Cheapest Online Schools & The Online Courses You Can Take
What are the different types of online schools?
If you are on the lookout for the Cheapest Online Schools, there is a lot of information on the internet about available options for students at any age. When you start looking for relevant information, you may find out that there are a lot of opportunities for online studying that are delivered fully or partially on the web. Another thing you can encounter, if you browse for online schools, is the big range of choice between schools and grading. Since the availability of smartphones and wireless has significantly increased in the last decade, there has been a rise in the establishment of online schools in these three levels: elementary school, middle school, and high school. With the advancement of new technologies and better access to them, there has been a growing demand for online schools, which created a new market for this type of education. More people were turning to home-schooling for their children, which made online education develop further into the highly sophisticated remote learning machine that we are starting to see lately.
Learning online is not an exclusive service that costs a lot of money, and it’s inaccessible only to privileged people, who are able to afford high tuition fees. Actually the opposite! While browsing for online courses in one of the Cheapest Online Schools offered by institutions, you can find a lot of public schools that have options for elementary, middle, and high school students, which cost nothing to parents in terms of annual academic fee. Public schools are funded by the government and they are also accredited, making them a great choice for people who prefer their children to receive free education, similar to most other kids. The majority of online students in primary, secondary, and high school are actually enrolled in a public online school, most likely because it’s the cheapest option for parents or just in the same district where they are based. On the other hand, private online schools are also a fairly popular option among parents with higher academic requirements and possibly ones with a better income. Studying in a private school can cost a different amount, based on what institution offers the accreditation, and if there are any bursaries added to the application. Entry to any of these schools will vary depending on the state, the individual requirements of the school, and the type of program the students enroll in. These must be checked thoroughly before any applications for admission are being made.
Other types of online schools, that you may come across when you search for cheap online education, are the higher education opportunities such as college and graduate school. It must be made clear that receiving postsecondary education can be possible in both college and university, while the difference between the two is in the size of the institution, and the types of programs offered within. Colleges usually offer associate and bachelor degrees, contrary to graduate schools, which are equipped to teach master’s students, doctorates and post-doctorates as part of their curriculum.
Elementary Online School
The first part of the K-12 education system covers the ages between kindergarten and grade 5. This is also known as elementary school and there are plenty of options for home schooling of children in this very early stage of their academic life. Even though in the past online elementary schools were a limited option, and possibly one available to children with some special circumstances, today homeschooling has become commonplace as part of the curriculum of children, who are enrolled to receive supplementary teaching materials in addition to their standard curriculum. Another instance of parents and students who make great use of online elementary schools are the instances of ill or injured children who cannot attend regular classes on-site. This type of education can be very challenging at first for students who have never been enrolled in a brick-and-mortar school or ones who are used to the traditional classroom learning methods. Nevertheless, in no time after starting with the academic preparation, young students are seen to adapt successfully over some time, with the learning platforms and the interactive applied approaches. This marks a great start in their development as a whole! It’s also a great boost to their general ability to recognize and use modern technology more efficiently at an early age.
In order to be useful to the child for their own educational purposes, online elementary school programs should be researched carefully in advance. There are many options for online schooling, which are either fully online, and teaching is remotely from the students, or they offer some form of blended learning experience that supplements traditional classroom learning. There are also online hybrid courses for elementary students which are more elaborated in terms of what part of the teaching is done online, and what other one is face-to-face. In hybrid programs, there could be more than one teacher or tutor meeting the individual academic needs of the child. Blended programs are different from hybrid programs in the proportion of online classes that students receive, which is significantly less than in the other programs, while the student is taught mostly in a traditional classroom setting.
As previously mentioned, elementary online schools are not a novelty at all. They have been utilized by many parents and their children who require mobile learning due to the work commitments of the family. Another example is disabled students, constituting a significant fraction of the children schooled at home, usually fully online. The inability of children to attend classes in person due to chronic disease is typically the reason why many parents have decided to go for online elementary school. There are more examples of students who have been utilizing home schooling for quite some time already- children who live in rural areas, away from local facilities, and gifted students requiring a tailored teaching approach.
