Online Colleges Without General Education Requirements 2026

<p>Most bachelor's degrees require students to complete general education coursework to graduate. Some students enjoy taking a variety of classes in the natural sciences, humanities, social sciences, and liberal arts, whereas others prefer to complete their degree program faster without them. Continue reading to learn more about accredited online colleges without general education requirements. </p> <h2 id="section---WhatAreGeneralEducationRequirements">What Are General Education Requirements?</h2> <p>General education courses refer to the non-major subjects that you must take to earn an associate or bachelor's degree. These courses span several academic fields, including math, English, natural sciences, social sciences, and so forth. The purpose of these requirements is to gain broad exposure to several academic fields and to enhance critical thinking skills. </p> <h2 id="section---DoAllOnlineCollegesRequireGenEds">Do All Online Colleges Require Gen Eds?</h2> <p>Most online colleges require general education coursework, but there are a few exceptions. Brown University and Amherst University each have ''open curricula,'' which do not involve specific course requirements, including the schools' online programs. Since obtaining acceptance to these universities is challenging, we'll show you a few others that also offer flexible general education curricula. </p> <h2 id="section---HowOnlineCollegesReduceOrEliminateGenEdRequirements">How Online Colleges Reduce or Eliminate Gen Ed Requirements</h2> <p>Online colleges can either reduce or eliminate these requirements for undergrads by implementing flexible course selection, allowing students to test out of certain subjects, or integrating general education course materials into core curricula. Some institutions offer online learners the chance to enroll in competency-based programs, which involve other ways of demonstrating mastery of a particular subject. Finally, some colleges allow you to skip elective courses by applying real-world or life experience credits in place of them. </p> <h2 id="section---OnlineCollegesWithoutGeneralEducationRequirements">Online Colleges Without General Education Requirements</h2> <p>Below is a list of 10 colleges that either reduce or eliminate general education requirements from their bachelor's programs or community college programs. These allow you to focus on the core requirements of your major sooner in your college career. </p> <h3 id="section---1.AmherstCollege">1. Amherst College</h3> <p>Amherst College has a section on its website explaining its open curriculum, which provides flexibility and independence for students to customize their own degrees. Amherst offers over 400 undergraduate courses but has no core curriculum, permitting students to take the courses that matter most to them. </p> <ul><li><b>Estimated tuition cost:</b> $67,280 </li><li><b>Accreditation:</b> New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC) </li></ul><h3 id="section---2.GrinnellCollege">2. Grinnell College</h3> <p>Grinnell College lets its students build their own course schedule through what it calls an ''individually mentored curriculum.'' This liberal arts college has academic requirements and expectations, though. Students must complete 124 semester hours, but have a lot of leeway in deciding which core courses to take. </p> <ul><li><b>Estimated tuition cost:</b> $64,862 </li><li><b>Accreditation:</b> Higher Learning Commission (HLC) </li></ul><h3 id="section---3.PitzerCollege">3. Pitzer College</h3> <p>Pitzer College has some broad requirements for undergraduate general education but does not require specific courses from transfer students. The school's only core requirements are for first-year students to complete a composition course and some form of ''formal reasoning,'' which can be college algebra, economics, or philosophy. </p> <ul><li><b>Estimated tuition cost:</b> $62,692 </li><li><b>Accreditation:</b> Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC) </li></ul><h3 id="section---4.HamiltonCollege">4. Hamilton College</h3> <p>Hamilton College has an open curriculum consisting of various ''proseminars,'' granting students the opportunity to interact and learn with one another in small groups. This also allows students to enjoy the freedom of taking courses that interest them rather than limiting their selection to a short list of mandatory core courses. </p> <ul><li><b>Estimated tuition cost:</b> $65,740 </li><li><b>Accreditation:</b> NECHE </li></ul><h3 id="section---5.EastCarolinaUniversity">5. East Carolina University</h3> <p>East Carolina University has general education requirements, but it offers waivers under certain conditions. North Carolina residents may be eligible for a full or partial waiver if they earn an associate degree, have taken some general education as a part of a teacher's training program, or if they already have sufficient credit hours prior to enrollment. </p> <ul><li><b>Estimated tuition cost:</b> $7,361 per year (in-state) </li><li><b>Accreditation:</b> Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) </li></ul><h3 id="section---6.WesternGovernorsUniversity">6. Western Governors University</h3> <p>Western Governors University focuses on competency-based learning and has a reputation for being generous with transfer students who've already taken equivalent courses. You can almost always transfer courses, but if you don't know for sure, you can utilize its ''transfer made easy'' application to quickly verify. </p> <ul><li><b>Estimated tuition cost:</b> $8,300 per year </li><li><b>Accreditation:</b> Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities (NWCCU) </li></ul><h3 