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The Best Online Data Analytics Colleges

The Best Online Data Analytics Colleges
Rank School Location
1 Pennsylvania State University-World Campus University Park, Pennsylvania
2 Boston University Boston, Massachusetts
3 Syracuse University Syracuse, New York
4 Southern New Hampshire University Manchester, New Hampshire
5 Southern Methodist University Dallas, Texas
6 Georgia Institute of Technology-Main Campus Atlanta, Georgia
7 Villanova University Villanova, Pennsylvania
8 Regent University Virginia Beach, Virginia
9 Stevens Institute of Technology Hoboken, New Jersey
10 University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Chapel Hill, North Carolina
11 Tufts University Medford, Massachusetts
12 Colorado State University-Global Campus Aurora, Colorado
13 Maryville University of Saint Louis Saint Louis, Missouri
14 University of the Southwest Hobbs, New Mexico
15 Grand Canyon University Phoenix, Arizona

The best online Data Analytics Colleges is designed to inform students of college and degree options for studying data analytics.

The schools included in our list offer a variety of online Associate's, Bachelor’s, and Master’s degrees in Data Analytics or Business Intelligence.

Data Analytics is also knows as Data Science. Using data science for enterprise business purposes is known as Business Intelligence.

Data Analytics involves data collection, analysis, and communication of aspects of big data sets. Big data can be important in many endeavors. Businesses (such as social media and big tech), science fields, and government agencies all use data analytics to make sense of our digital world.

Data Analytics has one of the highest salary potentials in our article The Best Online Degrees for Careers, which is a list of 20 online degrees that have the highest earning potential.

Data Analysts take big data sets and makes them meaningful through data analysis. The findings of a data analyst can help inform user behavior and next steps. Developing Analytical skills, technical skills, and critical thinking skills are important for big data analytics.

Data generation is occurring at an ever-increasing rate. According to data generation estimates, 328.77 million terabytes of data are created daily. About 90% of all data has been generated in the last two years alone.

The need to gather data, data warehousing, and analyzing it is increasing for businesses, governments, and non-profit operations. A data analytics degree can open up a broad range of potential career opportunities.

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Featured Online Colleges:

The Best Online Data Analytics Colleges

1.

Pennsylvania State University-World Campus

University Park, Pennsylvania

Penn State World Campus

Penn State offers the online Master of Professional Studies in Data Analytics: Business Analytics. Students will need to complete a total of 30 course credits for this best data analytics program.

This includes:

  • nine credits of core courses
  • nine credits of prescribed courses
  • nine credits of electives
  • three credit capstone experience

Class material for this online data analytics degree will cover an in depth study of concepts such as:

  • data mining
  • data modeling
  • data architecture
  • extraction, transformation, loading (ETL) development
  • business intelligence (BI) development

Other related data analytics online programs include two graduate certificates in Business Analytics or Marketing Analytics.

If you are considering data analyst as a career path, consider this top degree from Penn State.

2.

Boston University

Boston, Massachusetts

Boston University

At Boston University, two degrees are available on campus and online:

  • Master of Science in Computer Information Systems: concentration in Data Analytics
  • Graduate Certificate in Data Analytics

Students can expect a comprehensive curriculum in this data analytics degree program taught by knowledgeable and field-experienced professors. From either program, students may graduate with confidence in their education.

The Master's degree track necessitates a total of 10 courses, or 40 credits, for graduation. Students have 18 to 24 months to complete all requirements. Courses in this online degree program include:

  • Foundations of Analytics and Data Visualization
  • Business Data Communication and Networks
  • Information Systems Analysis and Design

The Graduate Certificate entails four courses, or 16 credits. Students have eight to 12 months to complete all expectations.

3.

Syracuse University

Martin J. Whitman School of Management

Syracuse, New York

Syracuse University

Syracuse offers a customizable and flexible online Master of Science in Data Science. Syracuse University caters to working professionals, such as a data analyst, who wish to advance their careers.

This MS in Data Science degree is provided through the Martin J. Whitman School of Management.

Students may qualify for GMAT waivers for the degree. Online students have 18 months to complete the degree.

The curriculum for this program covers a broad range of topics, including the following core classes:

  • Data Analysis and Decision Making
  • Accounting Analytics
  • Financial Services Analytics
  • Marketing Analytics
  • Principles of Management Science
4.

