Cheapest Colleges for Online-Only Students

College students have had access to distance learning (a form of online education) at for-profit private schools for quite some time, but more traditional institutions are now offering it as an option. Removing room-and-board costs can cut expenses dramatically, especially at public colleges that already have lower tuition rates than their private counterparts.

To better understand how students can benefit financially from distance learning, Student Loan Hero analysts compiled a list of bachelor’s degree-granting schools where at least 1% of the student body is enrolled exclusively in distance learning. Researchers then ranked the cheapest schools with online-only options. In total, there are 81 online-only options where students can expect to spend less than $5,000 a year for a distance education.

Key findings

• Students can expect to spend less than $5,000 a year for online-only learning at 81 degree-granting schools. However, all but four of these schools are public schools, where out-of-state students would typically have to pay more to attend.
• California offers residents the cheapest options for distance learning. The nine most affordable degree-granting colleges where at least 1% of the student body is enrolled exclusively for distance learning are public schools in California. North Dakota, Texas, Arizona, Florida and Colorado also have colleges among the top 25.
• Schools that only offer online-only options toward a bachelor’s degree charge less than half, on average, for tuition and fees. The average tuition and fees for online-only schools is $9,295, compared with $21,233 for all degree-granting institutions.
• In the 2020-21 academic year, an average of 37.2% of students opted for or were limited to online-only classes at traditional public schools where distance programs and/or courses were available. Another 42.1% took at least some classes online.
• While 49.1% of students at public schools earn their bachelor’s degree within six years, that number drops to 33% for public schools with only online options. At private nonprofits, 53.7% graduate within six years, but only 32% at schools that only offer distance learning.

Cheapest schools for online-only college

There are 81 higher education institutions where online-only students can study for less than $5,000 a year, on average. These are degree-granting schools where at least 1% of the student body is enrolled exclusively for distance learning — which means community colleges and other similar institutions can make the list if they offer at least one bachelor’s degree option.

