As online learning becomes more popular and important, many colleges are offering courses and degree programs. The online learning were originally focused on non-degree granting programs such as vocational programs, but now, it is used for graduate degrees as well as BS degrees.
Number of well-know colleges and universities created online division, separated from its main campus, in order to offer online degree programs to their students. Penn State World campus, UF online, and Purdue Global campus are the examples of the online divisions of the colleges.
Since those schools had many major programs in diverse area, they could offer a variety of programs through online lectures as well. We pick 16 online schools based on the diversity of area of study, number of online students, and ranking/name value of their parent's institute.
The tuition & fees for online degrees programs is usually lower than regular (on-campus) degree programs. At the schools, the 2024 average undergraduate tuition of the schools is $11,778 for state residents and $13,566 for out-of-state students. In average, each school offer 59 degree programs and has 10,602 online students.
The following table compares the major online schools with tuition, enrollment, number of offered online programs with their parent institution information.
| School Name | Undergraduate Tuition | Graduate Tuition | Number of Online Programs | Online Student Population | Offered Degrees | Parent Institute |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| University of Maryland Global Campus Public, four-years | $12,336 ($7,992) | $12,132 ($9,702) |
75 | 50,144 | Associate, 2-4 Years Cert., Bachelor, Post-BS, Master | University of Maryland-College Park |
| University of Massachusetts Global Public, four-years | $12,520 | $13,282 | 52 | 8,562 | 1-Year Cert., Associate, Bachelor, Post-BS, Master, Post-MS, Doctoral | University of Massachusetts-Amherst |
| Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University-Worldwide Private, four-years | $11,665 | $9,697 | 59 | 10,568 | 1-Year Cert., Associate, Bachelor, Post-BS, Master | Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University-Daytona Beach |
| Ottawa University-Online Private, four-years | $13,296 | $13,002 | 31 | 224 | Bachelor, Master, Post-MS, Doctoral | Ottawa University-Ottawa |
| Touro University Worldwide Private, four-years | $14,600 | $9,000 | 23 | 2,195 | Associate, Bachelor, Master, Doctoral | Touro University |
| Johnson & Wales University-Online Private, four-years | $13,365 | $15,156 | 74 | 2,504 | 1-Year Cert., Associate, Bachelor, Post-BS, Master, Doctoral | Johnson & Wales University-Providence |
| Springfield College-Regional, Online, and Continuing Education Private, four-years | $19,152 | $19,548 | 0 | 308 | Bachelor, Master | Springfield College |
| Colorado State University Global Public, four-years | $8,400 | $9,000 | 37 | 9,565 | 1-Year Cert., Bachelor, Post-BS, Master | Colorado State University-Fort Collins |
| Pennsylvania State University-World Campus Public, four-years | $15,204 ($15,054) | $24,406 ($24,164) |
158 | 13,812 | 1-Year Cert., 2-Years Cert., Bachelor, Post-BS, Master | Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus |
| Bryant & Stratton College-Online Private, four-years | $15,891 | Not Offered | 36 | 9,050 | 2-Years Cert., Associate, Bachelor | Bryant & Stratton College-Buffalo |
| Florida Institute of Technology-Online Private, four-years | $12,240 | $16,128 | 35 | 1,230 | Associate, Bachelor, Master | Florida Institute of Technology |
| University of Florida-Online Public, four-years | $16,579 ($3,876) | Not Offered | 24 | 5,356 | Associate, Bachelor | University of Florida |
| Northwest University-Center for Online and Extended Education Private, four-years | $14,652 | $16,550 | 19 | 621 | 2-Years Cert., Associate, Bachelor, Post-BS, Master | Northwest University |
| Indiana Wesleyan University-National & Global Private, four-years | $8,216 | $10,391 | 105 | 9,718 | 1-Year Cert., 2-Years Cert., Associate, Bachelor, Post-BS, Master, Post-MS, Doctoral | Indiana Wesleyan University-Marion |
| Purdue University Global Public, four-years | $14,421 ($10,110) | $11,582 ($10,521) |
145 | 45,007 | 1-Year Cert., 2-Years Cert., Associate, Bachelor, Post-BS, Master, Post-MS | Purdue University-Main Campus |
| Abilene Christian University-Undergraduate Online Private, four-years | $14,520 | Not Offered | 15 | 766 | Bachelor | Abilene Christian University |