Online Middle School
Digital learning has seen a lot of growth and expansion in the last ten years, as a popular way of delivering education to children and adolescents. In the K-12 system, the middle school follows elementary school, from grade 6 to grade 8. This particular age can also be a challenging one to teach online, but modern technology and new interactive approaches to teaching have made it possible for online middle schools to emerge and attract a lot of interest from parents and students. Even though there is greater availability of learning options online for this age group, it must be carefully considered what the individual program has to offer, before enrolling the student into this type of education. Finding a program that meets the needs of the children at this age is crucial, as you wouldn’t like to find gaps in the teaching system, later on, affecting the long-term progress and abilities of the children.
Thanks to the blooming of the online learning industry, studying in an online middle school has given many kids the opportunity to gain an education despite their financial situation, personal background, or academic needs. Unlike online elementary schools which are focused on creating the base set of skills in students, online middle schools are offering a more extended study curriculum to students, developing a wider range of skills in interactive content. The main goal of the cheapest online middle schools is to achieve a solid foundation for students to understand and apply more advanced academic concepts, which are further elaborated in high school education. Studying online at this age needs a tailored approach which a lot of the Cheapest Online Schools have now adopted in their curriculum. The majority of online middle schools are offering partial online education, while a significant part of the schools is also available for a fully online learning experience.
Finding an online school that meets the needs of your child and it is also cheap, can be a difficult one for parents to begin with. A lot of the time, parents are made to compromise with the quality of the education they will receive by enrolling their children in online middle school that is affordable, or potentially even free of charge. A lot of public middle schools are now made available to everyone who wants to get access to education at that age, but they lack the resources to attend traditional schools. This could be students who are moving from place to place and they need continuous education in this period, without interrupting the learning of their child by relocating too often. Another example of children in this age, who make use of the online middle school, are the students who have underlying health problems, not allowing them to attend traditional brick-and-mortar schools. This is not where this list ends. Online middle schools have also been a great way for gifted students and others who struggle with the social environment in their Cheapest Online Schools, to receive adequate education that suits their individual needs. Used as a method to complement traditional learning, online middle schools are also great for ambitious children who want to gain a broader learning experience via online teaching.
Cheapest Online High Schools
Teaching students in the age group between grade 9 and grade 12 is referred to as high school education or post-secondary education. This is a crucial time for students to adapt new skills and to expand their understanding of many subjects in greater detail. In this key period, students usually develop an interest in a specific area of study, which forms their academic path in their higher education at college or university. Due to the specificity of the teaching methods in high schools and the qualifications required from education to providing to students in this stage of their personal development, online high school learning is more scarce as an option than online elementary schools and online middle schools.
Like the other examples of online education, online high school has been made available to students for quite a few years now due to the high demand for remote learning options. The types of students that you can find in these online programs are often ones who are not finding available options for education in their area or others who are moving frequently between places, and committing to a single high school turns to be challenging. There is also another example of online high school students, and these are athletes, performers, or other students who have a busy schedule, and they need a personalized high school curriculum, made to suit their individual schedule. Last but not least, the Cheapest Online Schools are also made available to any students who are not fond of the learning experience in traditional high school education, and they want to gain skills and academic background in subjects via more interactive and innovative teaching approaches. Students who are experiencing some form of disability are also often seen in these types of online programs, due to their inability to attend traditional classes. These pupils usually have a timetable requiring more flexibility of their learning according to the medical treatment routines they have.
