Best Online Certificate Programs

A college education can seem like a pipe dream for many individuals - not just because of the high cost of tuition, but also because of factors like the time needed to complete a degree and the ability to access a program in a particular field. Dakota Pawlicki reports, 40 percent of college students work full-time while a fourth have dependents, making the prospect of attending college a difficult one indeed. Online certificate programs can be a good option for recent high school graduates, working professionals and career changers to obtain some college education without the expense & time needed for a full-fledged degree.

This quick guide to accredited online certificate programs can give you an overview of what these programs are all about and how online certificates are taking off in popularity.

According to a 2019 report published jointly by the Strada Education Network and Lumina Foundation, policymakers, employers, educators, and learners themselves are progressively realizing the potential of non-degree certificates for building the skillsets of the labor force. The manufacturing industry, for example, is a major source of good jobs (i.e. jobs paying a minimum of $35,000 for workers between the ages of 25 and 44 and at least $45,000 for workers between the ages of 45 and 64) for individual with ‘middle skills’ or education more than a high school diploma but less than a bachelor’s degree, according to the Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce. Earning an online certificate can help you gain the skills you need to be eligible for these jobs.

20 Best Online Certificate Programs 2019-20

It is only natural to want to find the best online college for certificate programs. Look no further! We’ve used data like retention rates, average in-state tuitions, student-to-faculty ratios, placement services and more to give you unbiased rankings of the ten best colleges offering online certificate programs.

Have a look at our methodology section at the bottom of the page to see why these particular colleges made it to the top.


