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, The Short List: Grad School and The Short List: Online Programs to find data that matter to you in your college or graduate school search.
For students deciding where they wish to pursue an online bachelor’s degree, tuition is typically a key factor.
Online education can help reduce overall costs for students, as they aren’t paying for room and board and usually don’t need to spend money traveling to and from campus. Students may also be able to save money by pursuing a bachelor’s degree at a public institution in their state.
[Understand why cheaper tuition isn’t a sure thing for online students at in-state schools.]
Among the 133 ranked public online bachelor’s degree programs that submitted data to U.S. News in an annual survey, the average cost for in-state students was about $286 per credit during the 2015-2016 school year. The average in-state total program cost was $34,892.
Fitchburg State University in Massachusetts topped the list of cheapest public online bachelor’s degree programs, costing only $40 per credit, U.S. News data show. With 120 credits required for graduation, the total tuition for its bachelor’s programs comes to $4,800. That figure does not include student fees.
The 10 online bachelor’s degree programs that had the lowest in-state tuition charged an average of $111 per credit, with an average total cost of about $13,420.
Online students should note that per-credit costs for bachelor’s degree programs can change each year.
[Discover more about paying for online education.]
Students living in Florida and North Carolina had multiple options among the online bachelor’s programs with the lowest in-state tuition. Three schools in each state made the list, as did two in Oklahoma.
Meanwhile, Temple University in Pennsylvania fell on the other end of the spectrum. It charged $752 per credit hour for its online bachelor’s programs — the highest of any school reporting that data to U.S. News. Students must complete 124 credits to graduate, bringing the total tuition to more than $93,000.
Below is a list of the online bachelor’s degree programs where in-state students had the lowest tuition for the 2015-2016 school year. Unranked schools, which did not meet certain criteria required by U.S. News to be numerically ranked, were not considered for this report. Total program cost does not take into account any forms of financial aid, scholarships or extra student fees.
| School (state) | Credits needed to graduate | In-state, per-credit cost | In-state, total cost | U.S. News rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fitchburg State University (MA) | 120 | $40 | $4,800 | 135 (tie) |
| Daytona State College (FL) | 120 | $92 | $11,040 | 7 (tie) |
| College of Coastal Georgia | 120 | $102 | $12,240 | RNP* |
| University of Central Florida | 120 | $105 | $12,600 | 20 (tie) |
| University of Florida | 120 | $112 | $13,440 | 11 (tie) |
| University of North Carolina–Pembroke | 120 | $126 | $15,120 | 212 (tie) |
| Western Carolina University (NC) | 120 | $128 | $15,360 | 72 (tie) |
| Appalachian State University (NC) | 120 | $134 | $16,080 | 212 (tie) |
| Cameron University (OK) | 124 | $132 | $16,368 | RNP |
| University of Oklahoma | 120 | $143 | $17,160 | 30 (tie) |
* RNP denotes an institution that is ranked in the bottom one-fourth of its ranking category. U.S. News calculates a rank for the school but has decided not to publish it.
U.S. News surveyed 300 public, private and for-profit schools for our 2016 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 Feb. 2, 2016.
More from U.S. News
4 Hidden Costs of Online Degrees
Cheaper Tuition Isn’t a Sure Thing for Online Students at In-State Schools
10 Cheapest Online Bachelor’s Programs for In-State Students originally appeared on usnews.com
