint Paul | $12,600 | $50,856 | $20,832 | $497,600 | |
University of St. Francis | $35,000 | $50,465 | $27,160 | $485,700 | |
Temple University | $19,040 | $50,182 | $25,291 | $485,100 | |
Grand View University | $12,540 | $49,227 | $19,541 | $482,500 | |
University of Maryland Global Campus | $14,970 | $49,299 | $22,500 | $479,500 | |
Pennsylvania State University - World Campus | $15,098 | $49,111 | $27,000 | $472,000 | |
Rutgers University | $16,500 | $48,247 | $21,500 | $469,900 | |
Thomas Edison State University | $9,278 | $47,260 | $18,565 | $463,400 | |
Franklin University | $12,736 | $47,981 | $25,000 | $462,800 | |
University of the Incarnate Word | $16,200 | $48,432 | $31,855 | $458,900 | |
Columbia Southern University | $7,050 | $47,260 | $25,036 | $455,400 | |
Rasmussen University Online | $9,100 | $46,841 | $24,920 | $451,200 | |
Sullivan University | $16,875 | $47,260 | $29,069 | $450,300 | |
Park University | $12,810 | $46,321 | $26,273 | $444,200 | |
Wichita State University | $9,760 | $46,087 | $25,500 | $442,700 | |
Winona State University | $13,997 | $45,735 | $23,850 | $441,100 |
Best Bachelor's Degrees in Human Resources Rankings Details
#1
Concordia University - Chicago
- 10-Year ROI: $728,200
- Median Salary: $73,949
- Annual Tuition: $32,660
- Median Debt: $26,544
#2
Waldorf University
- 10-Year ROI: $647,200
- Median Salary: $64,493
- Annual Tuition: $9,150
- Median Debt: $13,416
Waldorf University offers an online Bachelor of Science in Business Administration/Human Resource Management and a Bachelor of Applied Science in Business Administration/Human Resources Management degree program. Both online programs prepare students for careers in the human resource and business field and require 120 credits to graduate. The BAS degree program requires 30 general
#3
Benedictine University
- 10-Year ROI: $635,100
- Median Salary: $65,797
- Annual Tuition: $19,800
- Median Debt: $33,938
Benedictine University offers an online Bachelor of Arts in Organizational Leadership-Human Resources and a Bachelor of Arts in Management-Human Resources program. The B.A. in Organizational Leadership at Benedictine is a degree completion program, while the B.A. in Management-Human Resources is a full degree program that requires students to complete 120 credits to graduate. The
#4
Trident at AIU
- 10-Year ROI: $594,800
- Median Salary: $59,722
- Annual Tuition: $12,150
- Median Debt: $16,095
Trident University offers an online Bachelor of Science in Business Administration-Human Resource Management and a Bachelor of Science in Human Resource Management degree program. Both programs will prepare students for job positions in human resources and business management. A total of 120 credits are required for degree completion. The BSBA program curriculum includes 52-semester
#5
Colorado Christian University
- 10-Year ROI: $556,300
- Median Salary: $57,318
- Annual Tuition: $14,070
- Median Debt: $27,167
Colorado Christian University (CCU) offers an online Bachelor of Science in Human Resource Management program. In order to graduate, students must complete a total of 120-credit hours, including general education requirements, major-related courses, and electives. Students at the interdenominational Christian college complete nine credit hours of biblical studies courses as part
#6
Colorado State University Global
- 10-Year ROI: $544,100
- Median Salary: $55,383
- Annual Tuition: $10,500
- Median Debt: $20,931
Colorado State University Global (CSU Global) offers an online Bachelor of Science in Human Resource Management as a general degree program or with a specialization in emergency management. Students will study conflict resolution, business policy, leadership principles, and more. The emergency management degree specialization will teach students skills such as mitigation, response
#7
University of Massachusetts Global
- 10-Year ROI: $543,000
- Median Salary: $55,770
- Annual Tuition: $15,000
- Median Debt: $25,000
The online BBA in Human Resources degree program at Brandman University prepares students for entry to mid-level positions in human resources. Students will learn the foundations of compensation and benefits, labor relations, conflict resolution, and legal issues. A minimum of 120-semester units are needed to graduate, and the curriculum includes general education courses, core
#8
Saint Mary's University of Minnesota
- 10-Year ROI: $524,100
- Median Salary: $53,179
- Annual Tuition: $13,020
- Median Debt: $18,750
The Bachelor of Science in Human Resource Management is a 36-credit major that’s part of a 122-credit degree program. It’s designed for students who have already completed undergraduate coursework in a related field and want to advance their career opportunities. Students can enroll full- or part-time. This degree can be completed in as little as two years, and students have the
#9
Capella University
- 10-Year ROI: $508,700
- Median Salary: $53,137
- Annual Tuition: $10,000
- Median Debt: $30,759
The Bachelor of Science in Human Resource Management at Capella University (CU) prepares students for human resources roles by focusing on areas that help companies operate efficiently, improve labor relations, incorporate ethics in the workplace, and meet the organization's overall goals. This program provides students with two flexible degree path options, GuidedPath and FlexPath.
