An online university degree can cost as little as $3,000 – or over $100,000. GetEducated's affordability rankings reveal who offers the best buys in online degrees.
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"Anybody who's thinking of enrolling in an online degree ... take a good look at GetEducated.com . Go ... get a free download of a detailed guide ."
Searching for an Online MBA?: "Several websites can help .. first, GetEducated.com offers free rankings of distance-learning MBA programs."
"Beware diploma mills... Go to GetEducated.com and ask the Diploma Mill Police."
"For a distance MBA you can pay from $6,000 to $120,000. To get the most bang for your buck ... check out GetEducated.com"
GetEducated.com – "a great source for weeding out phonies" (among online colleges).
"Thanks much for your wonderful site! I've recommended it to my students and entered a program I found at GetEducated.com." --Charles Balch, MBA, Ph.D. --Professor, Arizona Western College
Vicky Phillips -- Founder of GetEducated.com ... "for 20 years the leading consumer advocate for online college students" ... Different Paths to a College Degree, Sept. 2009
Vicky Phillips ... founder of GetEducated.com ... "one of the nation’s leading experts on educational fraud" ... . ~Joyce Lain Kennedy~ (Nov, 2009), LA Times
By GetEducated Consumer Reporting Team | December 14, 2009
You can save thousands of dollars by going to college online instead of on-campus.
Here's how:
1) No dorm fees or high apartment rents
By studying from home, you’ll avoid all college room and board fees. Cost savings can be substantial, especially if you live in an area where apartment rents are lower than the rents typically charged in residential college towns. If you live with your parents or with a significant other you’ll save even more.
Not living on a traditional campus saves you an average of $10,000 annually, according to the National Center for Education Statistics.
2) No commuting costs
By taking classes at home, you won't spend money commuting to a campus. You don't have to buy gas or pay public transportation fares. You’ll avoid parking fees and road tolls. You won’t put as many miles on your vehicle, saving maintenance costs (such as new brakes or more frequent oil changes).
As an example, let's say you have a car that gets 25 miles per gallon, and you commute to a school that's 50 miles away. If you have classes four days per week, you will travel 400 miles (100 miles round-trip each day of class). This means you will burn 16 gallons of gas. If gas costs $2.50 per gallon, you spend $32.80 per week of class—on gas alone. That's about $130 per month.
If you go to school for nine months for four years, that's $4,700 in gascosts alone.
3) Get your degree faster
Many online degree programs are accelerated. This means they offer shorter semesters or study terms. Most accelerated degree programs offer 8-week terms rather than 12- or 16-week terms.
Accelerated programs let you earn your degree more quickly. The faster you graduate, the sooner you’ll be able to use your degree to qualify for better jobs and pay raises.
Chop a year off a four-year bachelor's degree, and you can save an average of $7,000 in tuition and fees (the national average for one year of tuition at a four-year public institution in 2009, according to the College Board).
4) No childcare or eldercare fees
If you are the parent of a young child, you will need to arrange childcare in order to attend classes. This might mean hiring a babysitter or placing your child in a daycare facility.Similarly, if you’re an adult learner, and the caregiver for an elderly parent, you may need to hire others to cover your care-giving duties while you’re at class.
With distance learning, you eliminate these costs.
5) You can comparison-shop nationwide
By going to school online, you vastly increase your choices and are more able to find bargains. You can consider any school in the country that offers your particular degree program online. You will enjoy more choices at lower tuition and fee levels by considering online education.
6) You can attend a state college in a cheaper state
Say you live in Texas and want to earn a master's in business administration through online learning. The University of Texas at Dallas offers a high quality MBA for $31,000 for residents. However, you can get an even less expensive master's in business online at Western Kentucky University—even though you are a non-resident—for only $12,360, a savings of nearly $19,000. Both degrees are AACSB-accredited, the highest form of accreditation for business programs.
7) Same classes cost less when offered via distance learning
Some colleges charge less for the very same courses if they are taught online rather than on campus.
For example, starting with the January 2010 semester, Saint Leo University in Florida is giving a 10 percent tuition cut to online undergraduate students.
CONSUMER TIP: Some colleges charge MORE for online courses by adding distance education and technology fees. Always verify fees before signing up for online courses.
I’m looking for an online MBA. I’ve found several that fit my budget but none are accredited by the AACSB. What is the AACSB? Do I really need a distance MBA degree that is accredited by them?
—Roberta, Gary, IN
The AACSB is the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business International. It is considered the gold standard of business school accreditation. But not every student needs an AACSB-accredited MBA...
I was laid off from my job as a real estate agent and want to be a high school math teacher, but my bachelor’s degree is in psychology. Do I need a new degree in education? Will an online bachelor’s in education qualify me to become a licensed teacher?
—Willis, Houston, Texas
If you didn’t earn a bachelor’s degree in education years ago and you now want to teach in the public schools, don’t fret. Every state maintains what are termed “alternative teacher certification” programs...
ASU offers a variety of high-quality, accredited online degree programs. With flexibility, convenience, and exemplary customer service, we help bring your goal of completing a degree within reach. Start today and take the next step toward furthering your career and enriching your life.
ASU offers a variety of high-quality, accredited online degree programs. With flexibility, convenience, and exemplary customer service, we help bring your goal of completing a degree within reach. Start today and take the next step toward furthering your career and enriching your life.
For active-duty military, reservists, veterans, and military families.
More than half of military students use online education. What do you need to know to find schools that best fit your needs? How can you find the best financial aid and scholarship package at your online school? Answers are here.
The field of online education is growing and so is the need for teachers who can teach online. Check out our regularly updated list of online job opportunities, post your job availability, and visit our Online Resource Center, with tips, advice and free downloads for online educators.
Facts from GetEducated's National Survey of Online MBAs. Who offers the cheapest online MBA? Do you need an AACSB-accredited distance MBA? Online MBA rankings and ratings. Everything you need to know to compare 390 accredited online MBAs from 168 online business schools.
I’m looking for an online MBA. I’ve found several that fit my budget but none are accredited by the AACSB. What is the AACSB? Do I really need a distance MBA degree that is accredited by them?
—Roberta, Gary, IN 
The AACSB is the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business International. It is considered the gold standard of business school accreditation. But not every student needs an AACSB-accredited MBA... 
