In this day and age there are more ways to earn an accredited undergraduate degree online than ever before–and many of these options offer a trifecta of value: affordability, flexibility, and academic rigor. It is certainly a buyer’s market for those prospecting an online degree, meaning that students can prioritize programs with certain features that offer the most value in the context of an individual’s life and goals.
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For adult learners and working students, flexibility is often as important as any other metric. In the modern economy it is not uncommon for undergraduates to manage side-hustles or even full-time employment while pursuing a degree. And with this in mind, a traditional four year format is not always accommodating.
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Thankfully our researchers have done the legwork for you and have ranked the 20 best online programs that offer affordability and academic rigor, packaged in a program that offers the utmost of flexibility in order to accommodate even the busiest of the students and the most hectic of schedules. These programs will meet each student on their own terms to ensure that their bachelor’s program enables professional advancement without disabling a comfortable work-life balance.
1. Trine University-Regional/Non-Traditional Campuses
By Trine’s own words, excellence is the bedrock of its programs. At Trine University specially trained faculty instruct students in how to aspire to excellence and then achieve it. In recent years, Trine has transitioned its traditional programs with more than 130 years of academic excellence online so that more students can benefit from its programs.
Trine Online offers a selection of accredited degree programs–associates, bachelors, and masters. Trine’s expert faculty are specially trained in working with online students and non-traditional students. This means that each program’s curriculum is designed to accommodate students of various lifestyles with different goals and expectations.
Specifically, Trine Online offers a catalogue of Bachelor’s programs in the following areas:
- Business Administration
- Human Resource Management
- Criminal Justice
- Engineering and Technology
- Information Systems
- Manufacturing Technology
- Healthcare
- Leadership
2. LeTourneau University
LeTourneau University offers a modernized Christian-based framework for online education, which translates into program curriculums built around social activism, civic responsibility, and value-based leadership. It is important to note though that these programs do not emphasize any one denomination and are welcome to students from all belief systems–secular or not.
LeTourneau’s online Bachelor’s programs are ideal for students who wish to elevate online studies with values-based curriculums. Online undergraduate programs are also centrally focused on providing a value proposition based on professional return. That is, instructors constantly rework curriculum formats to reflect current demands of the job market and to offer the flexibility needed to accommodate working students.
LeTourneau University offers a selection of online degree programs, which for the most part are organized under business, healthcare, and faith-based studies departments.
3. Thomas Jefferson University
Thomas Jefferson University boasts a rich and successful history of offering career-minded programs to students. This tradition has carried forth into the modern day with amazing success–evidenced by the stat of more than 96% of graduates finding employment or enrollment into graduate school, which are ultimately the goals of any undergraduate.
Over the last decade, Jefferson has redoubled its efforts to provide the innovation needed to modernize its degree programs. As such, online students benefit from comprehensive curriculums built with interdepartmental collaboration. This means that students are empowered to pursue unique professional interests and research projects, which might not have been available in programs with more rigid curriculums.
4. Clarkson College
The story of Clarkson College is the story of adaptability and innovation, which has been brought to fruition with its recent expansion into the online education space. Clarkson has dedicated considerable resources to developing its online programs from the ground up to offer flexibility and academic integrity.
Clarkson’s online programs make use of the industry’s best technology so that students can communicate with each other and with instructors. This technology also allows students to work on group projects and presentations. Clarkson also offers hybrid course options for students who want to participate in on-campus activities while also shifting a bulk of the workload online.
Clarkson offers degrees in the following subjects:
- Community Health
- Education & Leadership
- General Education
- Healthcare Management & Administration
- Health Information Management
- Nursing
- Physical Therapist Assistant
- Radiography & Medical Imaging
- Professional Development
5. Baker University
Baker University is a premier private university that caters to adult learners and working students by offering online degree programs that emphasize affordability and flexibility, so that students can enroll in online Bachelor’s programs no matter where they are in life. At Baker University, students are encouraged to embrace creativity and analytical thinking to achieve clear perspectives in their careers, so that they can identify and travel the road to success.