The price of enrolling your child in online high school may vary significantly between schools and districts. Like elementary and middle schools, high schools can also be public and private, giving the option for parents to choose between free education and a tuition fee, specific to the high school institution. Public schools are more affordable to families since they are funded by the state and they require close to no expense from parents, other than stationary and additional learning materials. These types of schools could have a limited curriculum and a low-caliber of education overall compared to private high schools. With private schools, families are investing a lot more in finances per year for the online education of their children, who could benefit from the luxury of a one-to-one learning experience and a more diverse curriculum of electives, delivered by more qualified and experienced teachers. There are different types of programs in the Cheapest Online Schools, made to supplement traditional learning, to provide a hybrid learning approach, or to provide a comprehensive online education to high school students.
Cheapest Online Colleges
After high school, many students choose to pursue further education in colleges that offer specialized programs in associate-level degrees, bachelor degrees, and sometimes master degrees. Colleges are different from graduate schools in the size of the institution offering the education, the range of subjects offered, and the level of accreditation provided for them. Like traditional colleges, online colleges are offering higher education that is made to equip students into specific professions, which they can practice straightaway after they acquire their certification.
Attending an online college for many students is the only chance to receive a diploma for higher education. Very often students who enroll in these programs are not capable of committing to a traditional college program which requires regular attendance on campus. Working full-time or busy parents are in a great position to choose a new career direction through online college education, which they previously couldn’t do due to their busy schedules. Online colleges allow everyone, regardless of their employment status or availability, to enroll in a program, which is self-paced and significantly more flexible than traditional college learning.
The cost that is associated with online colleges varies based on the institution offering the accreditation but also based on the state where the students are based in regards to their college. Very often online college program tuition fees are different for students who are from the same state that offers the education, compared to out-of-state students. In most cases, enrolling in an online college will be cheaper for students which hold a residency from the same state as the one where the college is based.
The affordability of colleges is a major advantage to this type of learning compared to the traditional on-site courses offered in these Cheapest Online Schools. The primary reason for that is the facilities which colleges run round the clock for students, who attend classes in brick-and-mortar college buildings, requiring regular maintenance by staff. This type of learning experience can be considered more enriching for some people who prefer a face-to-face learning approach where they can be more engaged with other classmates and teachers. Online colleges, on the other hand, are valued in the same way by other types of students who don’t need regular supervision and monitoring of their progress.
Taking an online college degree allows students to be flexible and to develop some valuable time management skills along with their degree specialization. Being able to prioritize your workload is a highly sought after skill in the competitive job market, which is why online colleges can give you an excellent career start and a competitive advantage. There is a wide range of online college courses that cover complete college degrees, similar to the ones offered in traditional training. Most frequently though, the types of programs offered by online colleges are less practical and require little to no hands-on experience, apart from the online materials and course work. Examples of popular online majors, that you can also find cheap in some online colleges, are Business, Accounting, Computer Science, Education, Languages, Finance, Healthcare Studies, Liberal Arts and Humanities, and so on.
Cheapest Online Graduate Schools
Compared to colleges, which often offer only bachelor’s and associate programs for their students, graduate schools have a wider range of degree awards such as a master’s or a doctoral degree. Online graduate schools are no different in that sense, other than the fact that the graduate course is delivered over the internet. Another main advantage to online learning in university is the flexibility it gives to students, who wish to gain those extra qualifications without interrupting their full-time employment. There are countless examples of graduate students who choose to go to online schools instead of attending regular degrees on site. Because of the high demand for this type of learning experience, there have been more and more universities, opening their doors to online students from everywhere in the world.
Depending on the particular graduate school and program that you choose to do, you can find online education that is affordable and fully flexible. The cost for enrolling in graduate courses may be similar to the one students pay in traditional graduate schools, or often lower than that. This makes online learning a preferred choice for many undergraduates who are seeking to receive the qualifications at no extra cost. The benefits of achieving a masters’ degree are a lot, and graduates are in a good position to make this long-term investment into their education, through affordable online learning opportunities in graduate schools. Master’s and doctorates are known to receive higher salaries than bachelor’s and associate degree holders. Leaving with a graduate degree also puts them at a lower risk of unemployment compared to any other qualification level.
