Online College Vs. Traditional Cost Comparison

There are many benefits to online learning, such as the ability to do school work on your schedule and not needing to live on or commute to campus.

But is it less expensive to learn online?

An online program may cost less than, the same as, or more than a traditional program. It depends on the institution.

Keep reading to learn more about online college versus traditional college costs.

Online College Vs. Traditional College Cost

According to the Education Data Initiative, the average cost per credit for in-state students at a public four-year college is $390, while online credits cost $316.

At private colleges, the average per-credit cost is $1,365. Online credits average much less, at $488 per credit.

However, 23% of colleges and universities charge more for online courses than they do for traditional courses.

Below, we've broken down the cost of online versus traditional programs at ten popular institutions that offer online and in-person programs.

Please note that tuition prices are subject to change and don't always include mandatory fees.

1. Arizona State University

Arizona State University is a public research university in Tempe, Arizona. It offers undergraduate and graduate degrees on campus and online.

The university charges a base tuition of $11,478 per year to residents and $32,394 to non-residents for on-campus undergraduate programs.

However, out-of-state online students pay the same rate as in-state online students, which is $11,421 per year for 12 or more credits, meaning online programs at ASU are less expensive.

2. Colorado State University

Colorado State University is a public university system in Colorado. It includes the flagship campus in Fort Collins, a regional campus in Pueblo, and its online CSU Global campus.

The main campus charges a base rate of $12,896 per year for tuition and fees to in-state students and $33,752 per year to out-of-state students.

Students can take online courses through the physical campuses. The base rate of tuition and fees for online students is $12,120 per year, regardless of the state of residency.

At the Global campus, the university charges $350 per credit or $8,400 for 24 credits per year. There are no additional fees for CSU Global tuition.

3. Eastern New Mexico University

Eastern New Mexico University is a public university based in Portales, New Mexico. It offers associate, bachelor's, and master's degrees on campus and online.

New Mexico residents pay $280.75 in tuition and fees per credit, while non-residents pay $363.27 per credit. Online courses are an additional $17 per credit.

In-state students pay a flat amount of $3,369 per semester for 12-18 credits. Out-of-state students pay a flat $4,359 per semester for the same number of credits.

4. Florida International University

Florida International University is a public research university out of University Park, Florida.

It offers undergraduate and graduate degrees in person and online.

Residents of Florida pay a base of $3,084 per semester before additional fees and costs, while non-residents pay a base of $9,283 per semester for traditional, on-campus programs.

Both residents and non-residents pay more for online tuition. Residents pay $3,534 per semester, and non-residents pay $9,733 per semester.

5. Oregon State University

Oregon State University is a public research university based in Corvallis, Oregon. It offers bachelor's, master's, and doctoral programs on campus and online.

Oregon residents pay a tuition rate of $3,076 for 12 credits. Out-of-state students pay $9,215 for the same amount of credits.

Regardless of state of residence, most online undergraduate programs cost $350 per credit, which comes out to $4,200 for 12 credits. Some business and engineering programs cost more.

6. Pennsylvania State University

Pennsylvania State University is a public research university with 24 campuses across Pennsylvania, including Penn State World Campus, the university's online campus.

For the main campus in University Park, in-state students are charged $19,672 per year in tuition and fees, while out-of-state students are charged $39,626 per year.

All students at the World Campus pay $7,602 per semester, or $15,204 per year, for lower-division courses and $8,206 per semester, or $16,412 per year for upper-division courses.

7. Southern New Hampshire University

Southern New Hampshire University is a private university in Manchester, New Hampshire.

It offers associate, bachelor's, and master's programs on campus and online, and doctoral degrees on campus.

Undergraduate students pay $515 for on-campus programs, which works out to $6,180 for 12 credits. Online students pay $330 per undergraduate credit or $3,960 for 12 credits.

As SNHU is a private institution, there is no difference in tuition for New Hampshire residents and residents of other states.

8. University of Florida

The University of Florida is a public research university in Gainesville, Florida. It offers bachelor's, master's, and doctoral degrees in person and online.

Florida residents pay $6,380 per year in tuition and basic fees, while non-residents pay $28,658 per year in tuition and basic fees. These amounts are based on 30 credits per year.

For online students, Florida residents pay $3,876 per year and non-residents pay $16,580 per year. These figures are also based on 30 credits per year.

9. University of Minnesota

The University of Minnesota is a public university system in Minnesota.

It offers bachelor's, master's, and doctoral degrees on campus and online through its five campuses.

Residents of Minnesota and a few other midwest states pay $16,654 per year, while non-residents pay $36,568. This is before additional fees

Online undergraduate students pay $441.50 per credit, or approximately $10,596 per year before additional fees.

10. University System of Maryland

The University System of Maryland is a public university system in Maryland. It's made up of 11 campuses, including the flagship campus in College Park and the Global Campus, which is online.

Maryland residents studying on campus pay about $11,505 per year for tuition and fees. Out-of-state residents pay $40,306 per year.

For the Global Campus, in-state residents pay $318 per credit, or about $7,632 per year for 24 credits. Non-residents pay $499 per credit, or about $11,976.

Online Tuition Vs. Traditional Tuition

When it comes to online college versus traditional college costs, online programs are usually, but not always, less expensive.

With the information above, you can determine if an online or in-person program is best for you.