This article highlights the 100 most affordable online colleges in the United States as indicated by 2014-15 estimated tuition and fees institutions reported to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES). We define an online college as one offering at least one complete bachelor’s degree online, though many of these institutions offer a considerable number of online degrees.
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Jump to Online Colleges Costing:
Less than $15,000/year
Less than $13,000/year
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Less than $6,000/year
Less than $5,000/year
Less than $4,000/year
The idea of an affordable college degree resonates with many students, and the notion of an affordable online degree has considerable appeal, particularly at a time when many students are working full time jobs and are also concerned about the potential return on investment of a pricey degree. A quality affordable degree can help put some of these concerns to rest. Just a few years ago, the idea of pursuing an inexpensive online university degree at a highly regarded institution may have seemed out of reach; today it can be a reality.
Among the schools listed here, you’ll find institutions from just about every corner of the U.S., along with a variety of sizes and types: public colleges, private colleges, public universities, private universities, online-only branches of major universities, religious institutions, and more. We considered only accredited online colleges and accredited online universities for this ranking, so you can be sure that these institutions come with the backing of a major accrediting body.
Though our chief concern in this article is for those seeking a bachelor degree online, the institutions listed here represent a variety of types of degree levels and formats offered: online associate degrees, online bachelor’s degrees, online certificates, online degree completion programs, 2+2 programs, 4+1 programs, and more. And there is considerable variety in majors, minors, and concentrations as well.
Often, online public colleges are the most affordable choice for an online bachelor’s degree if you’re considered an in-state student, but even online public universities can be expensive for those not residing in the state (though this is not always the case). Slightly over half the schools presented here offer in-state tuition. In this case, we report both in-state and out-of-state figures, and the institution is ranked according to its in-state tuition.
Please note that the expense figures we gathered from NCES to not take into account scholarships, grants, or other types of aid that may be available to you. They also may not include fees that are specific to your degree program of choice.
Just because you’re looking for an affordable online college degree doesn’t mean you need to settle for a lower-quality education. Indeed, some of these schools are among the best in all of the United States, as their standings in major national rankings supports.
Are you undecided as to what major to pursue? Check out our article 5 of the Easiest Online Bachelor’s Degrees. If you are looking for a way to find high-quality, online bachelor’s degree programs for the best price, check out our ranking of the Most Affordable Online Bachelor’s Degrees.
#100. Golden Gate University-San Francisco
Tuition and Fees: $14,640
First on our list of affordable online colleges is Golden Gate University, which offers 12 online bachelor’s degrees, in these areas: accounting, business & management, finance, financial planning, human resources, IT management, international business, public administration, and project management. Most of the areas of study listed offer both bachelor’s and master’s level programs online. Even though it’s ranked 100th most affordable online college in our list, at less than $15,000/yr, it’s still less than half the average cost of private college tuition as reported by College Board – giving you a sense of just how affordable the schools in this ranking truly are.
#99. University of the Southwest
Tuition and Fees: $14,616
The University of the Southwest is a private, four year, Christian university. The school only offers one program online currently: a Bachelor’s in Business Administration. The school was founded in 1962 and severed its direct ties to the Baptist denomination and become an independent non-denominational, Christian liberal arts college.
#98. Touro University Worldwide
Tuition and Fees: $14,600
Touro University offers five online bachelor’s level programs: business administration and management, psychology, social work, health care, and health education. The social work program is one of the more rare programs to find offered online. Touro is a school designed from the ground up by philanthropists that desire to forge a new path in education.
#97. Bethune-Cookman University
Tuition and Fees: $14,410
This private, historically black university has its roots in a school founded for young black girls by Mary McLeod Bethune in 1904. Throughout the years the school has maintained a high reputation. The school only offers one undergraduate programs online, a BA in Liberal Arts. This program is at the heart of the school’s philosophy of education and so it makes sense that as the school moves forward into online education, it would be the first degree they offer.
#96. Barclay College
Tuition and Fees: $14,290
Barclay is an evangelical Christian university that offers a few degree programs online. The available programs are biblical studies, business management, christian ministry leadership, and psychology. The school was originally founded by Quaker settlers, and was a Quaker school from 1917 up until 1990 when it transitioned to a more evangelical christian platform.
#95. Lee University
Tuition and Fees: $14,280
This private Christian university offers five degree programs online. These programs are liberal studies, bible and theology, christian studies, ministry leadership, and RN to BSN completion. The school was founded in the early 1900s and is still closely affiliated with the Church of God in Cleveland. It’s a small school even counting its online student population.
#94. Peirce College
Tuition and Fees: $13,800
This school offers its programs both online and on-campus. The school offers a wide range of bachelor’s level programs fully online. Among the fourteen available programs are these degrees: accounting, business administration, human resource management, integrated leadership, healthcare administration, health information administration, information technology, criminal justice studies and paralegal studies.
#93. Manhattan Christian College
Tuition and Fees: $13,642
Manhattan Christian College offers two degree programs online, one in biblical leadership, and the other in management and ethics. Each program requires students to take bible and theology courses. MCC strives to accommodate military personnel in every way possible and is a considered a military friendly school by Military Friendly.
