Oct. 25, 2018
Luna business program No. 1 in affordability
By Dave Kavanaugh
Luna Community College’s associate degree program in business administration – available online – ranks No. 1 in affordability on a list compiled by a national website that reviews online college offerings.
With annual out-of-state tuition rates at $2,376, the Luna Community College Associate of Applied Science in Business Administration ranked No. 1 in affordability among the institutions reviewed by OnlineU for 2019. Luna full-time tuition is $1,248 a year for in-state, out-of-district students and $912 a year for in-district students. OnlineU ranks post-secondary schools in the categories of affordability, accessibility and quality and serves as a resource to help students select degree programs in various academic fields.
Luna compares quite well even to the most affordable schools documented by OnlineU. Out of the 638 most affordable online college programs, the annual tuition average is $10,084, according to this website. OnlineU is a publication of SR Education Group, which manually researches and standardizes tuition data for accredited online college programs across the nation.
Among online associate degree programs in business, Metropolitan Community College, based in Omaha, Neb., came in second with annual tuition of $2,400. Arkansas Northeastern College ($2,528), Highland Community College ($2,592) and Kansas City Kansas Community College ($2,640) rounded out the top five. OnlineU’s rankings were released in early October and reflect the most recent data available.
“As a college, Luna is a great value, and the school of business is growing,” said Lita Bernal, director of the LCC School of Business. “We’ve expanded tremendously; we’re a living, breathing entity. We’ve got top-notch instructors who care. They’re willing to do whatever they can to help students. They will go out of their way to help students. Before we do anything, we ask ourselves, ‘What’s going to be best for the student?’”
The OnlineU No. 1 ranking may help strengthen the notion that Luna is an exceptional value for college students beginning their post-secondary journeys.
Dominick Quintana, a business major from San Jose, N.M., who expects to graduate this May, said he chose to attend Luna for its affordability but has been pleased by its value. “It’s very affordable, but you get the same quality of education as colleges that are a lot more expensive,” he said. “I really feel comfortable with my decision to attend Luna. There are smaller classes, so you get more one-on-one contact with faculty. And there are tutors to help you, also.”
Quintana said he plans to continue his education by pursuing a bachelor’s degree at the University of New Mexico.
LCC offers associate of applied science degrees in both business administration and accounting, an associate of arts in general business, and a certificate in business management. Associate degree programs include core competencies that are aligned with the New Mexico Collegiate Business Articulation Consortium, enabling program graduates to easily transfer and continue their education at four-year institutions.
For more information on the LCC School of Business, those interested are invited to contact director Lita Bernal (505-454-5337, lbernal@luna.edu) or adviser Brenda Wagoner (505-454-5354, bwagoner@luna.edu). For more on Luna’s other academic and vocational programs, call 505-454-2500, 1-800-588-7232, or visit luna.edu.
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