Southern New Hampshire University

Manchester, New Hampshire

Southern New Hampshire University

Southern New Hampshire is a non-profit university. SNHU offers three Online Data Analytics degrees:

  • Associate's in Data Analytics
  • Bachelor's in Data Analytics
  • Master's in Data Analytics

The online Associate's is 60 credits long. All 60 credits can be applied towards their Bachelor of Science degree.

Students are taught data science fundamentals, such as:

  • how to gather data
  • the roles of data in organizations
  • how to use data in making decisions

This program is 100% online.

Before enrolling in the online Bachelor of Science in Data Analytics students may elect to take a free math assessment which may earn them up to six credits towards graduation.

Once accepted to the program students will find a comprehensive curriculum for this bachelor's degree. SAS and SQL (structured query language) modeling techniques are offered as electives. Students are taught how to collect, organize, and interpret data for making important business decisions. Students learn business concepts as well as information technology and data management.

In total students will complete 120 credits for this degree. The bachelor's program prepares students for entry level positions, but they may also continue for further education in programs, such as SNHU's Online Master of Science in Data Analytics.

The online Master's goes farther in teaching students how to predict trends using data, risk assessment, and optimization of business practices, among other important skills. This data analyst degree is fully online, and can be finished in 15 months. If you are interesting in becoming a data analyst, consider this program from SNHU.

You can find financial aid information about online tuition as well as how to transfer credits.

5.

Southern Methodist University

Dallas, Texas

Southern Methodist University

SMU offers the Online Master of Science in Data Science degree, which has two specialization options: Machine Learning and Business Analytics.

The Machine Learning specialization teaches students how to create self-optimized systems that can solve problems and fix processes for businesses.

The process of creating self-optimized systems involves inputting advanced algorithms, so that the machine can think and handle the data appropriately. The Machine Learning specialization involves eight core courses, two electives, and a capstone course.

Courses include:

  • Data Mining
  • Visualization of Information
  • Machine Learning
  • Natural Language Processes

The Business Intelligence specialization involves analyzing data and communicating the results for business purposes (such as optimizing profit, improving processes, informed decision making, problem solving etc.). Courses include:

  • Statistical Foundations for Data Science
  • Quantifying the World
  • Applied Statistics: Inference and Modeling
  • Business Intelligence

GRE waivers are available to qualifying students.

6.

Georgia Institute of Technology-Main Campus

Atlanta, Georgia

Georgia Institute of Technology

The online Master of Science in Analytics offered at Georgia Tech can be completed in one to two years with a total of 36 credit hours required.

The credit hours for this data analytics degree consist of:

  • 15 credits of core courses
  • 15 credits of electives
  • six credit hours dedicated to an applied analytics practicum

The practicum allows students to apply the theory of the classroom to real-world scenarios and in the process gain valuable hands-on experience.

Topics include:

  • Business processes
  • Visual Analytics
  • Computing
  • Statistical analysis
  • Operations Research Essentials

Online students will have access to the same faculty and academic support as students on campus.

7.

Villanova University

Villanova, Pennsylvania

Villanova University

The 36 credit hour Master of Science in Analytics is offered through the Villanova School of Business. The degree consists of 11 foundation and core courses and a final capstone course.

Core courses include:

  • Enterprise Data Management
  • Business Intelligence
  • Analytical Methods for Data Mining
  • Analytical Methods for Text and Web Mining
  • Analytical Methods for Optimization and Simulation I and II
  • Advanced Business Applications
  • Final Capstone/Analytics Practicum

Student can complete this data analytics degree program in as little as 24 months. Financial aid information is available including scholarships and assistance for Villanova University.

8.

Regent University

Virginia Beach, Virginia

Regent University

At Regent University, the curriculum in all classes is presented from an ethical Christian worldview.

As such, the M.S. in Business Analytics program 'emphasizes ethical uses of data and specific strategies to protect the integrity of data and privacy of individuals and organizations'.

This in-depth 30 credit degree includes classes such as:

  • Corporate Ethics and Data Privacy
  • Enterprise Data Management
  • Data Mining and Web Analytics
  • Analytics Capstone Project

The similar MBA – Small Business Data Analytics program is also available online and requires 42 credit hours for completion. Students from each master's degree program have gone on to achieve successful careers as:

  • Database Administrators
  • SAS Programmers
  • Security Analysts
  • Fraud/Risk Managers
  • Predictive Analytics Specialists

Financial aid information for Regent University is available.

