15 Most Affordable Online Bachelor’s Degree Programs for 2024
Affordable online bachelor’s degree programs can make the difference between a successful career and one without advancement or satisfaction. Unlike in the past when many people joined the workforce immediately after high school graduation, today more and more young adults are choosing to earn a degree of some sort. Many people choose to pursue a bachelor’s degree. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reports that bachelor degree holders earn wages substantially higher than high school graduates.
Are you interested in earning a bachelor’s degree but feel you don’t have the time or can’t quit your job? Consider earning an online bachelor’s degree. Online degrees are becoming the education of choice more and more. This article should provide you with valuable information about online degrees as well as a list of some of the best and most affordable online bachelor’s degree programs.
What Makes an Affordable Bachelor’s Degree?
With so many online colleges and programs available, it can be difficult to find the best and most affordable online bachelor’s degree programs. What makes them affordable? How do you determine which ones are the most affordable? These are the two most asked questions by students pursuing an online bachelor’s degree.
When searching for a college, you’ll want to make affordability a top priority. However, what makes a good affordable bachelor’s degree program is more than just cheap tuition. In addition to being affordable, the program also has to offer the degree or courses you need to meet your career goals.
When researching different programs, it’s important to look at all the fees the school may charge. Some colleges may appear to have low tuition but can bury you in college fees and additional miscellaneous expenses. Some programs may cost less than $10K while others can be much higher.
Who Needs an Affordable Online Bachelor’s Degree?
With the high cost of earning a degree today, cost is a big factor when it comes to choosing a college and program. Although almost everyone who attempts to earn a bachelor’s wants to spend as little as possible, there are some aspiring students who really need an affordable bachelor’s degree.
- Young students out on their own
- Students with limited income
- Working individuals who can’t afford to quit working
With so many online degree options available, you might wonder why students would choose a bachelor’s degree. Online degrees are very versatile degrees that allow you to earn a degree without interrupting your lifestyle too much.
The bachelor’s degree is probably one of the most important college credentials you can earn. Online bachelor’s degrees also offer many majors and fields of study. You’ll also have the opportunity to get a well-rounded education that can result in earning a Bachelor of Science, Bachelor of Arts, or a Bachelor of Applied Science. A bachelor’s degree can also act as a stepping-stone towards a master’s degree should you choose to advance your education.
Salary and Job Prospects for Bachelor’s Degree Graduates
Graduates of bachelor’s degree programs have many career choices available to them. Many of them come with the potential to make very good wages. Here are some popular careers by bachelor degree holders along with the potential job growth and salaries according to the BLS. The salaries are average annual wages as of May 2022, and the growth is for the decade of 2022-2032.
- Registered Nurses – 6% job growth; annual average wage $81,220
- Software Developers, Quality Assurance Analysts, and Testers – 25% job growth; annual average wage $127,260
- Financial Managers – 16% job growth; annual average wage $139,790
- Medical and Health Services Managers – 28% job growth; annual average wage $104,830
- Computer Programmer – 11% job growth; annual average wage $97,800
- Information Security Analysts – 32% job growth; annual average wage $112,000
- Social Workers – 7% job growth; annual average wage $55,350
To help you out a little, we have compiled a list of what we consider the 15 best affordable online bachelor’s degree programs. You’ll also find the tuition for each of these schools. Keep in mind that some tuition can vary depending on the major and that tuition may change every year, so make sure to check the school’s website for the most up-to-date information.
15 Best Affordable Online Bachelor’s Degree Programs
You can read our ranking methodology here, but for our pick of affordable programs, we looked at annual cost, fees and cost per credit hour, trying to keep the cost per credit hour under $500 and the cost per year under $10,000.
1. Southern New Hampshire University
Online Bachelor Degree Options
Tuition: Southern New Hampshire University charges from $6,450 to $9,900 per year; Tuition for in state and out-of-state students is the same. What can help make it more affordable is that active-duty military students can get a 30% discount. Students can also transfer in up to 90 credits. SNHU boasts of some of the lowest tuition in the nation and state that their rates haven’t increased in the last ten years.
2. University of Florida – Online
Online Bachelor Degree Options
Tuition: The University of Florida charges tuition of $6,380 for in-state students and $15,000 for out-of-state students.
UF also offers several scholarship opportunities to students. They also allow credit transfers. Credit transfers means the student has less credits to complete at SNHU, which saves the students even more money.
3. Florida International University
Online Bachelor Degree Options
Tuition: Florida International University charges $4,921 for in-state students and $16,529 for out-of-state students.
FIU also offers student scholarships and credit transfer. What makes FIU even more affordable is their Golden Promise, which guarantees they will pay 100% tuition for any first-time college student who has no family contribution.
4. Arizona State University
Online Bachelor Degree Options
Tuition: Arizona State University charges the rate of $5,961 per year for both in-state and out-of-state residents. Students can benefit from scholarships, student grants, and student loans offered by ASU.
