Best Online Bachelor's Degree Programs

A bachelor's degree can help you to become more competitive in the workforce and can prepare you for a career in a field like accounting, healthcare management, information security, nursing or whatever it is that interests you. The number of fields available at the online bachelor’s degree level is vast. This type of four-year education can be just right for high school graduates, career changers, adult learners and stay-at-home parents who want more direction for their future.

Information from the U.S. Census Bureau shows that as of July 2019, 31.5 percent of the entire labor force (i.e., those over the age of 25) held a bachelor’s degree or higher.

If you need flexible learning options to earn your bachelor’s degree program because of a busy lifestyle, an online program could be a good fit. Accredited online bachelor degree programs can allow students to work on their own schedule and to graduate from a school that offers quality education in a degree program that more specifically aligns with their career goals.

There are many different types of accredited online bachelor’s degree programs. Knowing the difference can help give direction to the type of bachelor’s degree program you should look for. Here’s a quick look at the various types of degrees at the bachelor’s level:

  • Bachelor of Arts (B.A.): This academic degree program can provide a broad education in a liberal arts field, such as English or the social sciences.
  • Bachelor of Science (B.S.): This degree program can provide a narrow scope of study and technical instruction in an area like nursing or math.
  • Bachelor of Fine Arts (B.F.A.): This degree program can offer an interdisciplinary education to art students in fields like ceramics, photography or drawing.
  • Bachelor of Law (B.L.): This degree program can prepare students with foundational coursework in the law and can be a stepping stone toward a juris doctorate (JD) law degree.
  • Bachelor of Business: This degree program type is focused on business coursework and could lead to a job in accounting, business administration or finance.
  • Bachelor of Criminal Justice (B.C.J.): This degree program can provide a broad education in the criminal justice field and could lead to employment in the courts, in a law office or the police field.
  • Bachelor of Computer Science (B.C.S): This online bachelor’s degree program can help students learn more about the computer science field and to prepare for industry certifications. Graduates could work in many different industries, as varied as artificial intelligence, business and the health field.
  • Bachelor of Technology (B.T.): This degree program can prepare students for the Internet of Things (IoT) and can include courses on engineering and information technology, as well as software and information systems. 
  • Bachelor of Education (B.E.): This degree program can help students to learn about planning, instruction and management of students in classroom and could lead to an elementary, middle or high school teacher position.

If you’re looking for more pay, earning a bachelor’s degree is worth considering. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that in 2019 the median weekly pay for bachelor’s degree holders was $1,248. That compares favorably to those with an associate degree — $887 — or no college education at all — $746. Over a lifetime, the differences in the earnings by degree level can really add up!

Other benefits worth considering with a bachelor’s degree include:

  • Job satisfaction: The College Board reports that 93 percent of people with a bachelor’s degree or higher report moderate or high satisfaction with their jobs compared to lesser percentages with people with an associate degree or below.
  • The likelihood of having employer contributions for health insurance is on average higher with a bachelor’s degree than those with less education.
  • Unemployment rates are lower for those with a bachelor’s degree or advanced education compared to those with less education.
  • The likelihood of reporting very good or excellent health is reportedly to be 44 percent greater for those with a bachelor’s degree than those with less education.

Prospective online students may find our ranking of the best online colleges for bachelor’s degrees extremely useful in their search for a college that best suits their needs. We’ve taken into consideration factors that can offer the best advantage for online students such as student-to-faculty ratio, total electronic library collection, average tuition, average financial aid awarded, along with a variety of student services. Take a look at our methodology to see why these colleges have made it to our ranking of the best colleges for online bachelor’s degrees.