#10
Concordia University - Saint Paul
- 10-Year ROI: $497,600
- Median Salary: $50,856
- Annual Tuition: $12,600
- Median Debt: $20,832
Concordia University-Saint Paul (CSP) offers an online Bachelor of Arts in Human Resource Management degree program. Students in the program will learn the foundational skills required for human resource management roles and focus on the importance of the position within an organization. A minimum of 120 credits is required to graduate, including 40 credits of human resource and
#11
University of St. Francis
- 10-Year ROI: $485,700
- Median Salary: $50,465
- Annual Tuition: $35,000
- Median Debt: $27,160
The online Bachelor of Science in Business Administration completion degree program from the school’s College of Business & Health Administration offers five areas of concentration, including managing human resources. This accelerated program is designed for working adults who are employed as managers and who need to schedule coursework around existing family and professional responsibilities.
#12
Temple University
- 10-Year ROI: $485,100
- Median Salary: $50,182
- Annual Tuition: $19,040
- Median Debt: $25,291
The online Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) with a concentration in human resource management at Temple University is offered through the Fox School of Business. The 124-credit program focuses on topics including compensation management, human resource management, public policy, career management, and organizational staffing. Students receive the option of traditional 15-week
#13
Grand View University
- 10-Year ROI: $482,500
- Median Salary: $49,227
- Annual Tuition: $12,540
- Median Debt: $19,541
Grand View University offers an online Bachelor of Arts in Business Administration-Human Resource Management and an online Bachelor of Arts in Paralegal Studies-Business & Human Resource Management program. The BBA-Human Resources program prepares students for jobs in the field by teaching skills such as career planning, employee relations, training and development, and more. The
#14
University of Maryland Global Campus
- 10-Year ROI: $479,500
- Median Salary: $49,299
- Annual Tuition: $14,970
- Median Debt: $22,500
The Bachelor of Science in Human Resource Management at the University of Maryland Global Campus is a 120-credit online degree program designed for students who already have experience in human resources but don’t yet have a degree. The curriculum focuses on such areas as human behavior, company culture, recruitment, the orientation of employees, training, career development, labor
#15
Pennsylvania State University - World Campus
- 10-Year ROI: $472,000
- Median Salary: $49,111
- Annual Tuition: $15,098
- Median Debt: $27,000
Pennsylvania State University-World Campus offers an online Bachelor of Arts in Labor and Human Resources and a Bachelor of Science in Labor and Human Resources with concentrations in human resources and labor and employment relations. The BA program will prepare students for job positions in human resources, focusing on humanities and social sciences. The BS program will focus
#16
Rutgers University
- 10-Year ROI: $469,900
- Median Salary: $48,247
- Annual Tuition: $16,500
- Median Debt: $21,500
The Bachelor of Science in Labor and Employment Relations is an online degree completion program offered through the Rutgers School of Management and Labor Relations. It’s for students who have at least a year of college credits (or two years for the degree to be earned fully online). The program requires between 30 and 60 credits. Among the subjects covered are employment law,
#17
Thomas Edison State University
- 10-Year ROI: $463,400
- Median Salary: $47,260
- Annual Tuition: $9,278
- Median Debt: $18,565
The Bachelor of Science in Business Administration-Human Resources Management/Organizational Management online degree program at Thomas Edison State University (TESU) prepares students for jobs in the field. The program focuses on job aspects such as employee selection, training, compensation, and other human resource skills. A total of 120-credits are needed to graduate, and courses
#18
Franklin University
- 10-Year ROI: $462,800
- Median Salary: $47,981
- Annual Tuition: $12,736
- Median Debt: $25,000
Franklin University offers an online Bachelor of Science in Human Resources Management degree program. A total of 124 semester hours are required in order to graduate. The curriculum includes general education courses, major-related courses, university electives, and major electives. A capstone course, completed as the last major course, is also required.