Baker offers a decent selection of online degree programs at the bachelors and masters level. Specifically, students can earn any of the following online bachelor’s:
- Bachelor of Business Administration | Major in Business Leadership
- Bachelor of Business Administration | Major in Management
- Bachelor of Business Administration | Major in Marketing
- Bachelor of Science with a Major in Criminal Justice
- Bachelor of Science with a Major in Psychology
6. Endicott College
Endicott College delivers affordable, convenient, and professional degree programs which are meant to prime graduates for success in the job market. By narrowing its focus to servicing adult-learners, the Endicott College Van Loan School of Professional Studies is able to raise the bar of its programs and ask more of its students. This allows faculty to deliver academically rigorous programs delivered at a demanding pace.
The Endicott College Van Loan School of Professional Studies employs the latest in online learning technology to keep students engaged throughout their programs. For instance, online lecture technology allows students to collaborate with peers and instructors and to complete group projects.
Students interested in earning a Bachelor’s degree can earn any of the following:
- Business Management Program (B.S.)
- Business Program (A.S.)
- Business Program (Spain)
- Computer Science Program (A.S.)
- Criminal Justice Program (A.S.)
- Criminal Justice Program (B.S.)
- Integrated Studies Program (A.S.)
- Liberal Studies Program (B.A.)
- Liberal Studies with Concentration in Educational Studies (B.A.)
- Liberal Studies with Montessori Learning Concentration (B.A.)
- Psychology Program (B.S.)
7. Liberty University
Liberty University is a fully accredited evangelical liberla arts institution that is quickly becoming one of the largest of its kind. Today Liberty services more than 100,000 students through more than 700 programs, more than half of which are available online to students anywhere in the world (roughly 450 online programs). Whereas faith might take a backseat in some nonsecular universities, the Christian faith is positioned at the bedrock of Liberty University.
As such, students should expect program curriculums to be framed in such a way as to represent Christian values and the love of God. Beyond a faith-based learning format, Liberty looks to strike the balance between theory, research, and hands-on training. As such, curriculums are built to prepare students to be adaptable above all, so that they will be prepared to adapt to the constantly evolving and changing job market.
While Liberty University offers an amazingly robust selection of online Bachelor’s programs, here are their self-reported 10 most popular programs:
- Accounting (B.S.)
- Aviation (B.S.)
- Business Administration (BSBA)
- Criminal Justice (B.S.)
- Elementary Education (B.S.)
- History (B.S.)
- Information Technology (B.S.)
- Psychology (B.S.)
- Religion (B.S.)
- Social Work (BSW)
8. Trevecca Nazarene University
Since 1901 Trevecca has been cultivating leaders and helping students actualize their professional dreams. In recent years Trevecca has moved more of its programs online, and now offers associate, bachelor, master, and doctoral programs entirely online. A whopping 98% of Trevecca students earn financial aid of some sort, which is a god-send for students looking to earn a bachelor’s on a budget.
And similarly impressive is the fact that 92% of Trevecca’s instructors hold the highest degree in their respective field. Trevecca invests in its students by hiring qualified faculty who combine high-end credentials with real-world experience, who then pass on their experience to students.
Trevecca online programs are delivered in an asynchronous format one class at a time, which makes it incredibly accommodating for adult learners and busy students. Students can earn any of the following bachelor’s programs:
- Business
- Business Management (Associate of Science)
- Christian Ministry
- Criminal Justice
- Health Care Administration
9. Ohio University
Ohio University is a large public university that has quickly taken the mantle of one of the number one providers of online education in the state of Ohio. Ohio University now services more than 7,900 students through more than 60 degree programs. Ohio’s online programs are built with flexibility in mind with a number of accelerated tracks and malleable specialty options.
Ohio also offers a number of pathways for customizing degree programs, which allows students to choose from an exclusively online format, an on-campus format, or a hybrid format which combines elements of both. Similarly, Ohio offers online students options for independent studies which can empower students to pursue areas of study that might otherwise be unavailable.
Students for looking a traditional curriculum structure can enroll in any of the following online bachelor’s programs:
- Applied Management
- Communication
- Criminal Justice
- Customer Service Leadership
- Hospitality Management
- Human Services
- Integrated Healthcare Studies
- Interior Architecture
- Psychology
- RN to BSN
- Technical and Applied Studies
- Technical Operations Management
10. Mount Vernon Nazarene University
Mount Vernon Nazarene University (MVNU) is another institution that has brought its rich history of demonstrable Christian values to the online education space. The University is the official educational institution of the East Central Educational Region of the Church of the Nazarene. As such, students can enroll in flexible and affordable degree programs that implement value-based learning based on Christian values.