Where online-only students can study for less than $5,000 a year
Rank	Institution name	State	Published in-district tuition and fees (2020-21)	Cost of books and supplies (2020-21)	Total
1	Antelope Valley College	CA	$1,124	$900	$2,024
2	San Diego Mesa College	CA	$1,144	$1,080	$2,224
3	MiraCosta College	CA	$1,152	$1,080	$2,232
4	Shasta College	CA	$1,187	$1,080	$2,267
5	West Los Angeles College	CA	$1,238	$1,080	$2,318
6	Modesto Junior College	CA	$1,270	$1,080	$2,350
7	Rio Hondo College	CA	$1,360	$1,080	$2,440
8	Bakersfield College	CA	$1,418	$1,080	$2,498
9	Feather River College	CA	$1,465	$1,080	$2,545
10	Turtle Mountain Community College*	ND	$2,250	$400	$2,650
11	Odessa College	TX	$2,280	$522	$2,802
12	Dallas College	TX	$2,370	$440	$2,810
12	Diné College	AZ	$1,410	$1,400	$2,810
14	Tallahassee Community College	FL	$2,026	$800	$2,826
15	Santa Monica College	CA	$1,148	$1,746	$2,894
16	Cypress College	CA	$1,146	$1,971	$3,117
17	Santa Ana College	CA	$1,160	$1,970	$3,130
18	Solano Community College	CA	$1,168	$1,970	$3,138
19	Colorado Mountain College	CO	$2,340	$840	$3,180
20	Pensacola State College	FL	$2,364	$900	$3,264
21	Santa Fe College	FL	$2,563	$783	$3,346
22	Collin College	TX	$1,624	$1,800	$3,424
23	Gulf Coast State College	FL	$2,370	$1,056	$3,426
24	Brazosport College	TX	$2,401	$1,125	$3,526
25	Foothill College	CA	$1,563	$1,971	$3,534
26	San Jacinto College	TX	$1,872	$1,668	$3,540
27	Grayson College	TX	$2,702	$1,000	$3,702
28	Valencia College	FL	$2,474	$1,266	$3,740
29	Austin Community College District	TX	$2,550	$1,200	$3,750
30	Indian River State College	FL	$2,764	$1,000	$3,764
31	Oglala Lakota College	SD	$2,684	$1,200	$3,884
32	Chipola College	FL	$3,120	$800	$3,920
33	Bay Mills Community College	MI	$3,320	$700	$4,020
34	Sinclair Community College	OH	$3,195	$840	$4,035
35	Eastern Florida State College	FL	$2,496	$1,600	$4,096
36	College of Central Florida	FL	$2,710	$1,400	$4,110
37	Truckee Meadows Community College	NV	$2,862	$1,318	$4,180
38	St. Johns River State College	FL	$2,830	$1,378	$4,208
39	Galveston College	TX	$2,290	$1,938	$4,228
40	Tyler Junior College	TX	$2,962	$1,300	$4,262
41	Florida State College at Jacksonville	FL	$2,878	$1,400	$4,278
42	St. Petersburg College	FL	$2,682	$1,600	$4,282
43	South Georgia State College	GA	$3,310	$978	$4,288
44	Grace Mission University*	CA	$3,120	$1,200	$4,320
45	Miami Dade College	FL	$2,838	$1,500	$4,338
46	College of Southern Idaho	ID	$3,360	$990	$4,350
47	Florida Gateway College	FL	$3,100	$1,271	$4,371
48	South Florida State College	FL	$3,165	$1,220	$4,385
49	North Florida College	FL	$3,054	$1,400	$4,454
50	Midland College	TX	$2,730	$1,729	$4,459
51	Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College	GA	$3,565	$900	$4,465
52	Elizabeth City State University	NC	$3,260	$1,240	$4,500
53	Lorain County Community College	OH	$3,745	$784	$4,529
54	Georgia Highlands College	GA	$3,344	$1,200	$4,544
55	Seminole State College of Florida	FL	$3,131	$1,430	$4,561
56	Northwest Florida State College	FL	$3,133	$1,440	$4,573
57	State College of Florida, Manatee-Sarasota	FL	$3,074	$1,500	$4,574
58	East Georgia State College	GA	$3,136	$1,440	$4,576
59	Pasco-Hernando State College	FL	$3,155	$1,440	$4,595
60	Sioux Falls Seminary*	SD	$3,600	$1,000	$4,600
61	University of Hawaii Maui College	HI	$3,278	$1,340	$4,618
62	The College of the Florida Keys	FL	$3,276	$1,413	$4,689
63	Brigham Young University-Idaho*	ID	$4,300	$400	$4,700
64	Lone Star College	TX	$2,160	$2,550	$4,710
65	University of Florida Online	FL	$3,876	$890	$4,766
66	Henry Ford College	MI	$3,208	$1,584	$4,792
67	Clark College	WA	$3,957	$870	$4,827
68	Bellingham Technical College	WA	$3,915	$930	$4,845
69	Spokane Community College	WA	$3,727	$1,134	$4,861
69	Spokane Falls Community College	WA	$3,727	$1,134	$4,861
71	Bellevue College	WA	$3,958	$930	$4,888
72	Western Carolina University	NC	$4,285	$616	$4,901
73	Daytona State College	FL	$3,106	$1,800	$4,906
74	Snow College	UT	$3,912	$1,000	$4,912
75	Great Basin College	NV	$3,248	$1,670	$4,918
75	Seattle Central College	WA	$4,053	$865	$4,918
77	Atlanta Metropolitan State College	GA	$3,505	$1,440	$4,945
78	Western Nevada College	NV	$3,548	$1,400	$4,948
79	Skagit Valley College	WA	$4,000	$960	$4,960
80	University of North Carolina at Pembroke	NC	$3,456	$1,505	$4,961
81	Lower Columbia College	WA	$4,068	$930	$4,998
A * signifies the school is a private nonprofit (the rest are public) Source: Student Loan Hero analysis of data from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS). The list was limited to schools that reported tuition and other costs, that offer bachelor’s degrees and where at least 1% of the student body was enrolled in distance-only classes in the 2020-21 school year.

California offers residents the best variety of low-priced options for distance learning. The Golden State is home to the nine most affordable degree-granting schools (all public) where at least 1% of the student body is enrolled exclusively for distance learning. Let’s examine the three cheapest colleges for online-only students:

• Antelope Valley College: This Lancaster-based community college offers a bachelor’s degree in airframe manufacturing technology. This program prepares students to produce the structural components of aircraft, both civilian and military.
• San Diego Mesa College: This San Diego community college offers a bachelor’s degree in health information management. Future career options range from coding management to data analysis to compliance coordination.
• MiraCosta College: This community college, which has campuses in Oceanside and Cardiff, offers one bachelor’s degree in biomanufacturing. The program is available to students who’ve received an associate degree in biomanufacturing at the college or completed equivalent coursework elsewhere.

These three colleges are part of a bachelor’s degree pilot program authorized by the California Community Colleges Board of Governors, which helps explain why the community colleges appear on the list of bachelor’s degree-granting schools. In fact, 14 of the 15 schools within the pilot program appear on the list, all within the top 25.

North Dakota, Texas, Arizona, Florida and Colorado also have colleges among the top 25 cheapest institutions where online-only students can study for less than $5,000 a year.

Online-only options = far cheaper

Colleges that solely offer online-only classes tend to charge less than half for tuition and fees than other schools that offer both distance learning and in-person instruction.

While the average tuition and fees for online-only schools is $9,295, the average for degree-granting institutions overall is $21,233 — which could require a decent amount of public and/or private student loans. However, if you choose to attend a public school, the average price difference between an online-only school and all public institutions isn’t substantial — $7,050 (online-only) versus $8,305 (public schools overall).

However, private nonprofits without in-person options charge 3.5 times less, on average, than all private nonprofits — $8,289 (exclusively distance learning) versus $29,277 (private nonprofits overall). At private for-profits, it’s $10,990 — on average — for online-exclusive institutions, compared with $17,126 for all such institutions.