#92. Penn State University-World Campus
Tuition and Fees: $13,516
Penn State University has been offering distance courses since the 19th century. The school has also been taking advantage of the online format for almost two decades. Currently the school’s World Campus offers 25 online bachelor’s programs, including programs in economics, agribusiness management, advertising/public relations, business, criminal justice, finance, health policy and administration, human development and family studies, international politics, and political science.
#91. Clarkson College
Tuition and Fees: $13,352
Clarkson College offers online degree programs in a variety of health-related fields. These include health care services, health information management, medical imaging, LPN to BSN, RN to BSN and BS in nursing programs, and healthcare business management. Clarkson was established over 100 years ago as a school of nursing and the school remains committed to excellence in training medical professionals.
#90. Hodges University
Tuition and Fees: $13,220
Fifteen bachelor online programs are offered by Hodges University. Among those programs are applied psychology, business administration, computer information technology, computer networking, criminal justice, digital design and graphics, health services administration, interdisciplinary studies, and software development.
#89. Wayland Baptist University
Tuition: $12,960
Wayland Baptist University is one of many private Christian universities beginning to offer degree programs online. While some private Christian schools can be expensive, some are among the most affordable private universities you can find. This school offers three undergraduate programs: applied science, christian ministry, and nursing.
#88. Mid-Atlantic Christian University
Tuition: $12,800
MACU offers three fully online degree programs: biblical studies, business administration, and christian ministry. The business administration program requires a minor in biblical studies, while the christian ministry major is actually a double major, where the student majors in both biblical studies and christian ministry.
#87. City College-Fort Lauderdale
Tuition and Fees: $12,782
The three online degree programs offered by City College-Fort Lauderdale are health care administration, management, and nursing. The school also offers many associate-level programs. The school was originally a junior college of business when it was established in 1984, and it has since grown to become a full-fledged degree-granting college.
#86. Southwestern Christian University
Tuition and Fees: $12,470
Southwestern Christian University offers four distinct bachelor’s degree programs online. These programs are business, management, social services, and christian leadership. This school is affiliated with the Pentecostal Holiness Church and continues to honor that heritage.
#85. Brandman University
Tuition and Fees: $12,200
Brandman offers 11 bachelor degrees online, but if you count all the available concentrations, the count comes out more in the high 20s. Among the programs offered are applied studies, criminal justice (six concentrations), legal studies, liberal studies, psychology, social science, social work, sociology, organizational leadership (three concentrations) and business administration (ten concentrations).
#84. National University
Tuition and Fees: $12,096
National University offers an impressive 45 bachelor degrees online. The school itself is huge, with multiple campuses located across the United States. Among its selection of programs you will find accountancy, financial management, organizational leadership, elementary education, english education, construction engineering technology, computer science, pre-law, public administration, and digital journalism.
#83. Union Institute and University
Tuition and Fees: $11,904
Union Institute and University offers numerous online bachelor’s degree programs — 14 in all. Among these are programs in business administration, child and adolescent development, criminal justice management, early childhood studies, elementary education, emergency services management, leadership, liberal studies, psychology and social work.
#82. Ottawa University-Online
Tuition and Fees: $11,670
The online business programs at the University of Ottawa’s Angell Snyder School of Business offer as many as eight concentrations per major. This Christian university’s education programs are accredited by NCATE. Overall the school offers 22 bachelor programs online, including English, history, law enforcement, mathematics (with available concentration in actuarial science), accounting, business administration, business economics, health care management, human resources and public administration.
#81. University of Minnesota Crookston
Tuition and Fees: $11,468
The University of Minnesota Crookston has been offering online undergraduate programs for years, and they keep expanding their selection. Currently there are fourteen online bachelor degree programs including programs in communication, entrepreneurship, international business, manufacturing management, quality management, finance, and health management. The school also offers students six online minors to choose from.
#80. Park University
Tuition and Fees: $11,170
Park University offers an array of online degree programs including business administration, management (specializing in six different areas), criminal justice administration, education studies, interdicsiplinary studies (with several available minors), information & computer science, computer information systems, geography, RN to BSN, and public administration. There are 15 total online degree programs along with 17 minors, enabling students can mold the degree to their unique interests.
#79. Franklin University
Tuition and Fees: $11,161
Franklin University offers 36 online degree programs. Courses are designed to provide students with the crucial skills to succeed in today’s job market. Among the many programs available online are: applied psychology, business economics, computer science, human resources management, information security, social sciences, public relations, public administration, internet marketing, and entrepreneurship.
#78. Baker College
Tuition: $10,800
Baker College is the largest independent non-profit college in the state of Michigan, with over 28,000 students. There are campuses located all over the state, and most of the programs are offered both in traditional and online formats. Baker boasts 150 programs, almost all of which are offered online. Students can study accounting, computer science, finance, marketing, psychology, web development, project management, and many more subjects.
#77. Calvary Bible College and Theological Seminary
Tuition and Fees: $10,600
Calvary Bible College is a Christian institution that offers just one program online, a bachelor’s in business administration. Students of all majors are required to take general education and many Bible courses. Calvary is an independent, non-denominational university.