Students complete their
#19
University of the Incarnate Word
- 10-Year ROI: $458,900
- Median Salary: $48,432
- Annual Tuition: $16,200
- Median Debt: $31,855
The Bachelor of Arts in Human Resources online program at the University of the Incarnate Word (UIW) prepares students for jobs in the human resource management field. Students will learn the essential skills needed for a position requiring business communication, problem solving, and critical thinking. A total of 120-credit hours are needed to graduate, including 46 hours of core
#20
Columbia Southern University
- 10-Year ROI: $455,400
- Median Salary: $47,260
- Annual Tuition: $7,050
- Median Debt: $25,036
Columbia Southern University offers an online Bachelor of Science Human Resource Management and Bachelor of Science Business Administration-Human Resource Management degree program. Aligning with SHRM's HR Curriculum Guidebook and Templates, students in the human resource management program will learn to transform the workplace environment and solve management problems. Students
#21
Rasmussen University Online
- 10-Year ROI: $451,200
- Median Salary: $46,841
- Annual Tuition: $9,100
- Median Debt: $24,920
The online Bachelor of Science in Human Resources and Organizational Leadership degree completion program at Rasmussen University Online prepares students for careers in the HR field by teaching HR management principles and leadership skills. The program can be completed in a minimum of 18 months. To graduate, students need to complete a total of 90-credit hours and 24 courses.
#22
Sullivan University
- 10-Year ROI: $450,300
- Median Salary: $47,260
- Annual Tuition: $16,875
- Median Debt: $29,069
Sullivan University offers a Bachelor of Science in Human Resource Leadership online degree program with a strong emphasis on career building. The program is focused on helping students gain the skills needed for a position in a human resources position or a leadership position. A total of 180-credit hours are required for graduation, including elective courses, major-related courses,
#23
Park University
- 10-Year ROI: $444,200
- Median Salary: $46,321
- Annual Tuition: $12,810
- Median Debt: $26,273
Park University offers an online Bachelor of Science in Business Administration-Human Resources and a Bachelor of Science in Management/Human Resources degree program. Both of the human resource degree programs offered at Park will prepare students for job positions in human resource management and business. A minimum of 120-semester hours is needed to graduate, including degree-specific
#24
Wichita State University
- 10-Year ROI: $442,700
- Median Salary: $46,087
- Annual Tuition: $9,760
- Median Debt: $25,500
Wichita State University (WSU) offers an online Bachelor of Business Administration program with a concentration in human resource management to prepare students for careers in the field. To graduate, students need to earn a minimum of 120-credit hours. The curriculum includes general requirements and major-related business courses. Along with human resource courses, students also
#25
Winona State University
- 10-Year ROI: $441,100
- Median Salary: $45,735
- Annual Tuition: $13,997
- Median Debt: $23,850
Winona State University (WSU) offers an online Bachelor of Science in Human Resources Management degree completion program. Students in the program will prepare for careers in the HRM field by learning skills in human resource planning, recruitment, and more. The online program is available on a full-time and part-time basis. Students enter the program having completed lower-level
Online Human Resources Degree Overview & Career Information
Associate degrees provide students with a foundation of both general education courses and human resources topics, such as employee compensation and benefits, creating job advertisements, and labor relations issues. Graduates with a two-year associate degree may qualify for some entry-level HR positions, but many jobs require at least a bachelor's degree.
