The successful process of a writer in today’s relentlessly competitive marketplace relies not only on creative input, but on critical thought, highly accessible communicative skills, and the drive and ability to produce quality content for employers. By earning an online master’s in English, students are preparing themselves for a higher quality of earning potential and professional success. Social and professional worlds rely on the qualities of engaging communicators to reach target markets, perform substantial research, and bring consumers in with powerful, effective language. Writers are needed for jobs in medical writing, government, blogging, marketing and more. The Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts a faster than average 8 percent growth in career opportunities for technical writers in the next 8 years, as well as a 6 percent growth in public relations specialist careers. While other callings for the professional writer remain achingly competitive, with little to no growth prospects for authors, editors, and freelancers, students with this particular master’s degree may still earn full-time salaries of up to $71,000.
GetEducated has surveyed 32 online master’s in English degrees from 29 regionally accredited schools to create this “Best Buy” list. These rankings represent the most affordable options across the United States. Review and compare fully researched options before taking the next step in an academic career.
Average Cost (In-state): ~$16,500
Least Expensive: East Carolina University ~ $8,225.58
Most Expensive: Belmont University ~ $39,460.00
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 English. The online English degrees listed above the gray dividing line are official 2019 “Best Buys” and cost less than the national average.
19 Most Affordable Online Master’s in English
| Rank | School / Degree | State | Price | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | East Carolina University | (NC) | $8,225.58 $29,496.06 | In-State Out-of-State |
2 | University of Central Florida | (FL) | $10,801.56 $38,006.76 | In-State Out-of-State |
3 | Eastern New Mexico University | (NM) | $11,284.00 $14,659.00 | In-State Out-of-State |
4 | Eastern Illinois University | (IL) | $11,566.50 | All Students |
5 | Jacksonville State University | (AL) | $12,000.00 | All Students |
6 | Indiana University Online | (IN) | $12,600.00 $17,280.00 | In-State Out-of-State |
7 | University of West Florida | (FL) | $12,691.80 $15,801.39 | In-State Out-of-State |
8 | Louisiana Tech University | (LA) | $13,116.00 $22,520.00 | In-State Out-of-State |
9 | University of Nebraska at Kearney | (NE) | $13,201.00 $19,861.00 | In-State Out-of-State |
10 | Tarleton State University | (TX) | $13,485.96 $28,677.96 | In-State Out-of-State |
11 | South Dakota State University | (SD) | $13,974.00 | All Students |
12 | Northwestern State University of Louisiana | (LA) | $14,250.00 | All Students |
13 | Texas A & M University - Commerce | (TX) | $14,955.92 $30,147.92 | In-State Out-of-State |
14 | Minnesota State University-Mankato | (MN) | $15,211.20 | All Students |
15 | Texas Tech University | (TX) | $15,314.00 | All Students |
16 | The University of Texas at Tyler | (TX) | $15,660.00 $32,616.00 | In-State Out-of-State |
17 | University of New Orleans | (LA) | $15,757.00 $22,245.00 | In-State Out-of-State |
18 | University of Louisiana at Monroe | (LA) | $16,500.00 | All Students |
| School / Degree | State | Price | Note | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Old Dominion University | (VA) | $17,346.00 $18,786.00 | In-State Out-of-State | |
Morehead State University | (KY) | $17,970.00 | All Students | |
Wayland Baptist University | (TX) | $18,336.00 | All Students | |
Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania | (PA) | $18,642.00 $20,796.00 | In-State Out-of-State | |
National University (School Merged) Master of Arts in English 14 | (CA) | $19,990.00 | All Students | |
Ohio Dominican University | (OH) | $20,850.00 | All Students | |
University of Memphis | (TN) | $21,351.00 | All Students | |
Northern Arizona University | (AZ) | $21,528.00 | All Students | |
 Southern New Hampshire University | (NH) | $22,722.00 $17,070.00 | In-State/Out-of-State Military | |
Belmont University | (TN) | $39,460.00 | All Students |
14 Options for this program have changed since publication.
Accreditation Note: To qualify for a ranking, a program must be regionally accredited. Additional programmatic accreditation is noted in the rank table.
Rankings Note: These online college rankings are based on a GetEducated Winter/Spring 2020 review of regionally accredited online master’s in English degree programs. 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 online master degree programs 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 English 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 English for use on your website. Our mission: Help consumers GetEducated ® about the best online colleges for cost and credibility.