#76. Blue Mountain College
Tuition and Fees: $10,534
Blue Mountain College offers all general education credits required for a degree online. The school also has two fully online bachelor’s programs, psychology and business administration. Blue Mountain College is a Christian liberal arts college and has been affiliated with the Mississippi Baptist Convention since the 1920s. The school reports that teaches all of its courses from a Christian point of view.
#75. Averett University
Tuition and Fees: $10,325
Averett University offers online bachelor’s programs through their school of graduate and professional studies. There are three bachelor programs online, including business administration, RN to BSN, and sociology and criminal justice. The bachelor degree in sociology and criminal justice is actually only offered online by the school, and was designed specifically to take full advantage of this format.
#74. Azusa Pacific
Tuition and Fees: $10,300
Azusa Pacific offers seven fully online bachelor’s programs and in addition to those, some completion programs as well. The fully online degree programs are applied studies, applied psychology, criminal justice, health sciences, leadership, liberal studies, and management.
#73. Wilmington University
Tuition and Fees: $10,190
Wilmington University offers an impressive 27 online degree programs, many of which have minors and concentrations available, and that’s just their undergraduate selection. There are also many certificates and graduate programs offered by the school online. Some of the programs offered include behavioral science, business management, communication, criminal justice, government and public policy, information systems, marketing, psychology, sports management, and computer and network security.
#72. Colorado State University-Fort Collins
Tuition and Fees: $9,897
Colorado State University offers six online degree programs. The school has designed their programs to accommodate transfer students even if their previous area of study wasn’t closely related to the programs they offer. The six bachelor level programs are agricultural business, human development and family studies, anthropology, fire and emergency services administration, interdisciplinary liberal arts, and psychology.
#71. Clarion University of Pennsylvania
In-state Tuition and Fees: $9,788
Out-of-state Tuition and Fees: $13,760
Clarion offers eight online bachelor’s level programs, and their liberal studies program alone has nine available concentrations, while the business administration program has three concentrations available. The online degree programs Clarion offers are sociology and psychology, business administration, liberal studies, nursing, allied health leadership, medical imaging, technology leadership, and criminal justice administration.
#70. University of Northwestern Ohio
Tuition and Fees: $9,725
Six bachelor degrees are offered online by the University of Northwestern Ohio. There are also several diploma, certificate, and associate degrees available online. The available bachelor’s degrees are healthcare administration, marketing, business administration (with agribusiness, automotive management, and marketing concentrations), and accounting.
#69. Cleveland State University
In-state Tuition and Fees: $9,686
Out-of-state Tuition and Fees: $12,928
Cleveland State offers four online bachelor’s degree completion programs. Students can also earn a bioethics certificate. The four completion programs are RN to BSN, business administration, organizational leadership, and chemical dependency counselor assistant. The school also offers several graduate programs, also available online.
#68. Westfield State University
In-state Tuition and Fees: $8,682
Out-of-state Tuition and Fees: $14,762
The online degree programs offered by Westfield are degree completion programs, available to students with 60 or more credits already completed. There are six online bachelor’s completion programs: business management, criminal justice, liberal studies, sociology, and psychology.
#67. Youngstown State University
Tuition and Fees: $8,557
Youngstown offers four online bachelor’s programs and seven graduate programs. All of the bachelor’s programs available online are related to the health industry. This focus may be a good sign for students looking to earn a degree in the health field online. The bachelor’s programs available fully online are: allied health, public health, RN to BSN, and respiratory care.
#66. Colorado State University-Global Campus
Tuition and Fees: $8,400
CSU Global Campus is a solely online campus of the Colorado State University System. The school offers 14 bachelor’s programs, a number that seems to grow every year. Among the programs available are: accounting, applied social sciences, business management, communication, criminal justice and law enforcement administration, marketing, project management, public management, information technology, and management information systems.
#65. Framingham State University
In-state Tuition and Fees: $8,320
Out-of-state Tuition and Fees: $14,400
The online degree programs offered by Framingham State are slim at the bachelor’s level. The only online bachelor’s degree offered is in liberal studies, which is a great program for somebody looking to complete their degree. Other than that the school offers primarily graduate programs and professional development programs for educators online.
#64. Bemidji State University
Tuition and Fees: $8,134
Bemidji’s bachelor’s programs are on the 2+2 model so the first two years must be completed either at the school, or through another school (community colleges are a great, affordable, and convenient way to accomplish this and many offer online programs). The final two years of all these programs can be completed fully online. The programs offered are accounting, applied engineering, business administration, criminal justice, elementary education, nursing, psychology, social work, and technology management.
#63. Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University-Worldwide
Tuition and Fees: $8,040
Embry-Riddle is one of few aeronautical universities in the world, and certainly one of the only ones offering a wide selection of online courses. The school even offers the first Ph.D. in Aviation in the United States, and it is available primarily in the online format. Online bachelor’s level programs include aeronautics, aviation business administration, aviation maintenance, aviation security, communication, emergency services, engineering technology, technical management, and transportation. The school also offers four 4+1 programs where students can earn a combined bachelor’s and master’s degree online in five years.
