FIND YOUR DEGREE

Updated March 24, 2021

Are you ready to find your fit?

DID YOU KNOWYou may be eligible for instate tuition with online degrees across the country.BEST VALUE PROGRAMS

COLLEGE RANKINGS

Top Colleges for a Cheap Online Degree The Best Online Community Colleges The Most Affordable Universities in America Cheapest Bachelor's Degrees The Best Affordable Online Colleges

HOW MUCH DOES COLLEGE COST?

These figures are for four year, undergraduate programs. The average cost of a two year Associate degree, according to the same source, was $8,734 a year. We focus on affordability and value in education. For example, see our top 10 cheap online degrees and reviews of the cheapest online degrees by major. For further exploration by major study area, spend some time exploring these pages:
Business & MBA Degrees Education & Teaching Degrees Criminal Justice & Legal Degrees Computer & IT Degrees Art & Design Degrees Health, Nursing, & Social Science Degrees Science & Engineering Degrees Psychology

Public Schools: $16,789

Average annual tuition, fees, and room and board for in-state undergraduate students at 4-year public institutions.

Private Schools: $33,716

Average annual tuition, fees, and room and board for undergraduate students at private not-for-profit and for-profit institutions.

Trend

$5,045: 10-year increase, public institutions (30%)
$4,476: 10-year increase, private institutions (13%)
* Source: NCES, 2011-2012 school year

BUSINESS

WHAT CONSTITUTES VALUE?

Defining the value of a college degree is in some ways a subjective process. What is valuable to one person may not be the same for someone else. Nonetheless, there are some objective measures that can be used in defining value in a college education.

In surveys of students, the ratio of faculty to students at a college often ranks high in terms of what they consider valuable. Most students also agree that a low price tag is not really the best indicator of value in a degree. Many students also say that the school environment, student clubs and organizations, and availability of financial aid are important factors in what they consider valuable in their education.

Another way to determine the value of a college education is by examining the Return on Investment (ROI) of the earned education-comparing the cost of obtaining the degree against the amount of income the degree holder can expect during his or her working life, as well as the projected job market for the profession. If you find an inexpensive program, get a degree, but then find that there are few jobs in the field, you have probably not really received good value for your educational investment. On the other hand, if you get a degree that costs a lot but gets you into a profession that has high demand and high salaries, you will be getting good value for the money you spent, even though it was costly. Of course, choosing a college major should also always include a consideration of your personal interests and talents. Getting a degree that lands you a high paying job that you hate is not really a good value either. If researching a university's ROI is a tool you would find useful in your college search, these links will be of great help.
Top-Ranked Public Universities With The Best ROI: Midwestern U.S. Region
Top-Ranked Public Universities With The Best ROI: Northeastern U.S. Region
Top-Ranked Public Universities With The Best ROI: Southern U.S. Region
Top-Ranked Public Universities With The Best ROI: Western U.S. Region
Top 25 Liberal Arts Colleges With the Best Return on Investment
Top 20 Ranked Up and Coming Universities With the Best Return on Investment (ROI)
Best Colleges for Veterans, Ranked by Return on Investment (ROI)
Top 25 Ranked Engineering Programs with the Best Return on Investment (ROI)
Top 25 Ranked Computer Science Programs with the Best Return on Investment (ROI)

EXAMPLES OF HIGH VALUE

Forbes magazine has investigated value in education using the criteria of the cost of different degrees and comparing it to the average salaries and job opportunities available to people with those degrees, using information from PayScale.com and the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Many of what they determine to be the most valuable degrees are in the sciences with biomedical engineering coming in at the top of the list.

Other degree types that Forbes found to be good value are as follows:

Business
Education
Software engineering
Environmental engineering
Petroleum engineering
Biochemistry
Applied Mathematics
Physics
Statistics

All of these fields are experiencing job growth rates far above average, and this trend is expected to continue over the next decade. Most of these professions also have more jobs available than there are graduates, giving degree holders a wide range of employment opportunities and high salaries.

Each year, U.S. News ranks colleges and universities on a wide range of factors related to value in education. Amongst the top ten in this year's rankings include the three below.

Amherst

Amherst College, Amherst, MA was at the top of the list with 57.1 percent of students receiving need-based financial aid and an average tuition cost of $15,557 per year after aid.

