Most Affordable Online Colleges for Bachelor’s Degrees of 2026

It makes sense if you’re thinking about college costs. Nearly 43 million Americans — about 1 in 6 people — owe federal student loans, adding up to more than $1.6 trillion of borrowed money.

Avoiding debt isn’t always possible, but there are ways to cut costs. Choosing an online bachelor’s program can be a smart, affordable move, since online degrees typically cost less than on-campus options. Many also offer the same quality and recognition as in-person programs.

A cheap online bachelor’s degree can help minimize student debt while preparing for a career or graduate school.

College costs can vary significantly among schools, but data from the NCES can give us a general idea. Across all institution types, the median annual tuition for an online bachelor’s degree was $7,926 in 2020, compared to $12,250 for on-campus programs. Adjusted to 2025 dollars, that’s roughly $9,950 online and $15,384 on-campus.

Over four years, online bachelor’s degrees cost about $21,700 less than on-campus programs, based on 2025-adjusted dollars.

The cost of college also varies by school type. Typically, private colleges are more expensive than public ones. However, private colleges tend to offer more sizable financial aid packages, which can help reduce the cost of tuition and fees.

According to the NCES, full-time undergraduate students paid an average of $27,978 in tuition and fees at private colleges and $6,944 at public colleges for the 2023-2024 school year.

A college degree program can be a big investment, but there are ways to make it more affordable, including federal student aid, scholarships, and grants.

Earning an online bachelor’s degree can open the door to a new career. College graduates qualify for higher-paying jobs than people without degrees. And you’ll need a bachelor’s degree if you want to go to graduate school. But with so many programs to choose from, how do you find the one for your unique needs?

First, make sure to choose an accredited institution. Accreditation ensures your college meets the highest standards for academic quality, and most employers only hire graduates from accredited schools.

Next, consider your interests, strengths, and career goals. And don’t overlook one of the most important factors: cost. A degree is a major investment, but it doesn’t have to break the bank.

So, are you ready to pursue a specific degree? Below, you can explore some of our popular cheap online bachelor’s degree programs and their median annual salaries, according to May 2024 data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).

Affordable online business degrees give you a solid foundation in essential business principles. Typical courses cover management, marketing, finance, accounting, and economics. Many programs let you specialize in areas like accounting, finance, or marketing.

As a business major, you can pursue various career paths in business. The majority of business majors work in management roles, which had a median annual salary of $122,090 in May 2024. Other popular jobs include business and financial operations, sales, and office support roles.

An affordable communications bachelor’s degree helps you build marketable hard and soft skills, such as interpersonal skills, critical thinking, and writing. Concentration areas include mass communication, public relations, or advertising, depending on your chosen concentration.

Given the wide-spanning nature of this degree, there are many career paths in communications, from market research and advertising to human resources and journalism. According to May 2024 data from the BLS, the median wage for media and communication occupations was $70,300.

An affordable English degree covers nonfiction writing, film studies, and literature. As an English major, you can expect to study literature within historical and cultural contexts, which helps you develop critical thinking, persuasive writing, and speaking skills.

Many English majors pursue careers as authors, teachers, or editors. According to Payscale data from July 2025, the average salaries for a few bachelor of arts in English careers are as follows: technical writer ($59,120), marketing manager ($71,539), and senior technical writer ($93,560).

A bachelor’s degree in healthcare administration helps you build leadership and management skills that are relevant to the healthcare sector. Common courses cover management principles, project management, and integrated physical sciences.

Majoring in healthcare administration gets you ready for roles in health services management. Medical and health services managers earned a median salary of $117,960 in May 2024, according to the BLS.

Many graduates of HCA programs go on to earn an advanced degree. Pursuing an affordable master’s in healthcare administration provides further leadership training and makes you more competitive for management roles.

Affordable history degrees focus on historical knowledge, research, and communication skills. In a history program, you will learn how today’s world developed and gain insight into diverse people from various times and places.

History majors can pursue careers as historians, archivists, museum curators, and teachers. In May 2024, the median annual wage for archivists, curators, and museum workers was $57,100, as per the BLS.

An online bachelor’s degree in information technology may allow you to specialize in mobile devices, cybersecurity, or cloud-based networking.

You can pursue several different IT careers after graduating, such as hardware engineer, database administrator, and information systems manager. Computer hardware engineers earn a median annual salary of $155,020.

An online bachelor’s degree program in psychology includes classes in addiction theories, the psychology of social media, and criminal psychology and behavior. You can use your degree to pursue a doctorate, which is required to become a licensed psychologist.

Some psychology-related careers, such as human resources manager, require only a bachelor’s degree. Human resources managers earn a median annual salary of $140,030.

An affordable online BSW program requires coursework in diversity, human behavior, and social work research. You’ll also have to complete in-person practicums in different social work settings.

Working as a health education specialist is one possible social work career you could pursue with a bachelor’s degree. These professionals earned a median annual salary of $63,000 as of May 2024, according to the BLS. Employers may require a certification in health education.

Earning a bachelor’s degree can be expensive, but a few smart moves can help you lower the cost.

In general, yes, a college degree is still worth it. Finding an affordable program and keeping your costs down can help you maximize your return on investment.

While concerns around rising tuition costs and clear pathways to employment have become more prevalent, bachelor’s degrees still provide a healthy return, according to a 2025 study by the Federal Reserve Bank of New York. However, whether a bachelor’s degree is worth it for you depends on your career and financial goals.

In fields like business, healthcare, and information technology, a bachelor’s degree is often the minimum educational requirement and can lead to median annual salaries ranging from $58,000 to $138,000. Even the lower end of this range is significantly higher than the national median wage of $49,500.

BLS data from May 2025 also shows that people with a bachelor’s degree earn about 50% more per year than those with a high school diploma and around 34% more than those with an associate degree.