What is the Cost of Online Education vs. Traditional Education?

Important Facts About Online and Traditional Education Programs

How Much Does an Online College Cost?

Tuition costs for online education programs vary according to course of instruction and from school to school. Online programs can be found in nearly all subject areas, from teacher preparation programs to the biomedical sciences, and students usually pay per credit hour.

As an example, Arizona State University reported in 2019 that its online undergraduate tuition rates were between $530 and $728 per credit hour, depending on the type of program the student takes. Its graduate tuition rates for online students ranged between $532 and $1,397 per credit. ASU's online tuition rates included all program fees, and did not list any additional fees for online students.

Eastern Kentucky University, as another example, charges $375 a credit hour for on-campus undergraduate degrees, while 100% online courses cost $409 an hour (this varies depending on the course). On-campus master's degrees charge $550 a credit hour, while online courses charge a slightly lower rate of $535 an hour.

Traditional Education Costs

The cost of tuition for traditional education also varies from college to college. At the University of Wisconsin - Madison, undergraduate tuition cost was an average of $10,728 per year for in-state students, while out-of-state students paid an average of $24,054 in fees. The school also had special rates for Minnesota residents under the Minnesota Reciprocity rate, with generally more affordable fees for those out-of-state. At Michigan State University in East Lansing, Michigan, an undergraduate student in 2018-2019 in-state could expect to pay $14,460 for tuition, while someone from out-of-state paid $39,766.

Besides tuition, traditional education costs can also include transportation, student parking, housing, meal plans and lab fees. Room rates at Warner Pacific University, charged $9,670 for on-campus housing and $11,760 for off-campus accommodation in 2018-2019. Meal plans, also called board, were between $310 and $5,650 for the 2018-19 academic year, and these costs depended on the student's housing and year in school.

Is Online College Cheaper?

While some traditional programs may have slightly lower tuition rates, traditional students will have to decide if transportation and parking fees outweigh the difference. Otherwise, in general online students will have fewer educational costs. Students in both kinds of programs will need to pay for books and course materials in addition to tuition, and both online and traditional education costs include an application fee.