9.

Stevens Institute of Technology

Hoboken, New Jersey

Stevens institute of Technology

Stevens Institute of Technology offers the online Master of Science in Data Science program.

Students learn industry-relevant skills, including how to visualize data, natural language processing for use in Artificial intelligence tools, machine learning to help see patterns in data sets, and how to better predict the future given existing data trends.

The program is designed to prepare graduates to work in businesses (using business intelligence), governments, and/or academia. This degree leans hard into the math and industry tools, such as machine learning, that are relevant to data science.

These tools include:

  • Advanced statistical and optimization methods
  • Data visualization
  • Machine learning and deep learning
  • Natural language processing
  • Neural networks
  • Predictive modeling
  • Supervised/unsupervised learning

Credits: 30 total, with 10 courses.

Can be completed in two years or less (depending on course load).

10.

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

School of Data Science and Society

Chapel Hill, North Carolina

UNC Chapel Hill

UNC Chapel Hill offers the Master of Applied Data Science online.

The purview of this program is to teach students all relevant aspect of a data set's lifecycle, which involves collecting, managing, processing, and analyzing big data. With these skillsets, students can better understand their real world applicability to business, governments, and even social endeavors.

This program is intentionally interdisciplinary, and includes the following three collaborators:

  • Department of Biostatistics at the Gillings School of Global Public Health
  • Department of Computer Science, Department of Mathematics and Department of Statistics and Operations Research at the College of Arts and Sciences 
  • School of Information and Library Science

This online degree is taken over 16 months, and includes 10 classes, with 1 immersion option. Taking the GRE is not required for admission, but a bachelor's degree is required.

11.

Tufts University

School of Engineering

Medford, Massachusetts

Tufts University

The School of Engineering at Tufts University offers the interdisciplinary online Master of Science in Data Science (MSDS) degree. Students take classes from these departments:

  • Computer Science
  • Electrical and Computer Engineering
  • Mathematics

Students learn how to master the domains of data science, which includes learning Python, data mining techniques, machine learning, and systems analysis. Graduates should know how to collect, interpret, and communicate the findings of data analyses.

Online programs begin in the spring, summer and fall semesters.

Credits: 32 credit hours, with 10 courses.

Courses include:

  • Artificial Intelligence
  • Big Data
  • Introduction to Machine Learning
  • Probabilistic Systems Analysis
  • Statistics

Accredited by the New England Commission of Higher Education.

12.

Colorado State University-Global Campus

Aurora, Colorado

Colorado State University Global Campus

Colorado State University Global offers the Master of Science in Data Analytics degree online.

The program is designed to create leaders in organizations by teaching best practices in data analyses and business intelligence combined.

Students learn enhanced and informed decision making within business settings. Business intelligence can be applied to a variety of core business functions, including:

  • Accounting
  • Finance
  • Management
  • Logistics

This program has a very large number of specialization options, which allows for choosing the right one to align with your education and career ambitions.

The specialization options are:

  • Accounting
  • Applied Business Management
  • Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning
  • Cyber Security
  • Finance
  • Fraud Management
  • Global Management
  • Healthcare Administration
  • Human Resource Management
  • Human Resource Performance
  • Information Technology
  • International Management
  • Organizational Leadership and Change Management
  • Organizational Learning and Performance
  • Project Management
  • Strategic Innovation and Change Management

Credits needed: 36, which includes 24 core courses, and 12 specialization credits.

Core courses include:

  • Business Analytics
  • Introduction to Business Intelligence
  • Predictive Analytics
  • Data Warehousing in Enterprise Environments

Accredited by the Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools.

13.

Maryville University of Saint Louis

Saint Louis, Missouri

Maryville University

Maryville University offers the fully online Master of Science in Data Science. This online program in Data science can teach students the graduate level abilities in:

  • Machine Learning
  • Experiential Learning
  • Data Mining
  • Computer Coding and Programming

Students of this online program can learn how to use big data, deep learning, machine learning, and data mining, to make this data meaningful. Students can develop coding skills using:

  • R
  • Python
  • SAS
  • SQL languages
  • Data Manipulation Language

This online master's program for data scientists is 36-credit-hours. Courses Include:

  • Deep Learning
  • Machine Learning
  • Data Visualization
  • Experimental Design

Maryville may accept incoming transfer courses (students will need to determine this with an enrollment counselor). There are no fees to apply, and Maryville doesn't require entrance exams. Check out their admissions page for admissions requirements. You can also find information about financial aid.