Cal Tech

California Institute of Technology in Pasadena, CA had 53.8 percent of students getting degrees with the help of financial assistance. The average cost after aid at Cal Tech was $21,732 per year.

Vassar

Vassar College in Poughkeepsie, NY had 66.4 percent of students
getting degrees with the help of financial aid. It had average tuition after aid of $19,640 annually.

VALUE IN ONLINE LEARNING

Online learning is expanding rapidly. Online, or distance learning, has many advantages over campus based, brick and mortar degree programs for many students when it comes to value. One advantage is that many online programs charge the same tuition for both in-state and out-of-state students. Check out our picks for top online colleges.30 Best Affordable Online CollegesBest online schools for your money Best Online CollegesThe all-out best in online education

If you study from home, you also save money on transportation, room and board, and some of the fees that are associated with campus learning. There is also considerable flexibility about when to study: You can listen to lectures and do course work on your own schedule without being restricted to the same time-slots that are part of taking classes at a campus, and online degree programs can often be entered at any time of the year without having to wait for the beginning of a semester or term to start. Distance learning also makes it easier for students to have a job while attaining a degrees. All of these factors make distance learning a good value for getting a college education. Here are a few examples of online colleges and their tuition rates.

Walden University

$580 per credit hour regardless of residency.

Colorado State University

$289 for in-state resident students and $1243 for out-of-state students per credit hour.

To make looking for online degrees easier, we've assembled a collection of Cheap Online Colleges and Degree Programs:

Cheap Online Colleges and Degree Programs

Example include:

Top 30 Cheap Online RN to BSN Degree Programs (Bachelor's)
Top 10 Cheap Online Economics Degree Programs (Bachelor's)
Top 10 Cheap Online Computer Programming Degree Programs (Bachelor's)
Top 7 Cheap Online Forensic Psychology Degree Programs (Bachelor's)
Top 6 Cheap Online Forensic Science Degree Programs (Bachelor's)
Top 10 Cheap Online Public Administration Degree Programs (Bachelor's)
A college or university degree is a sizable investment, and you want to be sure that you are getting your money's worth when deciding which degree to get and which school to attend. How much a college education will cost depends on the type of degree, the specific college or university, and, at public institutions, whether you are an in-state resident student or attending an institution out-of-state. Generally, the tuition cost for in-state students at public colleges is about one-half as much as the cost of attending an institution out-of-state.

WE ARE HERE TO HELP

Latest Rankings
Professional & Doctoral Programs

30 Best Medical Colleges In America
27 Most Affordable Online DNP Programs
4 Most Affordable Online PhD in Counseling Programs
3 Most Affordable Online Human Services PhD Programs
15 Most Affordable Online PhD in Healthcare Administration Programs
2 Most Affordable Online Doctorates in Gerontology

Humanities

20 Cheap Online Master's in General Studies
30 Best Colleges for Filmmaking and Media Production
30 Best Colleges for Photography

Business

13 Most Affordable Online Management Ph.D. Programs
4 Most Affordable Online DBA in Accounting Programs
2 Most Affordable Online DBA in Supply Chain and Logistics
6 Most Affordable Online Doctorates in HR
20 Most Affordable Online DBA Programs
6 Most Affordable Online PhD in Public Administration Programs
38 Cheap Online Master's in Data Science

Education

45 Most Affordable Online Master's in Ed Tech
14 Most Affordable Online EdD in Curriculum Instruction Programs
2 Most Affordable Online EdD in English Language Learning

Computer Science

33 Most Affordable Online Master's in Computer Science Programs
23 Most Affordable Online Master's in MIS Programs

College Life

30 Best Colleges for Minorities
30 Best Colleges for an Enjoyable Career
30 Best Colleges for Study-Life Balance
30 Amazing Campus Renovation Project
30 Colleges Emphasizing a Low-Stress Experience
30 Great Colleges in Creative Cities
30 Best Colleges for International Students
30 Best Colleges for an Education Degree
30 Best Colleges for Media & Video Communication Degrees
30 Best College Professors

Get prepared for your next steps

Use articles and resources to uncover answers to common questions, get guidance on your goals, and learn about applying to schools.

Discover a program that is right for you.

Explore different options for you based on your degree interests.