id="section---7.SouthernNewHampshireUniversity">7. Southern New Hampshire University</h3> <p>Southern New Hampshire University has general education requirements but allows transfer students to test out of them through its competency-based system. This nonprofit online college also offers an array of degree options at both the undergraduate and graduate levels with flexible coursework formats for full-time or part-time students. </p> <ul><li><b>Estimated tuition cost:</b> $342 per credit hour (undergraduate) </li><li><b>Accreditation:</b> NECHE </li></ul><h3 id="section---8.StateUniversityOfNewYork">8. State University of New York</h3> <p>New York law permits certain general education waivers for each of the State University of New York (SUNY) schools. This allows students to demonstrate ''college level proficiency'' to obtain a waiver for one or more classes. There are also certain programmatic waivers for all subjects except for mathematics and basic communication. </p> <ul><li><b>Estimated tuition cost:</b> $7,070 per year (in-state) </li><li><b>Accreditation:</b> Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE) </li></ul><h3 id="section---9.NewYorkUniversityGallatinSchoolOfIndividualizedStudy">9. New York University - Gallatin School of Individualized Study</h3> <p>New York University's Gallatin School of Individualized Study promises a combination of rigorous academics with plenty of flexibility in curriculum development. Each student has the responsibility and freedom to create a curriculum and concentration, which involves selecting from several challenging courses. </p> <ul><li><b>Estimated tuition cost:</b> $60,438 </li><li><b>Accreditation:</b> MSCHE </li></ul><h3 id="section---10.UniversityOfThePeople">10. University of the People</h3> <p>The University of the People offers numerous flexible options for earning a bachelor's degree, including various competency-based programs that allow for self-paced curricula creation. This university has degree opportunities at both the undergraduate and graduate levels in almost every popular field, and its degrees have a solid reputation with several employers. </p> <ul><li><b>Estimated tuition cost:</b> $6,460 </li><li><b>Accreditation:</b> WASC </li></ul><h2 id="section---WhySomeStudentsWantToSkipGenEds">Why Some Students Want To Skip Gen Eds</h2> <p>Some students know their preferred area of study and career path even before they graduate high school. Since general education requirements may delay the chance to focus on their major course of study, many would prefer to skip them and begin working on specialized courses during their first year. </p> <h2 id="section---FAQsAboutOnlineCollegesWithoutGeneralEducationRequirements">FAQs About Online Colleges Without General Education Requirements</h2> <p>Check out these frequently asked questions (FAQs) about general education requirements. We'll discuss issues like accreditation, transfer credits, and the availability of online bachelor's degrees with fewer requirements. </p> <h3 id="section---AreTheseDegreesLegitAndAccredited">Are These Degrees Legit and Accredited?</h3> <p>Yes, these degrees receive accreditation from reputable review boards, such as HLC. Every online learning and on-campus degree program from our rankings receives full accreditation, or we do not recommend them. </p> <h3 id="section---CanIStillTransferIntoOrOutOfACollegeWithoutCompletingGenEds">Can I Still Transfer Into or Out of a College Without Completing Gen Eds?</h3> <p>The ability to transfer credits from one institution to another always depends on the standards of your intended college. You'll have to check to see if your new university will allow you to enroll without general education or prerequisite courses. If not, then you may have to take certain electives before transferring (or complete them later at your new college). </p> <h3 id="section---WillIBePreparedForGraduateSchoolWithoutGenEds">Will I Be Prepared for Graduate School Without Gen Eds?</h3> <p>Yes, you should obtain a quality educational experience and prepare for graduate school without general education electives. This may vary depending on the nature of your intended graduate program, but most master's degrees and doctorates focus more on expanding on the major courses you took in undergraduate school. </p> <p>There are, however, some health science fields (like physician's assistant training), which require specific general education courses for admission. </p> <h3 id="section---CanITakeOnlineCollegeClassesWithoutAGED">Can I Take Online College Classes Without a GED?</h3> <p>Yes, you can take online college classes without graduating high school or finishing a general education diploma (GED). In fact, many high school students get a head start on general studies courses by taking college courses online. Several nonprofit firms and state universities offer individual online courses with self-paced and open curricula. </p> <h3 id="section---WhatAreTheBenefitsOfGeneralEducationCourses">What Are the Benefits of General Education Courses?</h3> <p>General education courses are very common throughout higher education institutions because they help students earn a well-rounded education. While academic specialization is important for career options, there are advantages to having a basic competency in several subjects for the benefit of better critical thinking skills and comprehension of various academic topics. </p> <h2 id="section---FindAnOnlineCollege">Find an Online College</h2> <p>Learn.org has abundant resources to help you find online undergraduate degrees, master's degrees, doctorates, and more. Check out other articles devoted to helping online students find the best degree options.</p>