14.

University of the Southwest

College of Business Administration

Hobbs, New Mexico

University of the Southwest

University of the Southwest offers the Master of Business Administration in Data Analytics and Business Intelligence program online.

As the name indicates, this is an MBA program which teaches advanced courses in data analytics applied to business.

"The program focuses on functional business skills including; predictive modeling, forecasting, and data visualization."

University of the Southwest

Core courses include:

  • Business Analytics and Econometrics
  • Decision Theory
  • Business Statistics Research Design
  • Strategic Resource Allocation and Planning
  • Marketing Concepts and Strategies

Specialization courses include:

  • Business Intelligence and Strategy
  • Data Mining
  • Data Visualization
  • Predictive Analytics

The College of Business Administration is accredited by the International Accreditation Council for Business Education.

15.

Grand Canyon University

Phoenix, Arizona

Grand Canyon University

Grand Canyon University (GCU) is a Christian college and a leader in online education in terms of the number of online students.

GCU offers online degrees for undergraduate and graduate students.

Their online Bachelor's in Applied Business Analytics degree is focused on providing a Business education, with an understanding of how data can inform business practices. The degree teaches students business intelligence using data analysis skills.

This includes learning how to make, and use, data models to harness and interpret big data. This bachelor's degree teaches students to use the data to make informed business decisions.

The online master's teaches students how to make business decisions using data. This is primarily a Master's in Business, with specialized instruction in data.

The online master's in Data Science teachers students the science of capturing big data, making it meaningful, and interpreting it usefully. This is primarily a master's in Data Science, with an understanding of applying it to Business, such as making informed business decisions once the data is at hand and made meaningful.

All programs are available online. Both can prepare students for working in the fields of business and/or data analytics.

These online master's degrees may be completed in two years. Burgeoning Data Scientists who want a Christian education might consider Grand Canyon University.

Data Analytics degree program overview

Students in an online data analytics program learn data wrangling, data management, how to use visualization tools and other industry standard tools, management skills, and how to use cloud computing and predictive modeling.

It is also known as Business Intelligence when business analysts collect data and use the data findings in their business processes.

Whether you are looking for a specific degree, eligibility requirements, or wondering about particular schools, this list of degrees will get you started.

Business Intelligence uses raw data acquisition pertinent to their business model. The analysts present data to the data governance managers who employ it in various ways over the data lifecycle.

Business Intelligence use those who can employ core data skills to analyze business problems and inform their next decisions. This includes improving profitability and understanding marketing campaigns and risk management.

Data Analytics courses may include:

  • information technology
  • data management
  • statistical modeling
  • data structures and algorithms
  • project management

Careers that use data analysis include:

  • computer programmers
  • data architects
  • database administrators
  • software developers
  • statisticians
  • data scientist
  • market research analysts
  • operations analyst

Data analyst jobs usually require a minimum of a bachelor's degree in data analytics, statistics, data management degree, or computer science.

Big tech companies like Google, Facebook, and Amazon use data analysis.

Career Information: According to ZipRecruiter, Data Analysts earn an average median salary of $123,210 per year.

Ranking Methodology

Successful Student ranks schools and programs from the point of view of students. It takes into consideration factors that would be most beneficial to students. In this regard, the ranking is a bottom-up approach. The ranking factors are:

  • degrees offered
  • academic reputation and influence
  • scope of coursework

For more information on our ranking method, see our College Denominator.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the best Data Analytics course?

There are many ways to start your professional career in data analytics without earning a degree. If you want to work in data analytics, there are many great courses you can complete to gain experience!

Best for Beginners: Become a Data Analyst from LinkedIn Learning.

This data analytics course is perfect for beginners! With no prerequisites and in-depth video lectures, this course provides you with foundational knowledge in data analysis. This course is completely free and can be completed in 24 hours. To ensure your success, there is time at the end of each video lecture to ask your instructor questions. While this course lacks hands-on projects and interactive content, it is great for those getting started in data analytics.