5. Florida State College at Jacksonville
Online Bachelor Degree Options
Tuition: Florida State College at Jacksonville charges tuition of $2,095 per year for in-state students and $7,947 for out-of-state students. FSC at Jacksonville offers students financial aid assistance, grants, and scholarship opportunities.
6. Indian River State College
Online Bachelor Degree Options
Tuition: Indian River State College is an affordable college that charges $2,496 for in-state students and $9,360 for out-of-state colleges with average annual tuition at $3,966. The U.S. Department of Education’s College Scorecard indicates that Indian River State College’s tuition is 70% lower than other four-year institutions.
7. Eastern New Mexico University
Online Bachelor Degree Options
Tuition: Eastern New Mexico University charges tuition of $4,074 for in-state students and $6,114 for out-of-state students; Eastern New Mexico boasts of having not only the second lowest bachelor’s tuition but also offering one of the nation’s most affordable tuition rates. Students also can apply for scholarships through ENMU.
8. San Diego State University
Online Bachelor Degree Options
Tuition: San Diego State University offers tuition of $3,086 to $10,772 for in-state students and $4,086 for out-of-state students. Tuitions at San Diego State University vary depending on just residency but also the program itself.
9. Purdue Global
Online Bachelor Degree Options
Tuition: Purdue Global has a tuition rate of $280 per quarter credit hour. In addition to offering affordable tuition, Purdue Global also offers credit for life experiences, and any certifications students may have. Military personnel get a discount on their tuition.
10. Colorado State University Global
Online Bachelor Degree Options
Tuition: Colorado State University Global charges $8,400 per year, which is determined at 24 credits per year. Unlike many other colleges and universities, Colorado State University Global does not charge any student fees. They also guarantee that the tuition will not increase during the years students are earning their degrees.
11. Lindenwood University Online
Online Bachelor Degree Options
Tuition: Lindenwood University Online charges undergraduate students a tuition rate of $495 per credit hour. However, tuition rates may vary by program. While the initial credit hour fee may seem slightly high, LU Online offers students many ways to save money on their tuition, including financial aid assistance, scholarships, military discounts,
12. Louisiana State University Online
Online Bachelor Degree Options
Tuition: Louisiana State University (LSU) charges undergraduate students around $184 per credit hour. Although tuition rates may vary by program, there are no additional fees for out-of-state residents. LSU has the same tuition rates nationwide. LSU Online also offers students the option of paying as they go, which can make college much more affordable.
13. Florida Atlantic University
Online Bachelor Degree Options
Tuition: Florida Atlantic University not only offers many online bachelor degree programs but also offers some pretty affordable tuition as well as savings. Undergraduate in-state students pay about $2,522 per year. When the tuition fees at FAU were broken down more, they came to about $105 per credit hour for both in-state and undergraduate out-of-state students.
14. University of Maryland Global Campus
Online Bachelor Degree Options
Tuition: University of Maryland Global Campus charges tuition of $318 per credit for undergraduate students.
The university allows undergraduate students to transfer up to 90 credits. Students can take advantage of the grants, loans, scholarships, and financial aid offered through the school. To make the degree even more affordable they offer an interest-free monthly payment plan.
15. Western Governors University
Online Bachelor Degree Options
Tuition: Western Governors University offers tuition of $3,575 to $3,755 for six-month term. Tuition is the same for in-state and out-of-state students. Western Governors University boasts of having a flat-rate tuition that’s not only affordable but also not with additional fees added on. Their tuition rates are 48% lower than the national average according to a report by the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES).
Admissions Requirements
Online programs typically have fewer admission requirements than on-campus programs. However, they do still have admission requirements. Although they differ from school to school, here are some admission requirements you may find.
- Official transcripts from any schools attended
- GPA
- Entrance exam scores
- Submitted online application
- Letters of recommendation
- Personal essay
Why an Online Program?
There are many reasons why an individual might want to choose an online program. There are also many benefits to being in an online program.
- You can save money on fuel, meals, and lodging.
- You can save a lot of time by not having to commute to college every day.
- You can continue to work or meet other obligations while earning the degree.
- You can complete coursework at your convenience.
- You can decide how long it will take you to finish school.
Getting Started
If you’ve been considering earning a bachelor’s degree, you probably already know what you want your major to be. That’s the first step towards getting started. Earning a degree that you won’t use is a waste of time and money. So, make sure you know what you want to do after graduation. Finding the right online program is the next step.
Research as many schools as possible to find the schools that offer the courses you need to meet the requirements for the bachelor’s degree. Once you’ve found a variety of colleges that meet your needs, you can compare tuition and fees you’ll be expected to pay. One important fact to remember is to make sure the schools you choose are accredited. Accreditation can make a big difference when looking for a job. You don’t want to earn a degree that won’t benefit you as much as possible.