#62. University of South Dakota
In-state Tuition and Fees: $8,022
Out-of-state Tuition and Fees: $10,794
USD offers five online bachelor’s programs, including a bachelor of business administration from the Beacom School of Business. The other programs available are general studies, addiction studies, health sciences, and an RN to BSN program for registered nurses.
#61. University of West Alabama
In-state Tuition and Fees: $8,018
Out-of-state Tuition and Fees: $14,886
UWA offers three bachelor degree programs online: business administration, technology, and early childhood development. The business administration major however, has four distinct concentrations which are: business administration, accounting, management, and marketing. The early childhood development program is a non-certification program because certification requirements vary from state to state.
#60. Minnesota State University-Moorhead
In-state Tuition and Fees: $7,816
Out-of-state Tuition and Fees: $14,714
Minnesota State University at Moorhead offers several online bachelor’s degree programs. Most of these can also be taken in the hybrid format which can be great for students that live close enough to attend some classes in person as their schedule allows. The fully online bachelor’s programs are as follows: business administration, RN to BSN, operations management, project management, and special education. These programs are geared toward transfer students that have completed around 60 credits worth of course work.
#59. University of North Dakota
In-state Tuition and Fees: $7,741
Out-of-state Tuition and Fees: $18,409
The University of North Dakota offers ten undergraduate degrees. The main thing that sets this school apart from many others is that it offers several degrees in engineering, which few others offer online. The ten undergraduate programs offered are chemical engineering, communication, electrical engineering, general studies, mechanical engineering, RN to BSN program, petroleum engineering, psychology, and social science.
#58. Arkansas State University-Main Campus
In-state Tuition and Fees: $7,720
Out-of-state Tuition and Fees: $13,480
The four online bachelor’s degrees available from Arkansas State are completion programs, designed to accommodate students that have completed the first half of their college education in some other manner. Students looking to do their entire degree online can find many associate degree programs online that can be transferred. The available programs are: disaster preparedness/emergency management, general studies, interdisciplinary studies, and RN to BSN.
#57. South Dakota State University
In-state Tuition and Fees:$7,713
Out-of-state Tuition and Fees: $10,485
SDSU offers only six online bachelor programs, but the choices get really diverse when you consider the nine minors available for the online programs. The degrees available are general studies, geography, interdisciplinary studies, medical laboratory science, nursing, and sociology. Among the available minors are: economics, psychology, geography, and religion.
#56. Black Hills State University
In-state Tuition and Fees: $7,617
Out-of-state Tuition and Fees: $10,097
BHSU offers primarily graduate programs online. However, the school does offer two undergraduate programs, one in business administration, which is designed for all students, whether of traditional college age, or adults looking to complete a degree. The general studies major is for someone looking to complete their undergraduate degree after having left college previously.
#55. Troy University
In-state Tuition and Fees: $7,564
Out-of-state Tuition and Fees: $14,092
Troy offers a variety of concentrations with most of its online majors. Concentrations and minors are less common among online degree programs because most schools are focusing on expanding their catalogue of majors. Troy offers 13 undergraduate programs online, including resource and technology management, business administration (with seven concentrations), anthropology, applied computer science, history, hospitality, sport, and tourism management, interpreter training, liberal studies, political science, psychology, and social science.
#54. Northern State University
In-state Tuition and Fees: $7,563
Out-of-state Tuition and Fees:$9,562
Northern State University offers six online bachelor programs and three associate degree programs fully online. The online bachelor programs available at the school are international business studies, general studies, banking and financial services, business administration, management, and marketing.
#53. University of Maine at Fort Kent
In-state Tuition and Fees: $7,575
Out-of-state Tuition and Fees: $10,875
The University of Maine at Fort Kent offers six online degree programs at the bachelor’s level and seven at the associate degree level. The available bachelor’s degrees are accounting, arts and sciences, computer applications-information security, healthcare administration, RN to BSN, and public safety administration. These programs are designed for those seeking to complete their education and take their career to a higher level, but can be taken by students who are part of the more traditional college demographic as well.
#52. SUNY College of Technology at Canton
In-state Tuition and Fees: $7,519
Out-of-state Tuition and Fees: $11,689
SUNY College of Technology at Canton offers ten online programs. A few of the more unusual ones include dental hygiene, emergency management, health care management, homeland security, legal studies, and veterinary services management.
#51. Columbia College
Tuition and Fees: $7,465
Columbia College offers ten concentrations in the online business administration program alone. In addition to those there are twelve other online majors including programs in computer information systems, management information systems, criminal justice administration, human services, history, political science, public administration, English, psychology, and sociology.
#50. University of North Alabama
In-state Tuition and Fees: $7,412
Out-of-state Tuition and Fees: $13,268
At the mid-way point on our list of affordable online colleges, University of North Alabama offers a wide variety of online courses, and a good selection of bachelor programs online. The undergraduate programs offered fully online are history and political science, interdisciplinary studies, RN to BSN, and sociology. There is also an RN to MSN program that allows students to study straight through to their master’s in nursing.
