Best Online Degree Completion Programs of 2025

If you hold college credits or an associate degree, you may be able to finish your college education quickly and efficiently through an online bachelor’s degree completion program.

These degree programs feature generous transfer policies, flexible study options, and a short path to graduation.

The National Student Clearinghouse reports that 36.8 million Americans have college credit but no degree. If that’s your story, a degree completion program may help you launch your dream career, advance at your workplace, or qualify for graduate, business, or law school admission.

Degree completion programs allow students with college credits to finish their bachelor’s degree. During the program, you may complete coursework in a variety of disciplines, including business, the social sciences, the humanities, and the natural sciences.

Most degree completion programs accept 60-75 credits toward the degree, meaning you can finish a bachelor’s degree in 1-2 years. Depending on the program, you may pursue a specific major like English, economics, or psychology. Some programs offer more general options, like a general studies degree.

Many learners prefer online degree completion programs for the flexible schedule they provide. During an online bachelor’s degree program, you can often meet graduation requirements at your own pace. Many programs offer part-time or accelerated options to fit your specific needs.

If you have credits from a previously unfinished degree or an associate degree, an online bachelor’s degree completion program may be a great fit for you. These online programs may be especially appealing if you have work and family obligations. Many online degree completion programs let you complete coursework and assignments on your own schedule.

Online degree completion programs can also help you save money. By choosing to pursue a bachelor’s degree online, you can compare schools across the country to find the most affordable option. If you’re attending an accredited degree completion program, you also qualify for federal financial aid opportunities.

One of the most popular majors available, business administration can equip you with skills in operations, management, and finance. Common concentrations include business analytics, leadership, and human resources. After graduation, you can pursue a career in marketing, banking, business development, or nonprofit management. To apply, you typically need an associate degree or 60 transferable college credits.

Business degree completion programs include:

Aspiring teachers can complete the academic requirements for licensure through a degree completion program related to education. Popular majors include special education, elementary education, and career and technical studies.

You may need to complete student teaching requirements at an approved location near you. To apply, you may need 60 credits or an associate degree.

Bachelor’s degree completion programs for educators include:

In 2022, the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) projected that the economy would add 377,500 technology jobs and 188,000 architecture and engineering jobs by 2032. Most of these positions require a bachelor’s degree or higher. Undergraduate majors in the field may include cybersecurity, computer science, and electronics systems engineering technology.

Schools that offer degree completion programs in engineering and technology include:

Healthcare majors could include health services administration, health science, or healthcare administration. These degrees can lead to a career in hospital administration, nursing home leadership, or healthcare policy. Some graduates may build on this degree with a master’s in public health, health informatics, or health services policy and management.

Healthcare degree completion programs include:

The word “humanities” refers to a broad array of academic disciplines, including history, language arts, philosophy, and foreign languages. Some humanities degrees are listed as interdisciplinary majors with concentration options in one or more of the most common academic disciplines. Humanities graduates have usually honed skills in communication, research, and critical thinking and may pursue a variety of careers.

Degree completion programs with a humanities focus include:

Although you cannot become a registered nurse (RN) through a fully online bachelor’s degree, you can pursue an RN-to-BSN bridge program entirely through distance education. If you hold an unencumbered RN license and a qualifying associate degree in nursing, this may be the program for you.

Should you hold a bachelor’s degree in a non-nursing field, you may be able to pursue an accelerated BSN through an online/on-campus hybrid program.

Degree completion programs for nurses include:

The social sciences are the study of how societies function. A social science degree, therefore, can mean a major in anthropology, geography, psychology, sociology, criminal justice, or political science.

These degrees can prepare you for a career in education, law enforcement, or nonprofit management. They may also help you meet the admission requirements for law school, business school, or other graduate school.

Schools that offer degree completion programs in the social sciences include:

A bachelor’s degree can help you advance your career and increase your earning potential. Many career paths require a bachelor’s degree for entry-level positions, and 2023 BLS data marks a difference of over $40,000 a year between the salary of someone with a bachelor’s degree, and someone with a high school diploma.

The National Center for Education Statistics reports that 64% of undergraduate students earn their bachelor’s degree within six years, meaning 36% of students do not complete their bachelor’s program. Some students leave college because of work or family obligations, while others face financial barriers.

Online degree completion programs offer flexibility and accessibility. The flexibility of an online learning format lets you arrange coursework around professional and personal responsibilities.

Additionally, online learning allows you to choose from programs throughout the country without needing to relocate.