While the rate of disease developed from mental illness and disabilities in the United States has increased, so has the need for professionals with the ability to observe, research, diagnose, and treat. Psychologists are among the helpers in a world where unseen ailments can be overlooked or written off as systems of acting out, bad attitudes, and other dissociative reactions. By exploring an online master’s in psychology, aspiring students are qualifying themselves for industrial, organizational, and forensic career settings.
For those who are interested in pursuing licensure to work in school, clinical, or private practice settings, an online master’s in psychology is a step towards a qualifying factor, a doctorate in psychology. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the median annual pay in 2019 for industrial and organizational psychologists was a lucrative $92,880 with a faster-than-average job outlook of 12.3% over the next 8 years. With this credential, students open up a variety of career paths in business, criminal justice, healthcare, and more.
GetEducated has surveyed 73 schools offering 153 accredited online master’s in psychology programs to create this “Best Buy” list for you. With the difference in tuition prices of the most expensive and most economical programs reaching upwards of $85,000, it is important to choose a program that not only meets academic and professional goals, but also fits into your budget. Explore every option before taking the next step in a professional psychology career.
Average Cost (In-state): ~$30,800
Least Expensive: Angelo State University ~$13,639.20
Most Expensive: Pepperdine University ~$98,270
Our data-driven research creates a truly reliable system of scientific rankings. There are no fancy formulas here. We meticulously calculate total full-time tuition—including any fees—for the most accurate total cost. Our rankings cannot be bought, and therefore factually showcase the cheapest online master’s in psychology options. The online psychology degrees listed above the gray dividing line are official 2020 “Best Buys” and cost less than the national average.
54 Most Affordable Online Master’s in Psychology
| Rank | School / Degree | State | Price | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Angelo State University | (TX) | $13,639.20 $28,831.20 | In-State Out-of-State |
2 | Union Commonwealth University | (KY) | $14,400.00 | All Students |
3 | Indiana Wesleyan University | (IN) | $14,700.00 $11,025.00 | In-State/Out-of-State Military |
4 | Life University | (GA) | $14,966.00 | All Students |
5 | Ball State University | (IN) | $15,258.00 $22,155.00 | In-State Out-of-State |
6 | Southeast Missouri State University | (MO) | $15,330.00 | All Students |
7 | Life University | (GA) | $15,556.00 | All Students |
8 |  American Public University System | (WV) | $15,625.00 $10,100.00 | In-State/Out-of-State Military |
9 |  University of West Alabama | (AL) | $15,719.00 | All Students |
10 | Indiana Institute of Technology | (IN) | $17,045.00 | All Students |
11 | University of Idaho | (ID) | $17,520.00 | All Students |
12 | CUNY Graduate School and University Center - School of Professional Studies | (NY) | $17,630.00 | All Students |
13 | University of North Dakota | (ND) | $17,664.90 | All Students |
14 | University of Louisiana at Monroe | (LA) | $18,000.00 | All Students |
15 | Touro University Worldwide | (CA) | $18,200.00 | All Students |
16 | Park University | (MO) | $19,265.00 $13,985.00 | In-State/Out-of-State Military |
17 | Austin Peay State University | (TN) | $19,827.10 $27,477.10 | In-State Out-of-State |
18 | University of Kansas | (KS) | $21,000.00 | All Students |
19 | Tiffin University | (OH) | $21,150.00 | All Students |
20 |  Liberty University | (VA) | $21,236.00 $10,000.00 | In-State/Out-of-State Military |
21 | Adler Graduate School | (MN) | $21,565.00 | All Students |
22 | Marian University | (WI) | $21,600.00 | All Students |
23 | Los Angeles Pacific University | (CA) | $21,680.00 $19,520.00 | In-State/Out-of-State Military |
24 | Eastern Kentucky University | (KY) | $21,846.00 $10,725.00 | In-State/Out-of-State Military |
25 | Eastern Kentucky University | (KY) | $21,996.00 $11,700.00 | In-State/Out-of-State Military |
26 | Bellevue University | (NE) | $22,060.00 | All Students |
27 | Prescott College | (AZ) | $22,568.00 | All Students |
28 |  Southern New Hampshire University | (NH) | $22,722.00 $17,070.00 | In-State/Out-of-State Military |
29 | Kansas State University | (KS) | $22,769.60 | All Students |
30 | Saint Leo University | (FL) | $23,825.00 | All Students |
31 | Lynn University | (FL) | $24,050.00 | All Students |
32 | LeTourneau University | (TX) | $24,135.00 | All Students |
33 | Franklin University | (OH) | $24,205.00 $19,381.00 | In-State/Out-of-State Military |
34 |  George Mason University | (VA) | $24,360.00 | All Students |
35 | Fielding Graduate University | (CA) | $24,545.00 | All Students |
36 | Russell Sage College | (NY) | $24,755.00 | All Students |
37 | Florida National University | (FL) | $25,340.00 | All Students |
38 | Baker College | (MI) | $25,420.00 $13,612.00 | In-State/Out-of-State Military |
39 | Nova Southeastern University | (FL) | $25,920.00 | All Students |
40 | Walden University | (MN) | $26,480.00 $22,628.00 | In-State/Out-of-State Military |
41 |  National University | (CA) | $26,940.00 $18,900.00 | In-State/Out-of-State Military |
42 | National University | (CA) | $27,170.00 $18,980.00 | In-State/Out-of-State Military |