#49 University of Wisconsin Online System
In-state Tuition and Fees: $7,326-$10,410
Out-of-state Tuition and Fees: $14,899-$26,660
The Wisconsin public university system has a centralized hub that lists and organizes the online programs offered by the various campuses. The system as a whole offers over thirty bachelor’s level programs online including degrees in: art history, business administration, american studies, history, information science and technology, nursing, management, psychology, political science, and sociology.
#48. University of Central Missouri
In-state Tuition and Fees: $7,265
Out-of-state Tuition and Fees: $13,659
Six undergraduate programs are offered completely online by the University of Central Missouri. The school also offers many graduate programs online. The six undergraduate programs offered are: criminal justice, crisis and disaster management, general studies, BSN to RN, occupational education, and technology transfer program. These programs seem to be geared toward people already involved in certain industries that are seeking to increase their effectiveness and advance their careers.
#47. Jacksonville State University
In-state Tuition and Fees: $7,092
Out-of-state Tuition and Fees: $13,884
While Jacksonville State University offers mostly certificate and master’s programs, there are six bachelor’s programs available which are: management, emergency management homeland security, emergency management public safety, family and consumer sciences (child development), family and consumer sciences (human sciences), liberal studies, and RN-BSN.
#46. Granite State College
In-state Tuition and Fees: $7,065
Out-of-state Tuition and Fees: $7,785
Nearly thirty undergraduate programs are offered by GSC, spanning a wide variety of subject areas. Out-of-state tuition is only slightly more expensive than in-state tuition. Among the online degree programs are accounting and finance, communication studies, history, information technology, psychology, criminal justice, health and wellness, human resources administration, nursing, and operations management.
#45. Southeast Missouri State University
In-state Tuition and Fees: $7,058
Out-of-state Tuition and Fees: $12,450
Eleven online undergraduate are offered by SMSU. Like many schools, they continue to expand the number of courses and programs offered. The programs currently available online are: business administration, technology management, nursing, healthcare management, general studies, psychology, criminal justice, computer information systems, social science, and emergency preparedness.
#44. Missouri State University-Springfield
In-state Tuition and Fees: $6,908
Out-of-state Tuition and Fees: $13,388
MSU-Springfield offers ten online undergraduate programs fully online programs. Some of these programs may have pre-requisites not offered online by the school, in which case they are more like completion programs which are great for students seeking to continue studies after earning an associate degree. The programs offered are: technology management, communication studies, criminology, finance, general business, nursing, health services, professional writing, information technology service management, and hospitality and restaurant administration.
#43. West Texas A&M University
In-state Tuition and Fees: $6,782
Out-of-state Tuition and Fees: $7,220
WTAMU offers three online degree programs. The business administration program offers four concentrations: general business, marketing, management, and economics. The other programs are general studies and criminal justice. There are also some hybrid programs and several graduate programs offered by the school. The prices are impressive, especially for non-residents, who may get an even lower tuition than traditional out-of-state students.
#42. University of Maryland-University College
In-state Tuition and Fees: $6,744
Out-of-state Tuition and Fees: $12,336
UMUC is an online college established by the public university system of Maryland. The school has over 95 programs available overall, including 30 undergraduate programs online. The school also offers 46 minors which provide impressive flexibility for students looking to specialize. Such a selection is still rare among online schools. Some of the programs offered are business administration, communication studies, computer networks and security, computer science, digital media and web technology, health services management, history, humanities, investigative forensics and political science among many others.
#41. University of Nevada Las Vegas
In-state Tuition and Fees: $6,710
Out-of-state Tuition and Fees: $20,620
UNLV only offers two online bachelor programs, however an interesting fact about the school is that it is one of few to offer three different nursing Ph.D. programs. The bachelor’s programs offered are bachelors of science degrees in public administration, and social sciences. The school also offers a wide selection of courses from different majors, indicating that the online catalogue will likely soon be expanded.
#40. Metropolitan State University
In-state Tuition and Fees: $6,642
Out-of-state Tuition and Fees: $13,227
Metropolitan State University is one of the cheapest universities in the state of Minnesota. The nine programs offered fully online by MSU are: business administration, finance, human resource management, individualized studies, industrial management, law enforcement for licensed peace officers, management, marketing, and organizational administration. The most unique program is probably the BS in Law Enforcement for licensed peace officers. One rarely sees such programs offered online.
#39. Southern University and A&M College
In-state Tuition and Fees: $6,630
Out-of-state Tuition and Fees: $8,274
SUAMC offers five bachelor degree programs 100% online. This school also has one of the smallest increases of tuition for non-resident students. The five programs offered online by SUAMC are general studies, criminal justice, computer science, interdisciplinary studies, and psychology. Computer science in particular is one of the top majors for potential career earnings.
