Skyrocketing tuition costs push more to online universities – here’s which are best
The skyrocketing cost of tuition has caused skyrocketing popularity in online degree programs. Since the year 1982, tuition has risen upwards of 400%. But for more than a decade now, distance education enrollments have been growing despite traditional enrollments continuing to decrease. Colleges and universities are constantly evolving to provide online options for their prospective students in order to stay relevant. Due to the competitive nature between institutions of higher education, they are all constantly striving to implement more programs, better quality programs, and perhaps most importantly, more affordable programs. BachelorsDegreeCenter.Org gave those schools recognition in a recent article titled, the 30 Cheapest Online Bachelor’s Degrees.
The article states that “one of the major benefits of online education is they tend to be more affordable and accessible than on-campus diplomas.” That couldn’t be truer. Today the average student at a public four-year university pays over $9,000; out-of-state students pay more than double that at $23,890 each year. Most online students at public colleges will only pay the in-state tuition rates and will see lower fees and cost of supplies because the material is entirely available online. These two factors can sometimes be viewed negatively when looked at separately, but they have come together to provide students with great opportunities as the reputation of online college grows and more students are looking to be frugal in pursuit of their academic goals.
The cheapest bachelor’s degree online can be earned at Clayton State University. The cost per credit is just $165, whereas the national average is almost $600 per credit. This university is situated on a beautiful campus in Morrow, Georgia; but, for students who choose to pursue their degree at a distance, there are many perks associated with that as well. All of the online degree programs are fully accredited and the majority of the coursework is presented asynchronously. Not only can students save money while investing in themselves, they can also do it entirely according to their schedules. There are 34 different majors to choose from at the bachelor’s level, and an additional 36 minors so students can add more depth to what they’re learning.
Even the most expensive school on the list still has costs below the national average at just $528 per credit. Oregon State University ranked 30th, and as the article states, it boasts over 20 online bachelor’s degrees. You can read the rest of the featured schools in descending order below:
30. Oregon State University (Corvallis, OR)
29. Valley City State University (Valley City, ND)
28. Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College (Saint Mary-of-the-Woods, IN)
27. University of West Georgia (Carrollton, GA)
26. Lee University (Cleveland, TN)
25. Bellevue University (Bellevue, NE)
24. Southeastern University (Lakeland, FL)
23. College of Coastal Georgia (Brunswick, GA)
22. Indiana University – Purdue University – Fort Wayne (Fort Wayne, IN)
21. Chadron State College (Chadron, NE)
20. The Baptist College of Florida (Graceville, FL)
19. Brigham Young University – Idaho (Rexburg, ID)
18. SUNY College of Technology at Canton (Canton, NY)
17. Indiana University-East (Richmond, IN)
16. Missouri State University (Springfield, MO)
15. The University of Texas of the Permian Basin (Odessa, TX)
14. Bemidji State University (Bemidji, MN)
13. Waldorf University (Forest City, IA)
12. The University of Maine at Augusta (Augusta, ME)
11. Peru State College (Peru, NE)
10. Athens State University (Athens, AL)
9. Southeast Missouri State University (Cape Girardeau, MO)
8. Western Governors University (Salt Lake City, UT)
7. Kennesaw State University (Kennesaw, GA)
6. Central Methodist University (Fayette, MO)
5. University of Alaska – Fairbanks (Fairbanks, AK)
4. Ohio University (Athens, OH)
3. Arkansas State University (Jonesboro, AR)
2. Fort Hays State University (Hays, KS)
1. Clayton State University (Morrow, GA)