1
Georgia Northwestern Technical College
Rome, GA
https://www.gntc.edu
Average in-state tuition
$2,136
No. of online programs
31
% of students in distance education
55%
Avg. amount of Aid
$4,881
Admissions Rate
N/A%
Graduation Rate
N/A%
Career Counseling
Yes
Placement Services
Yes
2
Georgia Piedmont Technical College
Clarkston, GA
https://www.gptc.edu
Average in-state tuition
$2,136
No. of online programs
45
% of students in distance education
53%
Avg. amount of Aid
$5,093
Admissions Rate
N/A%
Graduation Rate
N/A%
Career Counseling
Yes
Placement Services
Yes
3
Central Georgia Technical College
Warner Robins, GA
https://www.centralgatech.edu
Average in-state tuition
$2,136
No. of online programs
50
% of students in distance education
49%
Avg. amount of Aid
$4,098
Admissions Rate
N/A%
Graduation Rate
N/A%
Career Counseling
Yes
Placement Services
Yes
4
Ogeechee Technical College
Statesboro, GA
https://www.ogeecheetech.edu
Average in-state tuition
$2,136
No. of online programs
17
% of students in distance education
51%
Avg. amount of Aid
$4,749
Admissions Rate
N/A%
Graduation Rate
N/A%
Career Counseling
Yes
Placement Services
Yes
5
Albany Technical College
Albany, GA
https://www.albanytech.edu
Average in-state tuition
$2,136
No. of online programs
25
% of students in distance education
68%
Avg. amount of Aid
$5,649
Admissions Rate
N/A%
Graduation Rate
N/A%
Career Counseling
Yes
Placement Services
Yes
6
Wayne Community College
Goldsboro, NC
https://www.waynecc.edu
Average in-state tuition
$2,432
No. of online programs
24
% of students in distance education
56%
Avg. amount of Aid
$1,920
Admissions Rate
N/A%
Graduation Rate
N/A%
Career Counseling
Yes
Placement Services
Yes
7
Northcentral Technical College
Wausau, WI
https://www.ntc.edu
Average in-state tuition
$3,221
No. of online programs
60
% of students in distance education
49%
Avg. amount of Aid
$3,938
Admissions Rate
N/A%
Graduation Rate
N/A%
Career Counseling
Yes
Placement Services
Yes
8
Oconee Fall Line Technical College
Sandersville, GA
https://www.oftc.edu
Average in-state tuition
$2,136
No. of online programs
22
% of students in distance education
45%
Avg. amount of Aid
$5,172
Admissions Rate
N/A%
Graduation Rate
N/A%
Career Counseling
Yes
Placement Services
Yes
9
Wiregrass Georgia Technical College
Valdosta, GA
https://www.wiregrass.edu
Average in-state tuition
$2,136
No. of online programs
17
% of students in distance education
28%
Avg. amount of Aid
$5,342
Admissions Rate
N/A%
Graduation Rate
N/A%
Career Counseling
Yes
Placement Services
Yes
10
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
11
Ivy Tech Community College
Indianapolis, IN
Average in-state tuition
$4,218
No. of online programs
59
% of students in distance education
54%
Avg. amount of Aid
$4,441
Admissions Rate
N/A
Graduation Rate
N/A
Career Counseling
Yes
Placement Services
Yes
12
Southern Crescent Technical College
Griffin, GA
Average in-state tuition
$2,136
No. of online programs
19
% of students in distance education
46%
Avg. amount of Aid
$4,567
Admissions Rate
N/A
Graduation Rate
N/A
Career Counseling
Yes
Placement Services
Yes
13
Gateway Community and Technical College
Florence, KY
Average in-state tuition
$4,056
No. of online programs
23
% of students in distance education
43%
Avg. amount of Aid
$3,230
Admissions Rate
N/A
Graduation Rate
N/A
Career Counseling
Yes
Placement Services
Yes
14
Southern Regional Technical College
Thomasville, GA
Average in-state tuition
$2,136
No. of online programs
27
% of students in distance education
45%
Avg. amount of Aid
$5,896
Admissions Rate
N/A
Graduation Rate
N/A
Career Counseling
Yes
Placement Services
Yes
15
Lanier Technical College
Gainesville, GA
Average in-state tuition
$2,670
No. of online programs
29
% of students in distance education
38%
Avg. amount of Aid
$4,307
Admissions Rate
N/A
Graduation Rate
N/A
Career Counseling
Yes
Placement Services
Yes
16
Fayetteville Technical Community College
Fayetteville, NC
Average in-state tuition
$2,432
No. of online programs
27
% of students in distance education
69%
Avg. amount of Aid
$4,132
Admissions Rate
N/A
Graduation Rate
N/A
Career Counseling
Yes
Placement Services
Yes
17
Atlanta Technical College
Atlanta, GA
Average in-state tuition
$2,136
No. of online programs
11
% of students in distance education
59%
Avg. amount of Aid
$5,130
Admissions Rate
N/A
Graduation Rate
N/A
Career Counseling
Yes
Placement Services
Yes
18
Southeastern Technical College
Vidalia, GA
Average in-state tuition
$2,136
No. of online programs
30
% of students in distance education
39%
Avg. amount of Aid
$5,147
Admissions Rate
N/A
Graduation Rate
N/A
Career Counseling
Yes
Placement Services
Yes
19
Pitt Community College
Winterville, NC
Average in-state tuition
$1,824
No. of online programs
31
% of students in distance education
50%
Avg. amount of Aid
$11,816
Admissions Rate
N/A
Graduation Rate
N/A
Career Counseling
Yes
Placement Services
Yes
20
Central Carolina Community College
Sanford, NC
Average in-state tuition
$2,432
No. of online programs
19
% of students in distance education
53%
Avg. amount of Aid
$5,719
Admissions Rate
N/A
Graduation Rate
N/A
Career Counseling
Yes
Placement Services
No
Source: Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) 2018-19, National Center for Education Statistics, http://nces.ed.gov/ipeds/

What Are Certificate Programs?

Certificate programs are short, non-degree granting programs that help individuals learn specific skills or study specific topics within a larger field. Naturally, most people considering a college education first think of completing an entire degree, however, not everyone has the time available to do so or the finances. Certificate programs can offer focused learning in a particular field or topic and can allow individuals to be employment ready within a relatively short span of time when compared to associate degree or bachelor’s degree programs.

Unlike undergraduate degree programs, most certificate programs also do not require students to take general education courses thereby cutting short time to completion and tuition. Online certificate programs can offer working adults the flexibility they need while gaining a college education as well as allow them to apply their lessons to real world scenarios as they learn them.