MVNU offers liberal arts curriculums that are designed to be accessible to students around the country, if not the world at large (online student body is from 10 other countries). MVNU has been recognized for offering top-tier flexibility and affordability in numerous trusted publications.
Students can earn of the following Bachelor’s online:
- Bachelor of Business Administration
- Finance
- Human Resource Management
- Management
- Marketing
- Bachelor of Arts in Leadership
- Bachelor of Arts in Chrisitan Ministry
- Bachelor of Arts in Public Administration
- Bachelor of Social Work
- Bachelor of Arts in Elementary Education (P-5)
11. Saint Joseph’s College of Maine
Saint Joseph’s College of Maine (SJCME) is an intimate, more modestly sized private Catholic that looks to combine faith-based education with academic excellence. SJCME is a premier location for earning a degree for entering the theological industry, and particularly specializes in offering culturally specialized degree programs.
SJCME applies its philosophy of intimate education to the online environment, where each student is given the care and attention as they would receive on campus. Specifically, students can earn any of the following degrees entirely online:
- Catechism for Catechist (non-credit)
- Catholic Theology
- Certificate in Catholic Catechesis
- Health Administration
- Long-Term Care Administration
- Pastoral Ministry to Black Catholics
- Pastoral Ministry to Latino Catholics
12. Adelphi University
Adelphi University has built a tremendous reputation for catering to non-traditional students over the last 45 years. Adelphi has validated this reputation twofold in recent years, represented in the investing of building innovative online degree programs that cater to non-traditional students. These programs offer the utmost of flexibility and allow students to engage degree programs at any cadence that enables a comfortable work-life balance.
Despite the flexibility offered, Adelphi employs technology to preserve the livability of the on-campus classroom within the context of online education. Similarly, Adelphi’s Faculty Center for Professional Excellence invests in faculty in order to provide them with the necessary resources needed to take their programs to the next level.
Students can earn any of the following undergraduate programs online:
- AS in Emergency Services Administration
- BA in Social ScienceBS in Business
- BS in Emergency Services Administration
- RN to BS in Nursing
13. Chaminade University of Honolulu
Chaminade University is known for its student-centric education programs which prioritize small classrooms where students can receive the care and attention needed to excel in life and career. In addition to its student-centric philosophies, Chaminade offers experiential learning pathways which are designed to keep online students engaged and involved in their program.
Chaminade offers 10 different undergraduate majors that can be completed entirely online. The online programs are arranged into 10 week terms, which can be individualized to accommodate the needs and expectations of students. The majors available are as follows:
- Business Administration
- Criminology & Criminal Justice
- Education
- English
- Historical and Political Studies
- Liberal Arts
- Management
- Psychology
- Religious Studies
- Secondary Education
- Special Education
- Teaching
14. South Dakota State University
South Dakota State University (SDSU) offers a number of online degree programs at the undergraduate and graduate level. If you are on the fence about online education, SDSU offers a number of resources to aid students in deciding if it is a good match. Specifically, you can take this survey, which will help you identify your goals and figure out if online education can help you actualize those goals.
SDSU also utilizes a generous credit system, which enables a high level of upward mobility. This means that some online degree programs will offer credits that can be applied when enrolling in a higher level program (particularly for the Laboratory Science program). SDSU’s entire catalogue of online bachelor’s is as follows:
- Early Education and Care (B.S.)
- General Studies (B.G.S.)
- Geographic Information Sciences (B.S.)
- Geography (B.A./B.S.)
- Human Development and Family Studies (B.S.)
- Interdisciplinary Studies (B.S.)
- Medical Laboratory Science (Upward Mobility) (B.S.)*
- Nursing (RN to B.S.N.)
- Psychology (B.S.)
- Sociology (B.S.)
15. Roger Williams University
Roger Williams’ University College is an institution that is built on a foundation of catering to the needs of students. This foundation is built upon so that Roger Williams can offer student-centric degree programs to students from all walks of life that can accommodate even the most demanding of schedules. UC’s online degree programs are so flexible that students can progress through coursework anytime and anywhere.
In fact, beyond self-paced coursework, students work closely with instructors and advisors shortly after enrollment to design a tailor-made schedule that maximizes the efficiency of the program while offering a comfortable work-life balance. This is an excellent feature for students who might have wildy irregular schedules that require special consideration.