Bachelor's programs require four years of study and include both general liberal arts requirements as well as core classes and electives in HR subjects. Classes directly related to majors in HR include industrial or labor relations, industrial psychology, and organizational development. Other classes that may be required of students include information technology, business management, finance, and different subjects in education.
Master's degrees are required for HR professionals seeking advanced positions that involve supervision and management. These graduate programs usually allow individuals to specialize in a certain area of human resources management. In addition to earning a master's degree in HR, candidates can also qualify for advanced positions in this field by pursuing a master's in labor relations or business administration.
Scholars or business professionals with a master's degree may pursue a doctorate in human resources areas such as management, workforce development, and organizational leadership. Doctoral programs encourage students to use current research theories to solve complex HR management issues. Graduates will be prepared for HR leadership positions or postsecondary teaching and research careers.
Online Bachelor's Degrees in Human Resources
The human resources bachelor's degree teaches students how to manage employee relations in order to boost productivity within an organization. Prospective HR bachelor's students need a high school diploma or GED. Applicants may also need SAT/ACT test scores and a particular high school GPA. This degree program typically requires 120 credit hours and four years of full-time work.
The HR bachelor's degree typically includes a core of business classes, along with a specialization in human resources topics. The business core includes courses in accounting, statistics, business information systems, finance, business law, operations management, and business communication. Future human resources workers are thus able to perform their roles with a vision of the entire organization's success in mind. The human resources focus in the degree discusses the skills for recruiting and retaining the best employees. Students study labor economics, human resources management, employee development, and compensation and benefits planning.
A bachelor's degree is the typical entry-level requirement for human resources specialist positions. At small organizations, human resources specialists may oversee all areas of employee relations, while those in larger organizations might specialize in recruitment, placement, or labor relations. After gaining professional experience, specialists may be able to enter human resources management positions. The Bureau of Labor Statistics states that job seekers with a relevant bachelor's degree and professional experience are likely to have the best HR job prospects. (BLS)
Accreditation for Online Human Resources Degrees
Prospective human resources students are encouraged to research online degree programs that are offered by accredited institutions. Accreditation means that a school has voluntarily gone through a comprehensive evaluation process by an outside agency and been deemed acceptable by that agency. While some disciplines have field-specific accrediting agencies to evaluate individual degree programs, the human resources discipline does not. Instead, students may choose a human resources program at a school that has been accredited for its overall academic offerings.
Attending an accredited school will help students meet eligibility requirements for federal financial aid and for transferring credits among other accredited institutions. It can also help students feel confident that they are investing their time and money in a degree program that meets high academic standards. The US Department of Education and the Council for Higher Education Accreditation both recognize several regional and national accrediting agencies and list them on their websites. Please visit our accreditation hub for more information about the benefits of accreditation.
What Will I Learn in an HR Degree Program?
Deciding upon a major is not just about deciding if the degree will lead to a rewarding career or education. Whatever you decide to major in will change your schooling experience significantly and can mean the difference between being satisfied or unsatisfied with your education over the next few years. Therefore, it is important to understand what courses you will be taking if you choose to study human resources. Below are some areas of study that you are likely to encounter if you study human resources:
Accounting/Finance: When working in HR, you will come across situations where you will influence the finances of the company you are working for, including issues dealing with employee compensation, payroll, and staffing needs. Classes in finance and accounting will provide you with the tools to understand how to make these decisions and to predict the impacts they will have on a business as a whole. These classes will involve some math and logic skills.
Law: Whether you are making a decision about hiring contractors, firing an employee, or dealing with employee misconduct situations, as an HR professional, it's important to understand the basics of employment law. While you won't need to understand law to the same extent that a lawyer would, it's important for HR professionals to be able to analyze laws and rights as well as determine how to best comply with them. HR professionals are in charge of coordinating with attorneys to ensure that their company is implementing lawful policies. Courses will typically cover legal basics and employment law, among other topics.
