Is an Online College Cheaper than Campus?

If relocation is a problem, as it often is for older students with family, it is most likely more fiscally responsible to look into distance learning as an alternative to a traditional brick and mortal campus. However, the belief that an online college is cheaper than a traditional school is often a mistake. Though there are plenty of advantages going for distance learning, price is not necessarily one of them.

Though it's easy to buy a degree at a diploma mill, students who go the law-abiding route of classes at an accredited online school might not understand exactly what their tuition will cost. Most online students are surprised to learn that online degrees can cost as much as tuition at a traditional campus.

Online scholars have a benefit over traditional scholars when it comes to out of state schools. At almost all online schools, the price for in-state and out-of-state students is the same, whereas at traditional public schools, out-of-state students have to pay much more, sometimes as much as twice the in-state rate.

Online students also have the advantage when it comes to the price of a semester. At an online school, students pay by the course, rather than by the semester. This gives you the most bang for your buck, as they say, because you pay the same amount for each semester no matter how many courses you’re taking at a traditional school.

This is even more problematic for traditional students who don't graduate in four years, as they have to pay even more for each semester. At an online school, because you set the pace, you decide how many courses you’ll be taking, and consequently, how much your education will cost.

This lets online scholars determine what their route to graduation will look like, and allows preparation for outside factors like how much money you’re able to spend.

Many employers encourage their workers to look into higher learning. This interest can help defray the cost of schooling, as your company may be able to fund your time at college. However, working a full time job in addition to schooling will probably delay your graduation, which may cause more cost in the long run.

The average course at an online college costs slightly less than $1,000, which, including the cost of books, comes out to about $7,500 a semester.

Certificate courses cost even less because they require less classes.

Additionally, more scholarships and loans are being extended to distance learners as a consequence of recent legislation.

Some argue that distance learning is less expensive than traditional campus college, because at a brick-and-mortar school, you’d be paying for room and board. However, you pay for this cost anyways when living at home. Consequently, the cost of the tuition alone should be the deciding factor in determining which is cheaper.

If you consider attending a traditional school at an in-state public university, most likely the cost of an online degree will be the same, if not slightly higher. However, private schools will almost always cost more. In the end, online learning can be less expensive, but isn’t necessarily in all cases.