Additionally, attending an accredited online certificate program may allow students to transfer the credits they earn toward a degree should they wish to pursue further education at a later date.

What Are The Types of Online Certificate Programs Available?

Online certificate programs are typically of two types:

  • Undergraduate: These are usually entry-level certificate programs designed for students who have a high school diploma or GED. They can prepare individuals with the skills needed for entry-level jobs in the field. Some certificate programs may also be geared toward students currently enrolled in an associate or bachelor’s degree program in order to allow them to gain skills and knowledge that complements their degree
  • Graduate: Graduate certificates are usually meant for individuals who have completed a bachelor’s or a master’s degree but want to hone their skills in a particular aspect of their field.

What Is The Difference Between a Certificate And Certification?

While the two terms may sound the same, they are actually completely different.

  • Certificates demonstrate that you have earned educational credits by completing a particular course of study through an educational institution with a set curriculum. You do not earn a degree after the completion of the program.
  • Certifications are credentials you earn usually through a third party professional body in order to demonstrate your competence in a field or a particular aspect of it. Certifications may also need to be renewed periodically through continuing education classes or recertification examinations.

Are Certificate Programs Worth It?

The short answer is yes – depending on your educational and career goals of course. The best online certificate programs can help you meet both! In fact, the Strada-Lumina report states that many certificates do have value in the marketplace with non-degree certificate holders reporting higher rates of full-time employment as well as higher incomes. They also discovered that these individuals were also more confident overall about their marketability and education than those without.

Online certificate programs can provide individuals with an opportunity to build their skills for better employment that can go way beyond average annual wages for most occupations according Strada-Lumina’s findings with individuals with certifications in fields like engineering and architecture earnings median annual wages of $85,000. And it’s not just people with certificates in technical fields that can earn higher wages – the same report found that even those individuals in the lowest income quartile earned $9000 more annually than those without.

Graduate certificates can help working professionals build their expertise in their chosen fields and apply that knowledge to their work. Certificates may also enable them to apply for promotions or change their work profiles.

How Does an Online Certificate Program Work?

Online certificate programs can provide individuals with an opportunity to access the same high-quality learning that is available on traditional brick-and-mortar campuses that they may not have available in their localities. Curricula are usually the same for on-campus and online certificate programs, often with the same professors teaching both. Students earning an online certificate can usually interact with their professors and peers through discussion boards, email, and video conferencing.

Online certificate programs may vary in terms of flexibility and the delivery of lessons. Some important terms to understand are:

FULLY ONLINE      HYBRID PROGRAMS

Quite self explanatory, fully online means all components of education is provided online. Students need not visit the campus for anything, while hybrid means coursework is delivered in online format, but some courses or components of the program may require students to be physically present on-campus or visit a lab.

ASYNCHRONOUS      SYNCHRONOUS

Asynchronous means that students may access their lectures at any time that is convenient to them. However, assignments still have to be delivered according to deadlines set by the professor. In synchronous format, students need to be presents online at specified times to listen to lectures or participate in discussions or online conferences.

It is important to explore these aspects of an online certificate program you are considering to see how it fits in with your schedule.

  • A certificate program can usually take between two months to a year and a half of part-time study. This means that parents and working professionals may still complete their online certificate program without having to compromise on other commitments.

  • Non-degree certificates usually require a minimum of a high school diploma or GED. Some technical topics may require students to have taken particular subjects in high school like physics or math for example.Graduate certificates may require students to have a bachelor’s or a master’s degree and/or work experience in a relevant field.

  • Students of online certificate programs may be eligible for the same types of federal funding and loans as students of online degree programs, provided the program is offered by an accredited educational institution. You may also be able to find scholarships for your particular program of study. You can learn more about federal and other forms of financial aid here.


We looked at a number of different certificate programs to find the ones that are most popular with online students based on the number of certificates conferred. The table below shows our rankings along with employment projections and associated mean wages using data from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) and the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).