#38. University of Nebraska at Kearney
In-state Tuition and Fees: $6,586
Out-of-state Tuition and Fees: $12,744
The University of Nebraska at Kearney is a major state university with over 5,000 students. The school offers six online bachelor programs: business administration, criminal justice, early childhood inclusive, family advocacy and early childhood,
#37. New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary
Tuition and Fees: $6,540
NOBTS is one of the least expensive private christian universities in the United States. There is only one degree offered completely online, and that is a Bachelor of Arts in Christian Ministry. The degree is 126 credits and is designed to prepare students to enter Christian ministries or to study at the graduate level. At #37 on our list, NOBTS is the second most affordable online Christian college, after BYU (#8).
#36. Mayville State University
In-state Tuition and Fees: $6,489
Out-of-state Tuition and Fees: $8,894
Mayville State University offers great tuition prices for both in-state and out-of-state students. The school offers seven bachelor’s programs fully online. These are business administration, early childhood, mathematics education, mathematics, nursing, special education, and university studies.
#35. Bellevue University
Tuition and Fees: $6,450
This private, not-for-profit university is one of the most inexpensive private universities in the United States. Bellevue offers an impressive 46 undergraduate degrees online, several of which are difficult to find at other schools. Some of the programs offered include banking operations management, business analytics, communication studies, computer information systems, cyber security, digital marketing, graphic design, security management, and software development.
#34. Northwest Missouri State University
In-state Tuition and Fees: $6,390
Out-of-state Tuition and Fees: $11,391
The two 100% online degree programs offered by Northwest Missouri State University are a B.S. in Business Management and a B.S. in Marketing. The rest of the online programs are graduate level. This school has articulation agreements with community colleges in Missouri, Colorado, Iowa, Nebraska, Oklahoma, and Kansas that make it simple for students of those programs to transfer their credits to NMSU.
#33. University of Florida
In-state Tuition and Fees: $6,313
Out-of-state Tuition and Fees: $28,591
The University of Florida is not particularly affordable for out-of-state residents, but for in-state residents it can’t be beat. The school is routinely ranked among the best in the entire nation. The school offers 11 degrees that can be completed entirely online. Among these are business administration, health education, sport management, biology, computer science, criminology & law, geology, psychology, and sociology.
#32. Peru State College
Tuition and Fees:$6,272
Peru State college offers six fully online undergraduate majors, and one program designed as a completion programs. The six majors are: accounting, computer and management information systems, management, marketing, criminal justice, and psychology. The completion program is a B.A.S. in Management program designed for those with A.A.S. degrees or equivalent academic credits or life experience..
#31. Minot State University
Tuition and Fees: $6,086
Minot State University is a top school on this list for several reasons. While it doesn’t have the lowest tuition for in-state residents, it has extremely low tuition for everyone. Only two schools have lower tuition for out-of-state residents. The online bachelor degree programs available are management, management information systems, marketing, RN to BSN, and international business, applied management and applied business information technology, and general studies.
#30. Western Governors University
Tuition and Fees: $6,070
Western Governors University is one of the most affordable online universities. WGU is a fully online university designed by several former U.S. governors with the goal of providing quality education for an affordable price to as many people as possible. WGU has 23 undergraduate program including math education, human resources management, accounting, information technology, health informatics, and software development.
#29. Dickinson State University
In-state Tuition and Fees: $6,050
Out-of-state Tuition and Fees: $8,495
Dickinson State University offers six online bachelor degree programs fully online. The programs offered online are accounting, business administration, finance, human resource management, and applied science. The school also offers several online associate degree options, which students can take before transitioning into the online bachelor’s program at the university.
#28. Louisiana State University
In-state Tuition and Fees: $6,009
Out-of-state Tuition and Fees: $12,868
LSU offers primarily graduate programs online. Only one program is offered at the bachelor level: an RN to BSN program. The program is 100% online, and is designed to help nurses expand their knowledge and advance their career without interrupting their career to do so.
#27 Texas A&M University-Commerce
In-state Tuition and Fees: $5,892
Out-of-state Tuition and Fees: $14,580
TAMU Commerce currently offers three undergraduate programs online: business administration, applied arts and sciences, and organizational leadership. They also offer a considerable number of graduate degrees online.
#26. Thomas Edison State College
In-state Tuition and Fees: $5,871
Out-of-state Tuition and Fees: $8,647
TESC is a unique university in that it’s designed to make it as easy as possible to get your degree. You can CLEP out of unlimited numbers of classes, transfer in unlimited credits, and even take tests that allow you to apply work and life experience to your degree for credit. The school features over 25 bachelor’s degrees online including communications, computer science, english, history, mathematics, psychology, and social sciences.
#25. Arkansas Tech University
In-state Tuition and Fees: $5,862
Out-of-state Tuition and Fees: $10,878
As far as online degree options, Arkansas Tech University offers both an RN to BSN program and an accelerated degree program leading to a bachelor of professional studies. The RN to BSN program does require online students to attend orientation on campus the week before classes begin so those who live a long way from the school should consider that when deciding whether or not the program is right for them.
#24. Bluefield State College
In-state Tuition and Fees: $5,832
Out-of-state Tuition and Fees: $11,064
Bluefield State College offers several online bachelor’s degrees including e-business and entrepreneurship, marketing, management & leadership, human services, early childhood education, and criminal justice. The early childhood education program does not include teacher licensure, as each state has different requirements, but it does strive to help students prepare for the licensure exams in their respective states.
