20 Most Affordable Online Masters Programs
Online degree programs have become increasingly popular over the years. Earning a master’s degree helps immensely in advancing careers. All kinds of statistics show that a master’s degree has become the new bachelor’s degree in today’s higher education, wherein prospective students graduate from a master’s degree to take on more responsible roles in industry and diverse career paths. And the most convenient way of getting a master’s degree is through online programs. Enrolling in an online master’s program has become very easy, given numerous choices that are available today. But unfortunately, most master’s programs are expensive to pursue and cost top dollar. Consequently, when it comes to choosing an online master’s degree program, affordability, therefore, becomes a very essential factor. Although getting an online master’s degree helps prospective students advance their careers, paying for a state university and colleges can be a huge challenge. But in the end, earning a master’s degree is always worth the effort and expense. Read OMC’s guide about why students should get an online master’s degree.
In this guide, OMC lists out schools that offer the most affordable online masters degree programs and highlights everything there is to know about an affordable master’s degree.
What are the most affordable online masters programs?
Looking for cheap online degree programs is no easy task. When prospective students do a thorough school search for an affordable master’s degree program, they must include the evaluation of school rankings and trusted partner programs and several other key factors, aside from the cost of tuition. Also, perhaps one of the most important factors is accreditation – whether or not the state university offers the master’s degree in an accredited institution. Accreditation can be conferred by one of the many independent accreditation agencies, such as the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC), or the Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE). (More information on accreditation is available in the Accreditation Guide.)
Based on all these and other factors, here is the list of schools that offer the most affordable online master’s programs:
- Purdue University Online
- Arizona State University
- Wilmington University
- University of Texas of the Permian Basin
- Lamar University
- North Carolina State University
- Wayne State College
- Fort Hays State University
- Southeast Missouri State University
- Midway University
- The University of Alabama
- Valdosta State University
- Georgia Institute of Technology
- The University of Wisconsin
- The University of Florida
- Sam Houston State University
- University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign
- Eastern Carolina University
- Oklahoma State University
- Liberty University
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FAQs about Affordable Online Master’s Degree Programs
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Here are a few questions online graduate students frequently ask affordable online master’s degrees:
How do I pay for affordable online master’s degree programs?
Most schools generally offer some kind of financial aid for their online master’s degree programs. Additionally, there is also plenty of outside financial aid available to online graduate students. Read more about financial aid on the best Financial Aid guide.
Do employers value affordable online master’s degree programs?
Yes, the most affordable online master’s degree programs are just like any other traditional (and expensive) master’s degree programs, wherein online courses are taught by the same faculty of both formats. But some schools offer these master’s degree programs to graduate students at affordable tuition fees for various reasons. Most employers only look for a traditional or online master’s degree that is accredited and do not consider whether the master’s degree program was an affordable online master or not.
Do universities that offer affordable online master’s degree programs maintain high standards in the programs?
Yes, universities that offer affordable online master’s degrees in this guide maintain high standards. They offer the same core courses, online learning experience, and overall quality as their expensive counterparts. OMC has undertaken a thorough school search and carefully taken the quality and reputation of the online master degree program, before ranking these most affordable online master’s degrees and schools.
What are the admission requirements for affordable online master’s degree programs?
The admission requirements for online graduate students at schools that offer affordable online master’s programs vary based on the state university. But generally, most online graduate programs requirements include some common ones like:
- Bachelor’s degree
- Letters of Recommendation
- Personal Statement or Statement of Purpose, and/or Graduate Resume
- GMAT or GRE test score
Are affordable online master’s degree programs accredited?
While factoring in affordability, online master’s students should note that accreditation provides better access to financial aid. Yes, all the affordable online master’s programs mentioned in this guide are accredited programs.
20 Most Affordable Masters Degrees Online – Details
The below rankings of the 20 most affordable online master’s programs were based on several crucial metrics with the degree program cost featured prominently in the evaluations. In higher education, tuition is a key factor but a low tuition rate will not matter if the university doesn’t offer the exact online master’s degree a prospective student is seeking. Consequently, the criteria encompassed the number and range of online master’s degree programs available at each university, available financial aid, accreditation, admission requirements, and application fees.
Link to this Page Source – Integrated Post Secondary Education Data System & University Data
*Tuition rates are for in-state and per year. Program specific rates may apply.
**NA – data not available