The U.S. News Short List, separate from our overall rankings, is a regular series that magnifies individual data points in hopes of providing students and parents a way to find which undergraduate or graduate programs excel or have room to grow in specific areas. Be sure to explore The Short List: College and The Short List: Grad School to find data that matter to you in your college or grad school search.
When it comes to choosing an online program, cost is one of the top concerns for prospective students.
Many assume that online education is cheaper than heading off to a traditional campus, though that’s not always the case. Still, online students have the financial benefit of avoiding commuting costs and keeping their day jobs while in school.
While the cost of online bachelor’s programs varies, students who spend time researching can find options that are easier on the bank account than others.
Decipher the [true cost of your online degree.]
At North Dakota’s Valley City State University, for example, out-of-state online students pay $168 per credit in 2014-2015. Assuming students took all of the 120 credits needed to graduate at the school, their total program cost would be $20,160, the cheapest of all 126 ranked public online bachelor’s programs that reported data to U.S. News in an annual survey.
At the 10 least expensive public online bachelor’s programs, per-credit costs for out-of-state students range from $168 to $225. The total cost of a degree at those schools, all located in the South or Midwest, is less than $28,000 in 2014-2015.
While that cost is on the low end, students likely pay even less for their online education. Many online bachelor’s students enter with some credits already applied toward their degrees, so their costs are often lower than a program’s full price tag.
Online students should also realize that per-credit costs change over time, so if students take several years to complete a degree, they may end up paying more. Students paying out-of-state tuition at the 10 cheapest public online bachelor’s programs pay well below average for their education. Among the 126 ranked programs that reported data to U.S. News, the average total program cost was $53,881.
Explore [the hidden costs of online degrees.]
Below are the 10 least expensive public online bachelor’s programs for out-of-state students based on per-credit costs and the number of required credits. The total program cost doesn’t take into account any scholarships or other forms of student aid, nor does it include any of the extra fees that schools may charge.
Schools labeled RNP, or Rank Not Published, fell in the bottom one-fourth of their ranking category. U.S. News calculates numerical ranks for RNP schools, but does not publish them. Unranked schools, which did not meet certain criteria required by U.S. News to be numerically ranked, were not considered for this report.
| School (state) | Out-of-state cost per credit | Credits needed to graduate | Out-of-state total cost | U.S. News rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Valley City State University (ND) | $168 | 120 | $20,160 | 111 |
| Fort Hays State University (KS) | $187 | 124 | $23,188 | 16 |
| Mayville State University (ND) | $200 | 120 | $24,000 | 211 |
| Sam Houston State University (TX) | $204 | 120 | $24,480 | 68 |
| Minot State University (ND) | $206 | 120 | $24,720 | 142 |
| Lamar University (TX) | $208 | 120 | $24,960 | 47 |
| Georgia Southern University | $199 | 126 | $25,074 | 107 |
| Texas Tech University | $213 | 120 | $25,560 | RNP |
| Georgia College & State University | $232 | 120 | $27,840 | 125 |
| Emporia State University (KS) | $225 | 124 | $27,900 | RNP |
School officials can access historical data and rankings, including of peer institutions, via U.S. News Academic Insights.
U.S. News surveyed 297 public, private and for-profit schools for our 2015 Best Online Bachelor’s Programs rankings. Schools reported myriad data regarding their academic programs and the makeup of their student body, among other areas, making U.S. News’ data the most accurate and detailed collection of college facts and figures of its kind. While U.S. News uses much of these survey data to rank schools for our annual Best Online Bachelor’s Programs rankings, the data can also be useful when examined on a smaller scale. U.S. News will now produce lists of data, separate from the overall rankings, meant to provide students and parents a means to find which schools excel, or have room to grow, in specific areas that are important to them. These data are specific to schools’ online bachelor’s degree program offerings and have no influence over U.S. News’ Best Colleges rankings assessing traditional bachelor’s programs. The tuition data above are correct as of Jan. 8, 2015.
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10 Cheapest Online Bachelor’s Programs for Out-of-State Students originally appeared on usnews.com