#23. Rogers State University
In-state Tuition and Fees: $5,725
Out-of-state Tuition and Fees: $12,766
Rogers State University offers five bachelor’s degrees fully online, and four fully-online associate degrees. The bachelors degrees offered are liberal arts, business administration, business information technology, organizational leadership, and applied technology.
#22. Chadron State College
Tuition and Fees: $5,698
Chadron State College offers full business administration programs in accounting, business information systems, management, and marketing/entrepreneurship. Also offered are programs in mathematics and psychology. Among eight available minors are math, psychology, finance, and agribusiness.
#21. Kent State Online (regional campuses)
In-state Tuition and Fees: $5,664
Out-of-state Tuition and Fees: $13,625
Kent State University has several regional campuses that work together to provide online programs through a centralized hub. Offered by this online university system are undergraduate programs in nursing (RN to BSN), technical and applied studies, insurance studies, and public health.
#20. Northwestern Oklahoma State University
In-state Tuition and Fees: $5,642
Out-of-state Tuition and Fees:$11,764
Northwestern Oklahoma State University offers online business degrees and an RN to BSN nursing program. The college of business offers a BS in accounting or business administration, or a bachelor of applied arts and sciences in technical management.
#19. University of Houston-Downtown
In-state Tuition and Fees: $5,516
Out-of-state Tuition and Fees: $14,204
The University of Houston Downtown offers sixteen bachelor’s completion programs online. Students must have successfully completed 60 credits already in order to qualify for these programs. The selection of programs is offered from across the school’s colleges and includes degrees in business, finance, international business, marketing, humanities, professional writing, psychology, and criminal justice.
#18. Missouri Southern State University
In-state Tuition and Fees: $5,376
Out-of-state Tuition and Fees: $10,225
MSSU offers six distinct online bachelor degrees, and four concentrations in health science. The programs offered are applied science, general studies, business administration, criminal justice administration, environmental health and safety, and health science which includes concentrations like respiratory therapy, dental hygiene, and a paramedic program. Most of the degrees offered are completion programs, so students are expected to have their first two years already completed; however, some of the programs are offered fully online.
#17. Western New Mexico University
In-state Tuition and Fees: $5,346
Out-of-state Tuition and Fees: $13,184
WNMU offers multiple online degrees at the associate, bachelor’s and graduate levels. There are ten fully online bachelor degree programs, including those in criminal justice, elementary education, english, nursing, psychology, secondary education, social work, and special education. The majority of online course content is asynchronous, meaning students have maximum flexibility in their pursuit of the degree.
#16. Cameron University
In-state Tuition and Fees: $5,340
Out-of-state Tuition and Fees: $13,380
Cameron University offers two associate and two undergraduate degrees fully online. The bachelor of science in organizational leadership is currently 86% online. The two fully online bachelor’s degrees are in criminal justice and interdisciplinary studies.
#15. Utah Valley University
In-state Tuition and Fees: $5,270
Out-of-state Tuition and Fees: $14,802
Utah Valley University offers some unique degrees online, like bachelor degrees in: aviation, emergency services administration, and hospitality management. The hospitality management program still has some courses in development however it is likely those will be finished by the time new students want to take them.
#14. University of Texas of the Permian Basin
In-state Tuition and Fees: $5,250
Out-of-state Tuition and Fees: $13,983
At #14 on our list of affordable online colleges, UTPB offers a variety of online degree programs at both the undergraduate and graduate level. The nine undergraduate programs offered are child and family studies, communication, humanities, psychology, sociology, industrial technology (B.A.A.S. and B.S.), management, and criminal justice. Both the psychology and sociology programs have accelerated formats with eight-week courses.
#13. Southern University at New Orleans
In-state Tuition and Fees: $5,218
Out-of-state Tuition and Fees: $6,517
The online bachelor of general studies program at SUNO is offered fully online and has five concentrations which are: African American studies, political science, social science, humanities, and business. The program is designed to be as flexible as possible, and to provide students with a broad education which can be put to use in a variety of careers and graduate pursuits.
#12. Northeastern State University
In-state Tuition and Fees: $4,992
Out-of-state Tuition and Fees: $12,012
Northeastern State University requires students to contact their department of interest within the school to find out what degree programs are offered fully online. However, the school offers over 400 online courses, implying that students have numerous choices. The RN-BSN nursing program is offered fully online, as is the MSN (Master of Science in Nursing) program.
#11. Eastern New Mexico University
In-state Tuition and Fees: $4,858
Out-of-state Tuition and Fees: $10,633
Eastern New Mexico University offers students nine undergraduate and fifteen graduate programs 100% online. The fully online bachelor’s degrees offered include applied arts and sciences, aviation science, communicative disorders, electronics engineering technology, nursing, occupational education, religion, social work, and university studies. Online students who study six or fewer hours per semester pay the in-state tuition even if they are non-residents.
