Cost is the most important deciding factor for most students pursuing an online degree. Thankfully, the continued growth in the number of online colleges and degree programs means there are now more affordable options than ever. To help students in their quest for an affordable online degree, College Consensus – the authority on college rankings – has put together a definitive ranking of the cheapest online colleges available.
Ranking the Most Affordable Online Colleges
The College Consensus method takes a lot of factors into consideration, but for the Most Affordable Online Colleges ranking we only consider one: cost. These are the accredited online schools with the lowest undergraduate tuition and fees for out-of-state students. To be considered for our ranking, colleges must be accredited and recognized by the National Center for Education Statistics while offering at least three bachelor’s degree programs that can be completed completely or primarily online. If you’re interested in a traditional campus-based degree, check our ranking of the Most Affordable Colleges & Universities.
Summary of the Top 10 Cheapest Online Colleges
| Rank | School | Type | Out-of-state tuition and fees |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Pierce College District | Public | $4902 |
| 2. | Central Methodist University-College of Graduate and Extended Studies | Private | $6960 |
| 3. | Mississippi University for Women | Public | $7866 |
| 4. | Peru State College | Public | $7920 |
| 5. | Minot State University | Public | $8508 |
| 6. | Broward College | Public | $8952 |
| 7. | Santa Fe College | Public | $9189 |
| 8. | Jackson State University | Public | $9445 |
| 9. | Central State University | Public | $9596 |
| 10 | Georgia Highlands College | Public | $9696 |
1
Pierce College District
Lakewood, WA
2
Central Methodist University-College of Graduate and Extended Studies
Fayette, MO
3
Mississippi University for Women
Columbus, MS
4
Peru State College
Peru, NE
5
Minot State University
Minot, ND
6
Broward College
Fort Lauderdale, FL
7
Santa Fe College
Gainesville, FL
8
Jackson State University
Jackson, MS
9
Central State University
Wilberforce, OH
10
Georgia Highlands College
Rome, GA
11
University of the Cumberlands
Williamsburg, KY
12
Florida State College at Jacksonville
Jacksonville, FL
13
Indiana Institute of Technology-College of Professional Studies
Fort Wayne, IN
14
College of Coastal Georgia
Brunswick, GA
15
Rasmussen University-Kansas
Topeka, KS
16
Youngstown State University
Youngstown, OH
17
Rasmussen University-North Dakota
Fargo, ND
18
West Texas A & M University
Canyon, TX
19
Thomas University
Thomasville, GA
20
Mayville State University
Mayville, ND
21
Rasmussen University-Minnesota
St. Cloud, MN
22
Dickinson State University
Dickinson, ND
23
Rasmussen University-Florida
Ocala, FL
24
Stillman College
Tuscaloosa, AL
25
University of Southern Mississippi
Hattiesburg, MS
26
Pacific Oaks College
Pasadena, CA
27
Rasmussen University-Illinois
Rockford, IL
28
New Mexico Highlands University
Las Vegas, NM
29
Daytona State College
Daytona Beach, FL
30
Midwestern State University
Wichita Falls, TX
31
Polk State College
Winter Haven, FL
32
Middle Georgia State University
Macon, GA
33
SUNY College of Technology at Delhi
Delhi, NY
34
Unity Environmental University
New Gloucester, ME
35
Northern Illinois University
Dekalb, IL
36
South Dakota State University
Brookings, SD
37
Kentucky State University
Frankfort, KY
38
University of South Dakota
Vermillion, SD
39
University of Minnesota-Crookston
Crookston, MN
40
Ferris State University
Big Rapids, MI
41
Salem University
Salem, WV
42
University of Maine at Presque Isle
Presque Isle, ME
43
Georgia Gwinnett College
Lawrenceville, GA
44
East Tennessee State University
Johnson City, TN
45
Wiley University
Marshall, TX
46
University of Maine at Fort Kent
Fort Kent, ME
47
Central Michigan University
Mount Pleasant, MI
48
University of Nebraska at Kearney
Kearney, NE
49
Paul Quinn College
Dallas, TX
50
Polytechnic University of Puerto Rico-Miami
Miami, FL
51
Arkansas Tech University
Russellville, AR
52
Austin Peay State University
Clarksville, TN
53
University of Memphis
Memphis, TN
54
West Virginia State University
Institute, WV
55
Western Illinois University
Macomb, IL
56
Grace Christian University
Wyoming, MI
57
William Carey University
Hattiesburg, MS
58
Humphreys University-Stockton and Modesto Campuses
Stockton, CA
59
Emporia State University
Emporia, KS
60
Lincoln Christian University
Lincoln, IL
61
CUNY Graduate School and University Center
New York, NY
62
Southern New Hampshire University
Manchester, NH
63
Southern Illinois University-Carbondale
Carbondale, IL
64
University of Akron Main Campus
Akron, OH
65
Eastern Illinois University
Charleston, IL
66
University of North Dakota
Grand Forks, ND
67
Pennsylvania Western University
California, PA
68
Shawnee State University
Portsmouth, OH
69
Clayton State University
Morrow, GA
70
University of Holy Cross
New Orleans, LA
71
Missouri Western State University
Saint Joseph, MO
72
Kent State University at Geauga
Burton, OH
73
Trinity College of Florida
Trinity, FL
74
Southern University at New Orleans
New Orleans, LA
75
Eastern Michigan University
Ypsilanti, MI
76
Houghton University
Houghton, NY
77
Maharishi International University
Fairfield, IA
78
Fort Valley State University
Fort Valley, GA
79
Albany State University
Albany, GA
80
Columbus State University
Columbus, GA
