The Cost of Online College Courses: Closer to Traditional School Fees Than Many Expect

There’s alot of misunderstanding about the cost of online college courses, and about the real tuition for and associate, undergraduate, graduate and even doctoral degrees in general. 

There are lots of shortcuts available if you want a fake degree from a “diploma mill” or a non-accredited online school. But if you want to study at a real quality school, you may be surprised to find that individual distance learning courses cost about the same as traditional classes.
Click To See a List Of Most Moderately-Priced Online Colleges and Universities

The total tuition you'll pay for an online degree, in fact, may be exactly the same as what you'd pay at a "brick and mortar" college for four years. But you'll get a big financial benefit from the fact that you'll live at home while studying. Students at traditional colleges have to budget tens of thousands of dollars for room and board over four years, especially if their school is in a major city.

You also tend to pay for online learning on a “per-course” basis. That’s important, because it gives you flexibility to stretch out your schedule if events in your life make it necessary. In most cases, when a full-time student at a traditional school doesn’t complete the required credits within four years, he or she has to pay for every additional semester needed to finish the degree.

If you study at a state school, you may also get a unique benefit from the "distance" in distance education. Most state colleges and universities charge a huge premium (sometimes almost double the basic tuition) for on-campus students who are not residents of their particular state. There's almost never a premium charged to out-of-state e-learners.

Cost differences: Traditional and Distance Learning:
Most three credit-hour courses online run from $700 to $900 - a charge that's roughly comparable to the fees at most mid-range traditional schools. That means that a full online degree, including textbooks and other supplies needed, will probably require an investment of about $7,500 per semester, or about $30,000 total. Certificate programs, even at a fairly high professional level, can cost less because they involve fewer courses. For example, a certificate degree in supervisory skills at Cornell eLearning, a top school, currently costs about $5,000. It requires 11 courses.

There are several ways to defray this cost. If you are employed, particularly by a mid to large-sized company, you may be able to get a the company to fund some or even all of the cost of online college courses. The federal government, which has traditionally given grants only to on-campus students, has shown more flexibility in recent years about giving financial aid to online students. (Read more about smart ways to pay for your online education

Don't wait until the last minute before finding out what your credit hours will cost. Many schools charge late application fees, late payment fees and other charges to people who apply just before school starts. You can keep your degree affordable by learning about "hidden charges" like graduation fees and other charges that don't seem to make sense before signing on to your online school.

Baker College With a cost per credit of $210., it's possible to do a 120 credit program at Baker College for less than $26,000. That makes it one of the lowest-cost online schools in the U.S., with a solid accreditation from the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools. Baker offers a nice variety of associates degrees in varied specialties of
- Associates in Human Resource Mgt, Accounting, Business, Marketing, Web Design & more
- Bachelor of Business Administration, Accounting, Computer Science specialties, Health Services & more
- BS Psychology
- BS Criminal Justice
- BS Nursing
- Certificate in Web Development
- Also many MBA programs
Get information on Baker College Online

California Coast University With fee of $150. per credit, a 126 total credit bachelor degree can be completed for at one of the lowest costs possible. This 18-year old school offers 100% online courses to about 8,000 students from its headquarters in Santa Ana, CA. A number of cost reductions can be obtained through credit transfer, discounts or fee waivers. School offers bachelors degrees in business, education & teaching, health administration and criminal justice, as well as master's degrees in teaching and education.
Get information on California Coast University Online

American Sentinel University offers bachelor degrees at exceptionally low rates, particularly if you have any previous credits to transfer in. Their bachelor of science degree programs focus on computer science, with specializations in information technology, information systems security, game programming, geographic information systems and web design & development. Also has one of the lowest-cost nursing RN to BSN online degree programs available anywhere.
Get Free Information on American Sentinel University

Western Governors University A unique non-profit university that's 100% online, and has grown very rapidly since it was started in 1999. Two reasons for it's growth are it's good accreditation and very low tuition rates. WGU charges flat rates and not cost per credit. Tuition is less than $3,000. per term for most programs, and under $4,500. per term for nursing and MBA degree programs. Offers almost 50 different online degrees in:
- Nursing
- Education & teaching
- Computers & IT
- Business
School specializes in bachelor's and masters degrees.
Get information on Western Governors University

Walden University Readers are sometimes surprised to find a "big name" online school on this list. Walden University is an accredited institution with over 40 years of experience and more than 40,000 students. It offers over 60 online degree programs with more than 300 specializations and concentrations, including:
- Business
- Criminal Justice
- Education and Leadership
- Nursing
- Health Sciences
- Psychology
Get free information on Walden University

Southern New Hampshire University SNHU is an 80 year old private school recently lauded by Fast Company as one of few not-for-profit schools that are "truly up to speed online." Credit hour costs are very moderate, and the school has good student retention rates. Many degrees are offered on an accelerated basis. Southern New Hampshire University offers a very wide range of online degree programs:
- Accounting (several BA and MBA degrees)
- MBA (40 different MBA programs)
- Business (many BA degrees)
- Psychology
- IT & Computer Tech (bachelor & masters degrees in database, security, game development & other specialties)
Get information on Southern New Hampshire University

Getting Financial Aid For Your Online Degree
Paying For Your Degree - where to start looking for financial aid.
How Much Financial Aid Will You Need?
Finding A Scholarship - where to start your search for the "free money."
Getting Your Employer To Pay For School
Government Loans - they're definately available for online learners.
Smart Grants and Perkins Loans - some programs you may never have heard of can help you pay for school.
Private Loans For College