Popular Programs of Study
Median Salary
Projected Employment
Licensed Practical/Vocational Nurse Training$46,2403,252,400
Automobile/Automotive Mechanics Technology/Technician.$45,5464,104,000
Truck and Bus Driver/Commercial Vehicle Operator and Instructor$43,6803,971,000
Cosmetology/Cosmetologist, General$36,1503,594,000
Heating, Air Conditioning, Ventilation and Refrigeration Maintenance Technology/Technician$47,6101,528,000
Medical/Clinical Assistant$33,6104,914,000
Fire Science/Fire-fighting$56,0651,821,000
Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Engineering Technology/Technician$47,6101,910,000
Nursing Assistant/Aide and Patient Care Assistant/Aide$28,5406,697,600
Dental Assisting/Assistant$38,6601,983,000
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

Fastest-Growing Occupations that Require an Certificate Degree

Certificates can allow you to be eligible for entry-level roles in various industries and occupations. The table below uses data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) to describe the fastest growing jobs you may qualify for along with their median wages and job growth.

Fastest-Growing Occupations
Annual Median Wage
Job Growth
Phlebotomists$35,51023%
Medical Assistants$34,80023%
Massage Therapists$42,82022%
Heating, Air Conditioning, and Refrigeration Mechanics and Installers$48,73013%
Audio and Video Technicians$45,91012%
Dental Assistants$40,08011%
Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational Nurses$47,48011%
Surgical Technologists$48,3009%
Emergency Medical Technicians and Paramedics$35,4007%
Medical Dosimetrists, Medical Records Specialists, and Health Technologists and Technicians, All Other$42,630-58%
Source: 2019 Occupational Employment Statistics and 2018-28 Employment Projections, Bureau of Labor Statistics, BLS.gov.

Best Certificate Programs for High-Paying Jobs

We ranked the best online certificate programs that give students the opportunity to earn incomes that are above the national average for all occupations. However, just because a particular occupation pays well, doesn’t mean that there are likely to be plenty of job openings in the field. So, in order for these rankings to be useful in real-world scenarios, we’ve also looked at factors like projected job openings over the next 10 years and the number of online certificate programs available using data from the BLS and NCES.

$36,980
$56,065
$46,240
Source: 2017 Occupational Employment Statistics and 2018-28 Employment Projections, Bureau of Labor Statistics; 2018-28 State Occupational Projections, Projections Central. Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) 2018-19, National Center for Education Statistics

Explore Online Certificate Programs

You may find online certificate programs in most fields of study whether it’s financial accounting or biology, graphic design or healthcare that interests you. Click the buttons below to explore online certificate programs in more depth including the jobs you can get and the courses you may take.

See Methodology Information Here Article Sources:

  • Certified value: when do adults without degrees benefit from earning certificates and certifications?, Strada Education Network and Lumina Foundation, Indianapolis, 2019, https://go.stradaeducation.org/certified-value
  • Chen, Allen, More education: Lower unemployment, higher earnings, Career Outlook, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2017, https://www.bls.gov/careeroutlook/2017/data-on-display/more-education.htm
  • Finding Grants for Certificate Programs, National University, https://www.nu.edu/resources/finding-grants-certificate-programs/, accessed July 2019
  • Pawlicki, Dakota, College today: More students are older, working, supporting others, Lumina Foundation, 2019, https://www.luminafoundation.org/news-and-views/college-today-more-students-are-older-working-supporting-others
  • Three Educational Pathways to Good Jobs: High School, Middle Skills, and Bachelor’s Degree, Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce, 2018, https://1gyhoq479ufd3yna29x7ubjn-wpengine.netdna-ssl.com/wp-content/uploads/3ways-FR.pdf
  • Torpey, Elka, Measuring the value of education, Career Outlook, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2018, https://www.bls.gov/careeroutlook/2018/data-on-display/education-pays.htm
  • Upskilling and Downsizing in American Manufacturing, Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce, 2019, https://1gyhoq479ufd3yna29x7ubjn-wpengine.netdna-ssl.com/wp-content/uploads/Manufacturing_FR.pdf
  • What’s the Difference Between a Certificate and a Certification?, Georgetown University School of Continuing Studies, 2017, https://scs.georgetown.edu/news-and-events/article/6642/difference-between-certificate-and-certification
Methodologies and Sources