An apparatus for minimizing installation footprints of expansion cards may include one or more expansion cards that include a short edge, a long edge that is longer than the short edge and is substantially perpendicular to the short edge, and an edge connector disposed on the short edge. The apparatus may also include an expansion-card frame dimensioned to 1) guide an expansion card toward a printed circuit board of a computing device at a substantially vertical orientation such that the short edge of the expansion card is disposed proximate the printed circuit board of the computing device and the long edge of the expansion card extends away from the printed circuit board and 2) removably couple the edge connector disposed on the short edge of the expansion card to the printed circuit board of the computing device. Various other apparatuses, systems, and methods are also disclosed.