Average published tuition and fees (in district)
	Public	Private nonprofit	Private for-profit	Total
No distance learning programs	$5,000	$27,017	$19,501	$25,031
Exclusively distance learning	$7,050	$8,289	$10,990	$9,295
All degree-granting institutions	$8,305	$29,277	$17,126	$21,233

Student Loan Hero senior writer Andrew Pentis says these price differences come down to a few primary factors.

First, schools, both public and private, are businesses with overhead. While online-only programs have expenses that a brick-and-mortar school doesn’t — such as increased technological infrastructure to support a digital learning environment — they’ll generally have less overhead. Without a physical campus, as an example, there are a host of expenses that these online-only schools skip altogether.

A second factor to consider is competition. Online-only colleges — as well as web coding bootcamps and the like — are still competing against each other to stand out from the pack.

“Think of it this way,” says Pentis. “Is there a Harvard or a Yale of online-only colleges yet? Probably not, right? So these online-only schools are still competing for perception, reputation and the eventual mantle of being considered prestigious.”

Traditional schools increase online-only offerings amid pandemic

The coronavirus pandemic has had a clear impact on traditional schools since the start of the crisis.

During the 2020-21 academic year, an average of 37.2% of students either chose to or were required to attend online-only classes at traditional public schools where distance programs and/or courses were available, with an additional 42.1% taking at least some classes online.

When it comes to private nonprofits with online programs and/or courses, 25% did all their classes online, while 35% did some of them online. At their for-profit counterparts, 42.9% enrolled online exclusively, while another 31.7% took some courses online.

It’s too soon to tell whether the schools that offered online-only coursework for the first time will continue to do so, as it’s unclear how the pandemic will affect colleges over the long term. However, a pleasant byproduct of that health crisis was that more traditional schools began to offer online-only options for students, which they’ll hopefully choose to continue in the future.

Still, some students have complained they were pushed to online classes because of COVID-19, but weren’t granted discounts for what they consider a subpar learning experience. Some opted — or were required — to live on campus during the school year, even as they did all or much of their work online.

“It’s certainly logical for students to feel shortchanged,” Pentis says.

He explains that students agreed to pay a cost per credit for in-person instruction and all of its advantages — more intimate one-on-one time with professors or collaboration with classmates, for instance — and now they were suddenly being asked to pay the same price for fewer of those benefits.

“I think it’s fair to expect that future students will have the option at colleges and universities to pay smaller amounts for online courses,” Pentis says. “Not all courses should be priced the same.”

Unfortunately, Pentis doesn’t think we’ll be seeing tuition drops anytime soon, which will only add to the U.S. student loan debt burden.

“Like all businesses during the pandemic, schools have seen their bottom line hurt,” Pentis says. “As for whether schools are interested in online education or charging less for it, I think they’re interested in whatever mutually benefits their school operations, as well as the learning experience of their students.”

Graduation rates far lower at online-only schools

The graduation data shows that price differences aren’t the only distinctions among the type of schools.

Almost half of students at public schools (49.1%) earn their bachelor’s degree within six years, but that number drops to 33% for public schools with only online options. When it comes to private nonprofits, 53.7% graduate within six years, but only 32% do so at schools that only offer distance learning.

These six-year graduation rates drop at private-for-profits schools (29.8%) and continue to decline at private for-profit schools with exclusively distance learning options (14.1%).

Percentage of students who earn a bachelor’s degree in 6 years
	Public	Private Nonprofit	Private for-profit	Total
No distance learning programs	38.7%	52.8%	37.1%	50.9%
Exclusively distance learning	33.0%	32.0%	14.1%	22.0%
All degree-granting institutions	49.1%	53.7%	29.8%	50.3%

While it’s clear that students at online-only institutions are far less likely to graduate in four years (or six), at least part of that is likely because people with barriers to college attendance and completion seek out those programs in a failed attempt to ameliorate them.

For example, someone working full time while supporting a family might opt for online schooling as the only way to squeeze classes into their schedule, but those scheduling pressures might still prevent them from finishing their schooling. Similarly, lower acceptance standards may mean a higher rate of students who aren’t properly equipped to complete a degree, even in a less rigorous environment.

Pentis feels that a lack of a personal connection may come into play here.

“I think students feel less connected and invested in online education than they do with in-person,” Pentis said. “If you’re studying exclusively online, it’s much harder to make friendships with peers and faculty that will further your learning experience and keep you on track toward earning a degree.”

He adds that this is a major question that schools will have to grapple with: How do they educate their students in an online fashion, keeping up with a newly evolving education industry, while still making them feel a part of the greater campus community? The resolution to this question could potentially alter the future of higher education.

Methodology

Student Loan Hero researchers analyzed 2020-21 provisional institutional data from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS).

To be considered, bachelor’s degree-granting schools had to have at least 1% of their student body enrolled exclusively in distance learning and had to have reported published tuition and fees. It’s important to note that students often receive grants and aid that lower their actual costs.