#10. Langston University
In-state Tuition and Fees: $4,603
Out-of-state Tuition and Fees: $11,589
While Langston only offers one online program, that program is business administration, which is consistently the most popular undergraduate major according to The Princeton Review. This program is amazingly affordable for in-state residents, and the out-of-state pricing is among the most competitive among affordable online colleges.
#9. Fort Hays State University
In-state Tuition and Fees: $4,469
Out-of-state Tuition and Fees: $13,159
Fort Hays State University offers a considerable variety of online college degrees – 25 in total. Among these are programs in business education, health studies, international business and economics, justice studies, management, marketing, nursing, philosophy, political science, psychology, and sociology.
#8. Brigham Young University Idaho
Tuition and Fees: $3,950
Brigham Young University claims the spot as the most affordable online private college. It features 11 undergraduate programs offered 100% online. The school also offers six associate degrees and nine certificates in a 100% online format. The certificates seem to provide students with the opportunity to expand on their undergraduate studies by delving deeper into their discipline or studying a complementary subject. The undergraduate degrees offered include business management, computer information technology, health science, healthcare administration, marriage and family studies, software engineering, and web development.
#7. Middle Georgia State College
In-state Tuition and Fees: $3,326
Out-of-state Tuition and Fees: $9,613
At number seven on our list of affordable online colleges, MGSC offers just one fully online bachelor’s degree, a B.S. in Information Technology. The school also offers eight A.A. degrees and three certificates online. The online courses at Middle Georgia State College can actually be priced cheaper than the on-campus options, so be sure to inquire for details.
#6. South Texas College
In-state Tuition and Fees: $3,590
Out-of-state Tuition and Fees: $4,464
South Texas College has one of the lowest out-of-state tuitions you can find in the country, putting it among the most generally available affordable online colleges. The school currently offers three bachelor degrees online: computer and information technologies, medical and health services, and technology management. The school also offers 14 associate degrees and seven certificate programs fully online.
#5. Daytona State College
In-state Tuition and Fees: $3,306
Out-of-state Tuition and Fees:$12,376
This highly affordable online college is actually tied for second on U.S. News and World Report’s list of the best online bachelor’s programs. The shining star of the college is its $10,000 education degree. Such a low figure is achieved by the school offering the final 30 credit hours tuition free. Certain requirements must be met, but it’s worth a look for any interested in this field. According to school reports, 93% of education graduates found jobs in their field. Other online bachelor degree programs are nursing, engineering technology, information technology, and supervision & management.
#4. St. Petersburg College
In-state Tuition and Fees: $3,292
Out-of-state Tuition and Fees: $11,524
This school offers a wide range of degree and certificate programs online. Fourteen associate degrees, 26 professional certificate programs, and 10 bachelor’s degrees are all offered fully online. The ten bachelor’s degrees offered online are: dental hygiene, health services administration, international business, management & organizational leadership, public safety administration, sustainability management, technology development & management, veterinary technology, business administration, and nursing.
#3. Florida State College at Jacksonville
In-state Tuition and Fees: $2,830
Out-of-state Tuition and Fees: $9,944
Florida State College at Jacksonville offers four fully online bachelor’s programs, nine fully online associate degree programs, and a total of 13 online certificate programs. Certificates are a great way to supplement an online degree and gain specialized knowledge relevant to your intended career. The four bachelor programs offered online are business administration, early childhood education, information technology management, and supervision & management.
#2. Indian River State College
In-state Tuition and Fees: $2,764
Out-of-state Tuition and Fees: $10,875
Indian River State College offers six bachelor’s and two associate degrees fully online. Residents local to the school will find that many programs offer convenient online courses, even if they aren’t fully online bachelor degree programs. The six programs that are offered 100% online are: organizational management, business administration, education, public administration, and information technology & cyber security. The RN to BSN nursing program is also fully online.
#1. Great Basin College
In-state Tuition and Fees: $2,700
Out-of-state Tuition and Fees: $9,345
Those looking for the most affordable online college degree need look no further. Great Basin College is the most affordable online public college and also the most affordable online college, bar none. It offers one degree program online — a bachelor of applied science program with four distinct tracks. The programs have special admission and completion requirements, so speak with an admissions counselor about whether or not you meet those. The four concentration areas for the BAS program are: land surveying/geomatics, digital information technology, graphic communications, and management in technology.
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Resources
- 50 Great Affordable Colleges in the Midwest
- 50 Great Affordable Colleges in the Northeast
- 50 Great Affordable Colleges in the South
- 50 Great Affordable Colleges in the West
- 50 Most Affordable Colleges that Meet Significant Financial Need
- 50 Most Affordable Colleges with High Acceptance Rates
- Fastest Online Associate Degree Programs
- 100 Affordable Public Schools With High 40-Year ROIs
- 30 Best Liberal Arts Colleges in the Midwest
- 30 Best Liberal Arts Colleges in the Northeast
- 30 Best Liberal Arts Colleges in the South
- 30 Best Liberal Arts Colleges on the West Coast
- 30 Best Colleges Online
- Cheap Online Colleges Ranking | Top 15 Best Affordable Accredited Online Colleges and Universities
Sources:
- National Center for Education Statistics
- School Websites