Online Classes Fuse Comfort with Price
Convenience is defined as anything that adds to one’s ease or comfort, and Americans are willing to pay a premium for that service. We tip a valet attendant to park our vehicle. We pay the outrageous markup for a bottle of soda at a convenient store. And we are more than willing to pay the pizza delivery man to deliver that pie right to our doorstep on Friday night. So given our clear propensity to shell out the greenback for life’s simple pleasures it only stands to reason that enrolling in an online college degree program would cost more than a traditional college, right? Think again.
According to collegeboard.com the average cost of tuition at a private four year college is $25,143 per year. When you add room and board, books, supplies, and transportation that average cost soars to $35,374. In today’s world it’s hard to imagine anyone can afford that, which is why the majority of students enroll in more affordable state schools.
Penn State will run you $5,957 per semester or $11,914 per year for in-state residents (that cost nearly doubles for those out of state). Incoming freshman at Michigan State can expect to pay $5,107 per semester or $10,214 per year.
Now consider an online degree program where most three credit courses run between $800 – $1,000. That will cost you between $4,000 and $5,000 per semester for five classes, or $8,000 to $10,000 per year.
One of the most well respected names in the online education world is the University of Phoenix. And while their costs exceed the $800-$1,000 marker they do offer an extensive list of degree programs and hold a desirable regional accreditation. To pursue a bachelor’s degree in Business Management you can expect to pay $515 per credit hour, or $1,545 for a three credit course.
At Kaplan University undergraduate programs cost $353 per credit hour (though each class is typically 5 credits). Keep in mind those figures also include books and course materials. It can get a little confusing when comparing numbers so I’ve listed five key questions you should ask when exploring online programs.
Key questions
- How many credits is a typical class
- Does the cost include books and course materials
- Can I enroll anytime (typically yes)
- Can I finish my degree program early (typically yes)
- What type of accreditation do you hold (regional is best)
Search over 200 accredited online colleges and more than 2,000 online degree programs to find the online education program that’s right for you.
ScholarshipPoints code: FUSECANDP
(2 votes, average: 5.00 out of 5)
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Online classes are good for people like me. I am a wife, mother of four beautiful girls and I have a full time job. This makes it easier to better my self with out having a set time for class.
I took an online class once it was hard, but who knows maybe i’ll give it another try.this article was very helpful and interesting
i think this is very true for some people
I always liked online classes, but I never thought they could less expesive, but it really wouldn’t matter to me, Online is better.
I am a visual leaner.I want to be in class.
Wow!
It’s a good idea for older people or those who don’t really want the campus experience. I personally would rather have the college living experience regardless of the cost of tuition
UPDATE—Well like I mentioned to you peeps earlier. You can always take your online classes from a local college as well (like EVIE mentioned she’s going back to). I take the classes that I KNOW I wouldnt like to sit in online and the ones that would require my attention more on campus. Trust me, after sitting there listening to a teach BLAH BLAH all the time. I’d fall asleep and not know anything that happened hahah! And some classes are just str8 boring or could be harder, so taking them online can sometimes be easier. They can give you extra assignments to help you out. Some of my teachers even give BONUS POINTS
aannd they allow you to finish the whole course ahead of time if you like. The only thing you’d have to come back online to do are forum discussions (if the teacher does them, one of mines doesnt) because if you’re doing them ahead of everyone. You’ll have to come back online at different assignment date to reply to the late students replies. So all in all, mines are going alright this semester. My tuition was only $1500 this semester, including the fees.
I did online it was convinient but not worth the price. I did Pheonix University and they are good but to be honest my student loan is not and I did not even get to finish I am going back to my local community college.
this was a very informative article, especially since I plan on taking online college courses after I graduate this year.
This was a very well written article and it informed me.
Very interesting article.
All this hype about online classes! I believe a college experience is meant for someone to be at the campus.