43 | National University | (CA) | $27,320.00 $19,130.00 | In-State/Out-of-State Military |
44 | University of Houston-Victoria Master of Arts in Forensic Psychology 14 | (TX) | $27,647.76 $54,233.76 | In-State Out-of-State |
45 | National University | (CA) | $27,730.00 $19,390.00 | In-State/Out-of-State Military |
46 | National University | (CA) | $27,880.00 $19,540.00 | In-State/Out-of-State Military |
47 | National Louis University | (IL) | $27,924.00 | All Students |
48 | Roosevelt University | (IL) | $28,440.00 | All Students |
49 | Regent University | (VA) | $28,525.00 $21,943.80 | In-State/Out-of-State Military |
50 | Colorado State University | (CO) | $29,360.00 | All Students |
51 | Divine Mercy University | (VA) | $29,628.00 | All Students |
52 | Nova Southeastern University | (FL) | $30,660.00 | All Students |
53 | Medaille College (School Closed) Master of Arts in Psychology 14 Master of Arts in Psychology / Sports Psychology 14 | (NY) | $30,750.00 $29,220.00 | In-State/Out-of-State Military |
54 | Bay Path University | (MA) | $30,780.00 | All Students |
| School / Degree | State | Price | Note | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Albizu University | (FL) | $31,223.00 | All Students | |
Daemen University | (NY) | $31,282.00 | All Students | |
William James College | (MA) | $31,410.00 | All Students | |
William James College | (MA) | $32,290.00 | All Students | |
Saint Elizabeth University | (NJ) | $32,531.00 | All Students | |
Sofia University | (CA) | $32,725.00 | All Students | |
Adler University | (IL) | $32,744.00 | All Students | |
Mercy College | (NY) | $32,956.00 | All Students | |
William James College | (MA) | $33,360.00 | All Students | |
Saint Cloud State University | (MN) | $33,379.10 | All Students | |
Bay Path University | (MA) | $34,320.00 | All Students | |
Walden University | (MN) | $34,825.00 $29,769.30 | In-State/Out-of-State Military | |
Northeastern University | (MA) | $35,580.00 | All Students | |
University of Massachusetts Global Master of Arts in Psychology / Marriage & Family Therapy 14 | (CA) | $39,600.00 $24,000.00 | In-State/Out-of-State Military | |
Southwestern Assemblies of God University | (TX) | $41,320.00 | All Students | |
University of Massachusetts Global Master of Arts in Psychology / Professional Clinical Counseling 14 | (CA) | $41,580.00 $25,200.00 | In-State/Out-of-State Military | |
Naropa University | (CO) | $42,550.00 | All Students | |
The Chicago School | (TX) | $43,343.00 | All Students | |
Palo Alto University | (CA) | $43,809.00 | All Students | |
The Chicago School | (TX) | $44,541.00 | All Students | |
Drexel University | (PA) | $45,477.00 $42,454.50 | In-State/Out-of-State Military | |
University of Massachusetts Global Master of Arts in Psychology / Marriage & Family Therapy & PPC 14 | (CA) | $45,540.00 $27,600.00 | In-State/Out-of-State Military | |
Simmons University | (MA) | $45,645.00 | All Students | |
Meridian University | (CA) | $46,166.00 | All Students | |
Golden Gate University | (CA) | $46,305.00 $20,475.00 | In-State/Out-of-State Military | |
The Chicago School | (TX) | $48,135.00 | All Students | |
Pepperdine University | (CA) | $50,720.00 | All Students | |
John F Kennedy University Master of Arts in Sport Psychology 14 | (CA) | $54,660.00 | All Students | |
Pepperdine University | (CA) | $57,060.00 | All Students | |
The Chicago School | (TX) | $58,917.00 | All Students | |
Alliant International University | (CA) | $59,440.00 | All Students | |
University of Southern California | (CA) | $65,552.00 | All Students | |
The Chicago School | (TX) | $72,095.00 | All Students | |
Pepperdine University | (CA) | $98,270.00 | All Students |
14 Options for this program have changed since publication.
Accreditation Note: To qualify for a ranking, the online master’s in psychology program must be regionally accredited. Additional programmatic accreditation is noted in the rank table.
NASAC National Addiction Studies Accreditation Commission
Rankings Note: These online college rankings are based on a GetEducated Summer 2020 review of regionally accredited online master’s in psychology. Total cost includes full-time tuition and fees and was valid at the time of collection and specific to the online learning program. School profiles for the Request More Information in our directory may reflect a slightly different cost based on different editorial update schedules. The published cost is an estimated sticker price for the entire online degree including fees. Actual costs may vary by student. Factors such as transfer credits, prerequisite courses, professional licensing and financial aid availability will affect final cost.
Editorial Note: Online schools do NOT pay to be included in any GetEducated online degree ranking. These rankings are editorially independent, open to any regionally accredited or candidate college that offers a master’s degree that is available at least 80 percent through online learning and that is open to enrollment by the public. If your online college is regionally accredited and not currently reviewed by GetEducated, please contact us for inclusion.
These rankings of the cheapest online schools for psychology may NOT be re-posted online or reprinted in any format without a license from GetEducated ®. Consumer finance bloggers and writers can contact our editors for a free custom article on the best online master’s in psychology for use on your website. Our mission: Help consumers GetEducated ® about the best online colleges for cost and credibility.