81
Saint Augustine’s University
Raleigh, NC
82
University of Houston-Victoria
Victoria, TX
83
University of West Georgia
Carrollton, GA
84
Fitchburg State University
Fitchburg, MA
85
Kennesaw State University
Kennesaw, GA
86
Mid-Atlantic Christian University
Elizabeth City, NC
87
Weber State University
Ogden, UT
88
Missouri State University-Springfield
Springfield, MO
89
Southern University and A & M College
Baton Rouge, LA
90
University of the Southwest
Hobbs, NM
91
Great Lakes Christian College
Lansing, MI
92
Florida Atlantic University
Boca Raton, FL
93
Lackawanna College
Scranton, PA
94
Sul Ross State University
Alpine, TX
95
Cleveland State University
Cleveland, OH
96
DeVry University-California
Ontario, CA
97
DeVry University-Ohio
Columbus, OH
98
Westfield State University
Westfield, MA
99
Utah Tech University
Saint George, UT
100
Central Baptist College
Conway, AR
Are Online Colleges Cheaper than Traditional Colleges?
This is an excellent time for people seeking affordable online colleges and degree programs, but it’s important to realize that different colleges often cater to different needs when it comes to online programs.
For example, depending on where someone lives, they may want to choose one of the regional public colleges. Regional public colleges will usually have lower tuition costs for applicants who live in the region where the college is located.
On the other hand, an affordable private college will offer many of the same benefits as attending a private college offline. Those benefits can include a more hands-on approach, a religious or ideological grounding, or unique and unusual degree choices.
In addition, the online college landscape also contains numerous working-adult focused colleges. These institutions typically offer programs specifically designed to work with people who have jobs, kids, or other adult responsibilities.
Are Online Colleges Always Cheaper Than Traditional?
When it comes to online college vs traditional college cost, people often assume online colleges always cost less than traditional colleges. In truth, just as with traditional colleges, online college costs can vary widely. Each institution will have a different pricing method based on their own criteria.
Most colleges that offer online courses will have tuition calculators or average cost breakdowns. People are often surprised to find out some universities charge the same price for their courses whether online or off. Some places charge even more for their online programs than their equivalent on-campus ones.
The online college vs traditional college cost question has no clear answer. As with all things college-related, it depends. This should drive home why seeking affordable online college is so important.
| Institution | Online Tuition | In-Person Tuition |
|---|---|---|
| Public | $333 | $711 |
| Private | $488 | $1240 |
The average cost online bachelor’s degree will vary as well from place to place and student to student. For those who want to figure out the average cost online bachelor’s degree or any other degree program for themselves, a net price calculator can help.
How Do Affordable Online Colleges Save Me Money?
When seeking an affordable online college, it’s important to look at the stated dollar amounts. Finding the cheapest online college per credit hour can help once someone has already narrowed their search to the places that interest them.
However, saving money with affordable online colleges involves a few other factors as well. Places that offer cheap online degrees fast aren’t necessarily the most affordable. As previously stated, applicants must consider the net price of attending. In addition, looking for places things like cheap online colleges without application fees can help as well.
Because students aren’t attending on campus, many places will offer a lower tuition. That’s not a given, but it’s worth searching for. Speedy courses also don’t require as many ongoing fees as a longer traditional course. Many factors affect the total cost of a degree, like:
- Parking permits for commuters
- Food (meal plans vs buying your own food)
- Internet
- Rent vs On-Campus Housing
- Books and Supplies
- Laptop/Desktop Computer
The cheapest online per credit hours can give you the numbers you need to calculate just how much you can save. People should always look at the numbers when they want cheap online degrees fast, because those accelerated programs can often come with savings they don’t expect.
How Do Online College Degree Programs Provide ROI?
People invest their money and time with the hopes their degree will pay off in the future, especially when so many students take out loans to pay for college. This is a return on investment college education, and it’s important for that investment to work. To that end, it’s a good idea to think of the best ROI degrees that can make that happen.
But, what online degrees have the best ROI? That all depends on where an applicant lives and which industries have the largest amount of growth. But we have a ranking of the best online colleges for ROI!
Figuring our college ROI by major is possible, especially if the major is one that allows an applicant to advance in their career field or get a fair start in a new career. The ability to move forward, earn more, and do more with a college degree is what makes the return on investment college education worthwhile.
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