1
American Public University System
Charles Town, WV
https://www.apus.edu
Average in-state tuition
$6,480
No. of online programs
160
% of students in distance education
100%
Avg. amount of Aid
$1,705
Admissions Rate
N/A%
Graduation Rate
42%
Career Counseling
Yes
Placement Services
No
2
University of Florida
Gainesville, FL
https://www.ufl.edu/
Average in-state tuition
$4,477
No. of online programs
65
% of students in distance education
50%
Avg. amount of Aid
$9,169
Admissions Rate
39%
Graduation Rate
90%
Career Counseling
Yes
Placement Services
Yes
3
University of Utah
Salt Lake City, UT
https://www.utah.edu
Average in-state tuition
$7,997
No. of online programs
15
% of students in distance education
34%
Avg. amount of Aid
$7,505
Admissions Rate
67%
Graduation Rate
70%
Career Counseling
Yes
Placement Services
Yes
4
Florida International University
Miami, FL
https://www.fiu.edu
Average in-state tuition
$4,721
No. of online programs
72
% of students in distance education
65%
Avg. amount of Aid
$5,872
Admissions Rate
59%
Graduation Rate
58%
Career Counseling
Yes
Placement Services
Yes
5
North Carolina State University at Raleigh
Raleigh, NC
https://www.ncsu.edu
Average in-state tuition
$6,535
No. of online programs
39
% of students in distance education
41%
Avg. amount of Aid
$10,097
Admissions Rate
47%
Graduation Rate
81%
Career Counseling
Yes
Placement Services
Yes
6
University of South Florida-Main Campus
Tampa, FL
https://www.usf.edu
Average in-state tuition
$4,559
No. of online programs
26
% of students in distance education
54%
Avg. amount of Aid
$8,095
Admissions Rate
43%
Graduation Rate
73%
Career Counseling
Yes
Placement Services
Yes
7
University of Central Florida
Orlando, FL
https://www.ucf.edu/
Average in-state tuition
$4,478
No. of online programs
47
% of students in distance education
57%
Avg. amount of Aid
$6,638
Admissions Rate
43%
Graduation Rate
73%
Career Counseling
Yes
Placement Services
Yes
8
Liberty University
Lynchburg, VA
https://www.liberty.edu
Average in-state tuition
$15,837
No. of online programs
137
% of students in distance education
90%
Avg. amount of Aid
$7,509
Admissions Rate
56%
Graduation Rate
50%
Career Counseling
Yes
Placement Services
Yes
9
University of Houston-Downtown
Houston, TX
https://www.uhd.edu
Average in-state tuition
$5,175
No. of online programs
18
% of students in distance education
51%
Avg. amount of Aid
$5,356
Admissions Rate
83%
Graduation Rate
20%
Career Counseling
Yes
Placement Services
Yes
10
University of Oklahoma-Norman Campus
Norman, OK
https://www.ou.edu
Average in-state tuition
$4,788
No. of online programs
34
% of students in distance education
32%
Avg. amount of Aid
$9,154
Admissions Rate
78%
Graduation Rate
67%
Career Counseling
Yes
Placement Services
Yes
11
Florida Atlantic University
Boca Raton, FL
Average in-state tuition
$2,522
No. of online programs
29
% of students in distance education
44%
Avg. amount of Aid
$8,450
Admissions Rate
59.3224299065
Graduation Rate
52
Career Counseling
Yes
Placement Services
Yes
12
Old Dominion University
Norfolk, VA
Average in-state tuition
$7,029
No. of online programs
49
% of students in distance education
51%
Avg. amount of Aid
$7,488
Admissions Rate
86.9891263592
Graduation Rate
52
Career Counseling
Yes
Placement Services
Yes
13
James Madison University
Harrisonburg, VA
Average in-state tuition
$6,935
No. of online programs
6
% of students in distance education
8%
Avg. amount of Aid
$6,998
Admissions Rate
71.1348222385
Graduation Rate
84
Career Counseling
Yes
Placement Services
Yes
14
Fort Hays State University
Hays, KS
Average in-state tuition
$3,990
No. of online programs
36
% of students in distance education
83%
Avg. amount of Aid
$4,629
Admissions Rate
92.2866271109
Graduation Rate
44
Career Counseling
Yes
Placement Services
Yes
15
University of Memphis
Memphis, TN
Average in-state tuition
$7,680
No. of online programs
47
% of students in distance education
38%
Avg. amount of Aid
$7,523
Admissions Rate
84.3009688141
Graduation Rate
48
Career Counseling
Yes
Placement Services
Yes
16
Fayetteville State University
Fayetteville, NC
Average in-state tuition
$2,982
No. of online programs
15
% of students in distance education
65%
Avg. amount of Aid
$7,345
Admissions Rate
67.8692493947
Graduation Rate
35
Career Counseling
Yes
Placement Services
Yes
17
Winston-Salem State University
Winston-Salem, NC
Average in-state tuition
$3,401
No. of online programs
10
% of students in distance education
50%
Avg. amount of Aid
$8,244
Admissions Rate
65.3056112224
Graduation Rate
48
Career Counseling
Yes
Placement Services
No
18
University at Buffalo
Buffalo, NY
Average in-state tuition
$6,870
No. of online programs
19
% of students in distance education
17%
Avg. amount of Aid
$8,549
Admissions Rate
55.8501089883
Graduation Rate
76
Career Counseling
Yes
Placement Services
Yes
19
Grand Canyon University
Phoenix, AZ
Average in-state tuition
$16,399
No. of online programs
93
% of students in distance education
90%
Avg. amount of Aid
$7,074
Admissions Rate
73.1960698417
Graduation Rate
37
Career Counseling
Yes
Placement Services
No
20
California State University-Northridge
Northridge, CA
Average in-state tuition
$5,742
No. of online programs
10
% of students in distance education
52%
Avg. amount of Aid
$9,097
Admissions Rate
50.6282992885
Graduation Rate
54
Career Counseling
Yes
Placement Services
Yes
Source: Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) 2018-19, National Center for Education Statistics, http://nces.ed.gov/ipeds/

Online bachelor degree programs can be comparable to campus-based programs. Schools often use the same curriculum and syllabi in both. Additionally, at some schools, the same professor may teach both the campus-based and online courses. Often, it is the type of interaction that is different — instead of having live instruction or discussion in classes, you may have time to reflect and respond to a professor’s information or classmate’s comment online through online bachelor degree programs.