Management: Throughout your study of HR, you will likely come across multiple classes in management and leadership. These classes will teach you everything from communication skills and human behavior to employee training principles and labor relations. Some classes will teach you practical skills that you can take directly into your first HR job, while others will teach you abstract concepts to help you solve problems. These classes will be integral to your education and will provide you with a set of skills to take into your first HR position.
Human Resources Career Specializations
Human resource management is the part of an organization that recruits and manages the people who work within that organization. HR duties are performed by specially trained individuals who act as a liaison between different departments of a company and ensure that the approach to managing employees is strategic and uniform. HR professionals may oversee everything from recruiting and payroll to employee misconduct and training, as well as legal issues. A job in human resources can be incredibly varied (as with an HR generalist) or quite narrow (as with a college recruiter). The following list represents just some of the areas that HR professionals may specialize in:
Benefits Administration: Providing employee benefits, such as insurance or retirement, creates a need to manage the plans associated with those benefits. This includes selection of providers and negotiations, which is often an annual process. Many organizations track usage of benefits and survey employees on their preferences related to benefits; they then use the data from these sources to design a benefits strategy that will maximize employee satisfaction while managing costs. An HR education or a general business education is very helpful in this specialty.
Compensation Management: Many companies make an effort to ensure uniformity in the wages paid to similar employees performing comparable work. Reviewing the classifications of employees and ensuring that all employees are accurately categorized can be handled by a compensation expert in human resources. Such reviews (typically performed annually) may also involve review of outside salary surveys to ensure that the organization’s compensation is competitive enough to attract qualified candidates.
General HR Management: As organizations become larger, the issues associated with their workforces get more complicated, and the risk associated with inconsistent policies increases. A human resources manager is typically involved in running processes that ensure that a company is in compliance with the law and consistent in its treatment of all of its employees. An organization may create policies around situations such as employee complaints of harassment, discrimination or other behaviors covered by law or statute, employee misconduct, employee requests for time off due to medical issues, performance appraisals, or separations (voluntary employee departures, terminations, and layoffs).
It is possible to learn these skills on the job -- particularly in companies that have someone with a legal background crafting and communicating policies. However, a specialized HR education can greatly improve someone’s ability to carry out these functions, many of which involve nuanced understanding of legal concepts such as at-will employment, protected classes, and legal precedents related to them. Typically, in order to land a general HR position, a candidate will be required to have earned a bachelor’s degree or have prior HR experience.
Payroll and Record Keeping: At the most basic level, human resources requires careful record keeping. Any time an organization adds a new employee, there are official federal and state forms that need to be collected, recorded, and filed. Throughout the tenure of any given employee, there can be numerous updates to those records (for example, certain federal tax forms must be updated annually, and employees can typically make changes each year to their health insurance and retirement plans). For hourly employees, someone in either the accounting or human resources department will review and finalize time records before payment is issued. Payroll also requires filing and payment of certain taxes.
Recruiting: The human resources department of an organization will often provide support to managers in the hiring of employees. This support can be as simple as placing advertisements and doing paperwork associated with formally opening the position, or it can involve active recruitment (sometimes referred to as “headhunting”): proactively reaching out to individuals who may be a fit for the role and working to get them interested in the role. A human resources professional can also provide training for managers on how to interview prospective employees -- both how to ask good, insightful questions that lead to a beneficial hire and how to avoid topics that might create the risk of a discrimination claim if the candidate did not get hired. Recruiters may find themselves traveling a fair amount for their job.
Training and Development: Some organizations recognize that organizational effectiveness is best supported by providing consistent training to employees. Identifying the topics, frequency, and participants for such training and ensuring that such training is taking place is sometimes handled by a human resources department. It can also come out of a dedicated training department, a training professional within an operations team, or other areas of an organization. An education in human resources with a concentration in training and development is important to a job in this area.
Related Articles
Best Online Human Resources Master's Degrees
We've ranked the best online master's in human resources degrees based on return on investment. Compare schools by tuition and projected alumni outcomes.
By the OnlineU team | 4/7/2022