Best for Immersion: Data Analytics Immersion from Thinkful.

Thinkful's course is great for those who want personalized instruction and support as they learn data analytics. Students receive a personal mentor, career coach, and academic advisor to guide them through the program.

This course will teach you the foundations of Excel, Python, and SQL. At the end of the data analytics course, you will complete a final project and career-enhancing interviews. While Thinkful's course will take you from a beginner to data analytics expert in less than six months, it is very expensive, costing more than $10,000. This course also requires many hours of extra studying and a lengthy admissions process. Yet, Thinkful allows students to hold off on paying for the course until they are earning $40,000 a year in the field of data analytics.

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Is an online Data Analytics degree worth it?

Yes, an online Analytics degree is worth it. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the average median salary for Data Scientist was $100,910. And the 10 year projected growth rate is 36%, a lot higher than the national average for all other occupations, adding 40,500 new positions.

The degree cost is easily offset by the six-figure income of Data Scientists. If a Data Analytics master's degree costs $15,000, then one year's salary that's over $100,000 has already made the full return on investment.

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What are online Data Analytics degrees?

Many colleges and universities offer bachelor's and master's degrees in data analytics. Earning a degree in higher education for data analytics will begin with admission to an accredited college or university.

Undergraduate students complete foundational classes in programming and data science, which includes statistics, aggregating big data sets, and analysis and decision making. Every bachelor's degree program varies in requirements, course content, and internship opportunities.

Graduate students will learn expert knowledge in data analysis. This includes research methods, statistical analyses, data visualization, and predictive analytics.

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What are the careers in Data Analytics?

Once you have a degree from one of these best online data analytics programs, you may consider one of these careers. You may be familiar with a data analyst and data scientists. Other careers include:

Software Developer – As a software developer, data analysts design computer programs. Software developers work in many different industries to create systems that process, analyze, and make sense of data. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, software developers can make an average salary of $109,020 per year.

Chief Information Officer – Data analysts work in management positions as chief information officers. These unique roles allow data analysts to create policies for how organizations use data. They will supervise other analysts, programmers, and employees.

Healthcare Analyst – Healthcare analysts help to analyze and organize healthcare data. In this role, data analysts evaluate clinical trials, estimate the price of pharmaceuticals, and analyze patient records to inform physician decisions and determine best practices.

Social Network Analyst – Social network analysts make sense of the data produced by social networking sites. These analysts decipher huge data sets and in turn create marketing campaigns and design better customer service protocols.

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What are top 3 skills needed for Data Analysis?

Communication - Data analysts need to know how to explain their findings to people who may not have a background in data analytics. Verbal and written communication skills help data analysts explain their findings.

Teamwork - Data analysts work with large amounts of data, so companies will divide jobs amongst many team members. When working with other team members, you have to be a team player! Without this skill, data analysts will not be help their industries find solutions to data-related problems.

Mathematical ability - Data Analysts use cutting-edge technology to decode large data. An understanding of the statistical data is crucial. As a data analyst, it is important to be aware of how to interpret statistically significant data.

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Is Data Analytics a good career?

Data Analytics is a well-paying career with a much higher growth rate than the average for all other careers and occupations. The need for data analytics range across many different industries, from Big Tech to non-profits. Data analysts have the opportunity to work in many different sectors. This career field is growing at 36%, adding 40,500 new positions. The Bureau of Labor Statistics reporting an above average rate of growth compared to other industries. Additionally, wages in data analytics continue to rise compared to wages in other occupations. Data analysts can earn a reported median annual income of $100,000. These data analytics programs online can get you started on this promising career.

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What is the eligibility for Data Analyst?

As a data analyst, professionals will need to have some formal training and a unique set of skills. Data analysts will need experience in SQL, Python, and other programming languages, as well as the ability to accurately analyze data sets.

Besides these skills, successful candidates should be methodical and have the ability to problem solve. Data analysts should pay close attention to detail and approach data in a methodical way. To advance as a data analyst, many professionals choose to earn extra certifications or pursue an advanced degree.

A bachelor's degree in Data Analytics (Data Science) may suffice for entry-level positions. Employers will prefer and likely hire graduates with a master's degree in Data Analytics (Data Science).

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