You found it – the only comprehensive, genuine, data-driven list of the cheapest online colleges for bachelor degrees in the USA. We applaud your research skills. The online learning steals and deals team at Get Educated researched and compared the sticker prices of 683 regionally accredited online bachelor degrees. We then compiled this special list of the cheapest online bachelor degrees just for you, the cost-shy consumer.
Where to Get the Cheapest Online Bachelor Degrees
Surprise, surprise, the majority of the cheapest online colleges are non-profit, public institutions. The University of Wyoming, Colorado State University, Macon State College – these guys have been helping traditional residential students get educated since the 1870s.
So why are these online bachelor degrees so cheap? Is there something wrong with them? Rest assured, the only thing “cheap” about any of these schools is their unbelievably low sticker price. Tuition is low for these colleges because you, and millions of your closest taxpayer friends, have already helped pay for these degrees. Public colleges and universities are heavily subsidized through the government mandated donation system otherwise known as your tax dollars. So go ahead, get educated on the cheap.
Online Learning Steals & Deals
These colleges offer online degrees on the cheap to all residents of the USA. You do NOT have to be a state “resident” to enjoy the low tuition and fees charged by online learning bachelor degree programs offered by state colleges in places like Wyoming, Georgia, Colorado, and Nebraska. In these states, where the cost of living remains low, the cost of a college degree likewise rings in well below the national average.
(Just so you know, the average cost for all 683 regionally accredited online bachelor degrees surveyed by Get Educated was around $45,000) This is a list of online degrees, not residential degrees. As such, our researchers factored in additional online learning and technology fees. We used the appropriate online learning cost structure to estimate the total cost of each online bachelor degree for you. (See cost breakdown and degree details by clicking on the options below.)
Cheapest Online Colleges for a Bachelor’s Degree
1. University of Wyoming (WY)
Cost: $16,080
Bachelor of Science in Business Administration
2. Colorado State University-Pueblo (CO)
Cost: $17,880
Bachelor of Science in Social Science
Bachelor of Science in Sociology
3. Fort Hays State University (KS)
Cost: $21,080–$21,576
Bachelor of Science in Tourism & Hospitality Management
Bachelor of Business Administration / Management
Bachelor of Business Administration in Management / Human Resources
Bachelor of Business Administration / Marketing
Bachelor of Business Administration / Management Information Systems
Bachelor of General Studies / Child Development
Bachelor of General Studies / Human Services
Bachelor of General Studies / Gerontology
4. Chadron State College (NE)
Cost: $22,800
Bachelor of Arts in Business Administration
5. Columbia Southern University (AL)
Cost: $24,000
Bachelor of Science in Healthcare Administration
Bachelor of Science in Human Resources Management
Bachelor of Science in Business Administration
6. Weber State University (UT)
Cost: $24,240
Bachelor of Science in Health Administrative Services
7. Western Governors University (UT)
Cost: $24,280
Bachelor of Science in Business Management
Bachelor of Science in Business / Human Resources Management
Bachelor of Science in Business / Information Technology Management
Bachelor of Science in Marketing Management
Bachelor of Science in Accounting
Bachelor of Science in Information Technology
Bachelor of Science in Health Information Management
8. Eastern Oregon University (OR)
Cost: $26,640
Bachelor of Science in Business Administration
9. Columbia College (MO)
Cost: $27,000
Bachelor of Science in Business Administration
Bachelor of Arts in Business Administration
Bachelor of Arts in Psychology
Bachelor of Arts in Sociology
Bachelor of Arts in Human Services
This list was first published July 2012. Check for updates to the official Get Educated list of the cheapest online bachelor degrees as time goes by. Our big online degree directory is constantly being updated, so results will vary over time. If we missed anyone, let our editors know!
About the Author: Vicky Phillips was cited in 2009 by US News & World Report as “for 20 years the leading consumer advocate for online college students.” In 1989 she designed America’s first online counseling center for distance learners on AOL. In 1998 she authored the first print guide to online graduate degrees – Best Distance Learning Graduate Schools put out by the Princeton Review. In 2001 she authored Never Too Late to Learn the Adult Student’s Guide to College.