Other important concepts to understand about online education include:

ONLINEHYBRID PROGRAM
  • Fully online programs can provide all components of education 100 percent online; students need not attend any on-campus courses
  • Hybrid programs combine online and campus-based learning, meaning students are required to spend some time on campus
ASYNCHRONOUSSYNCHRONOUS
  • Asynchronous learning allows students to pace their studies according to their own schedule.
  • Synchronous learning requires students to be online at specific times to listen to lectures, participate in live chats or video conferencing.
 
  • Online bachelor’s degree programs take about four years to complete, although some programs can be finished faster and others may allow for more time. This flexible option can be great for students who have significant commitments, such as family or a full-time job, and need to vary their course load from term to term.

  • To apply for a bachelor’s program, students generally need to submit an application and fee, high school transcripts, a short essay and test assessment scores, like from the SAT or ACT.

  • Scholarships may be available to qualifying students to help defray the costs of a higher education. Additionally, federal loans, federal grants and the federal work-study program are other ways to help pay for higher learning.

We’ve used data from the National Center for Education Statistics and the Bureau of Labor Statistics to come up with this ranking of the most popular bachelor’s degrees based on program count, employment growth, and median salaries related to each degree. Keep in mind that the BLS numbers shown below reflect national data, not those that represent what may apply to your particular location.

Popular Programs of Study
Median Salary
Projected Employment
International Business/Trade/Commerce$145,26511,068,800
Marketing/Marketing Management, General$109,6905,674,000
Management Science$124,64011,650,000
Information Technology$108,71011,688,400
Computer Engineering, General$115,6007,985,200
Business Administration and Management, General$102,81338,961,000
Entrepreneurship/Entrepreneurial Studies$132,67019,176,000
Business/Commerce, General$102,81332,467,500
Computer Science$104,84213,404,500
Psychology, General$107,4805,340,000
Source: 2019 Occupational Employment Statistics and 2018-28 Employment Projections, Bureau of Labor Statistics, BLS.gov.
Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) 2017-18, National Center for Education Statistics

This list of the fastest-growing occupations with a bachelor’s degree is based on data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The wages and job growth projections cited in the table below are nationwide figures; the numbers in your location may vary.

Fastest-Growing Occupations
Annual Median Wage
Job Growth
Information Security Analysts$99,73032%
Operations Research Analysts$84,81026%
Market Research Analysts and Marketing Specialists$63,79020%
Medical and Health Services Managers$100,98018%
Management Analysts$85,26014%
Social and Community Service Managers$67,15013%
Registered Nurses$73,30012%
Construction Managers$95,26010%
Personal Financial Advisors$87,8507%
Financial and Investment Analysts, Financial Risk Specialists, and Financial Specialists, All Other$81,5906%
Source: 2019 Occupational Employment Statistics and 2018-28 Employment Projections, Bureau of Labor Statistics, BLS.gov.

Best bachelor’s degrees for High-Paying Jobs

$141,840
$129,763
$121,690
Source: 2018 Occupational Information Network (O*NET), U.S. Department of Labor, onetonline.org

Click on one or more of the buttons below to find out more information about the online bachelor degree programs that are available in disciplines as diverse as art, healthcare, law, computer, science and more.

 

 

See Methodology Information Here

Article Sources:

  • Bachelor of Fine Arts, Degrees and Programs, University of Nevada, Reno, Accessed October 2018, https://www.unr.edu/degrees/art/bfa
  • Bachelor of Technology, Thompson Rivers University, Accessed October 2018, https://www.tru.ca/distance/programs/technology/bachelor-of-technology.htm
  • Asynchronous Learning, University of Michigan, Accessed October 2018, http://umich.edu/~elements/asyLearn/learning.htm
  • Job Satisfaction by Education Level , College Board, Accessed October 2018, https://trends.collegeboard.org/education-pays/figures-tables/job-satisfaction-education-level-2008
  • Measuring the Value of Education, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Accessed June 2020, https://www.bls.gov/careeroutlook/2020/data-on-display/education-pays.htm
  • Quick Facts, United States, July 1, 2019, U.S. Census Bureau, https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/US/PST045219
  • Take Your Next Step in your IT or Computer Science Career, University of Maryland University College, Accessed October 2018, http://learn-more.umuc.edu/search/it-and-computer-science-degree/?&marketcode=WB200451&gclid=CjwKCAjwpKveBRAwEiwAo4PqmzCU5fj1dEbS4IkINDHcyLU5UfjD5bJNbWKTyftgg7uu868oj12xSRoC2HwQAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds
Methodologies and Sources