Consider Roger William’s full catalogue of online bachelor’s:
- Applied Psychology
- Bachelor’s Degree
- Criminal Justice
- Associate’s Degree, Bachelor’s Degree, Undergraduate Certificate
- Cybersecurity & Networking
- Associate’s Degree, Bachelor’s Degree, Undergraduate Certificate
- Emergency Medical Services
- Associate’s Degree, Bachelor’s Degree
- Health Care Administration
- Associate’s Degree, Bachelor’s Degree
- Healthy Communities
- Associate’s Degree, Bachelor’s Degree
- Humanities & Social Sciences
- Associate’s Degree, Bachelor’s Degree, Undergraduate Certificate
- Individualized Concentration
- Associate’s Degree, Bachelor’s Degree
- Paralegal Studies
- Associate’s Degree, Bachelor’s Degree, Post Baccalaureate Certificate
- Policing, Public Safety and Security
- Associate’s Degree, Bachelor’s Degree, Undergraduate Certificate
- Public Administration
- Associate’s Degree, Bachelor’s Degree, Undergraduate Certificate
- Technology, Leadership and Management
- Associate’s Degree, Bachelor’s Degree, Undergraduate Certificate
16. Western Governors University
Western Governors University is one of the world’s premier institutions of online education. WGU was among the earliest adopters of online education technology, and as such was perfectly positioned to offer programs to the rising number of students seeking nontraditional education. This extensive experience allowed WGU to iterate on program structure and curriculums to maximize their effectiveness in the context of online education.
Similarly, WGU has invested in the best of the best online learning technology as it is the cornerstone of the university. Whereas some universities offer online modes of delivery for programs, WGU offers only online degrees. So you can rest assured that you are benefitting from the best program that the University has to offer.
WGU offers nearly 30 fully online undergraduate degrees through four different colleges: College of Business, College of Information Technology, College of Health Professions, and the Teachers College.
17. TN Reconnect College Programs
Tennessee Reconnect is a last-dollar grant program that is designed to facilitate the professional advancement of nontraditional Tennessee students who may have decided against college to build real world experience. TN Reconnect grants college credits for this real world experience, provided of course that a student is able to complete the appropriate tests and exams.
While the program is not free, the costs associated are on average much lower than the typical tuition costs associated with the same number of credits awarded. The example provided is as follows:
“You could pay $80 for a CLEP examination and earn 3 credit hours [through the TN Reconnect program]. It could cost you $500 or more to earn the same credits in a traditional classroom.”
18. Purdue University
Purdue University’s name is one that comes with prestige and academic clout. When earning a degree from Purdue, you can be sure that future employers will look on your alma mater with favor. And thankfully, Purdue Online has recently made many of its most successful programs accessible to online students at a more affordable rate–making it an excellent option for any student considering an online bachelor’s degree.
Purdue’s catalogue of available online degree programs are offered as a collaboration between the colleges in the Purdue University System: Purdue West Lafayette, Purdue Fort Wayne and Purdue Northwest, to Purdue Global. Each school has its own set of specialties and degree programs on offer. You can explore these options at the link below.
19. Excelsior College
When it comes to distance education, Excelsior College is one of the country’s most veteran and well-established institutions of its kind. Having specialized in distance education as far back as 1971, Excelsior College has fine-tuned its approach over subsequent decades. While newer programs might suffer a lack of iteration, Excelsior’s degree programs are among the most accommodating and flexible of their kind.
Excelsior is a not-for-profit and fully accredited institution that offers a wide variety of degree programs. Programs start every 8 weeks, which provides busy students with plenty of entry points to accommodate busy schedules. Excelsior also provides a beneficial experiential learning credit system, which rewards adult learners with previous professional experience.
20. Walden University
In 1970 Walden University began its pursuit of building a school to specialize in the education of adults and nontraditional learners. Today Walden has an alumni network of more than 153,000 students who have gone to build successful careers in countless fields and industries. More than 300 of Walden’s faculty have been recognized for ‘Excellence in Teaching and Mentorship.’
Meaning that Walden students can enjoy the confidence that they are learning from some of the industry’s best educators. Walden is also accredited by The Higher Learning Commission, which maintains high standards for academic excellence–standards which Walden strives to overachieve.
Additionally, Walden offers one of the most robust catalogues of online bachelor’s in the world. And each program offers a high level of flexibility, wherein students can progress through asynchronous formats at a pace that best matches their goals and desired cadence of coursework.