Doctoral studies are offered less often by online schools than master’s degrees, due to the complexity of the programs and the expertise they require from the academic staff. They are often more similarly priced to masters’ degrees, or cheaper. Some doctoral degrees can be funded by the government fully or partially, depending on student eligibility for financial help. Online graduate schools are also open to doctoral students with bursaries and scholarships, but the requirements for every position should be carefully researched in advance with the individual faculty.
Online graduate schools may require a specific set of paperwork, examination, or project submission, prior to admission into their programs. They are also very specific in terms of the type of online course, and how it is delivered to the graduate students. There are programs that are fully virtualized, and there are others that require an internship or practical experience to complete the degree. Once students manage to pass their assessments over the course of their graduate program, they are usually fully qualified to step into management and leadership positions in their field. To complete an online master’s degree a student usually needs between 1 and 2 years, while for doctoral degrees the time to complete the course can be between 3 and 5 years.
Cheapest Online Schools for MBA
Receiving an online master’s in business administration (MBA) does not necessarily mean a high tuition fee for graduate students. Here we mention examples of three different MBA schools, which offer affordable online programs, giving you an important competitive advantage in the job market.
The University of Wisconsin
The University of Wisconsin is one of the graduate schools, offering a comparatively cheap online MBA course to students, who are greatly dependent on their flexibility while pursuing their qualification. This is a graduate school that gives students the chance to choose between 12 different focus areas throughout the course of their studying. Online learning in this type of education allows students to customize their experience based on their needs and academic requirements.
At the University of Wisconsin, you can choose to put emphasis on data analytics, HR, finance, management, marketing, international business, and environmental health and safety. All of these classes are included in the online MBA program and they are delivered by experienced academic staff that is on most occasions doctoral degree-holders.
Tuition Fee:
The tuition fee for this graduate school is fairly cheap, compared to other ones, at $9,118 per year of study. Another great benefit to this online graduate program is the ranking of the school which comes up high in the World Report. The University of Wisconsin takes 58th position in the ranking list of the best regional universities and 25th position for best MBA program delivered online. The employability of students who graduate with a master’s degree in business and administration will be significantly higher than that of students holding a bachelor’s degree only.
Mississippi State University
Mississippi State University is another one in the list of affordable graduate schools offering online MBA programs. Like other online universities, flexibility and affordability of this form of education are important factors for the students who are choosing to go down this academic path. Master’s in business and administration is usually an expensive investment for many students who pursue this qualification in traditional campus-based learning. This graduate school, on the other hand, has a lot to offer to their online students in terms of value for their money. Mississippi State University offers its MBA programs at a much lower price compared to other online universities as well.
Tuition Fee:
The tuition fee here can come under $9,000 per year in the course, which is significantly less than many other online MBA courses out there. The ranking of this program is also very complimentary-sitting at 40th position in the ranking list, by World Report and U.S. News, amongst 1200 other online graduate school entries. When speaking of the national ranking of universities, Mississippi State Universities scores at number 206 in the best graduate schools in the country. This online MBA program is designed to fit the schedule of learners, who rely on a more flexible teaching approach. Some known course topics within this program are strategic management, business decision analysis, and competitive environment.
Texas Tech University
Texas Tech University is one of our picks for graduate schools that offer an affordable MBA program to students online. The benefits of completing an online master’s degree in business and administration are many, while the cost for this qualification level is relatively low. Texas Tech University offers its own online MBA program as part of the Rawls College of Business, which organizes this course in person and virtually.
Tuition Fee:
The tuition fee for this online course is only $8,181 which is far less than what many of the other Cheapest Online Schools offer to graduate students. With an MBA degree, students are obtaining all of the qualifications necessary to become successful leaders or managers in the industry. The types of topics that are covered in this course are financial management concepts, strategic and global management, leadership and ethics, financial and managerial accounting, etc. Add-on courses in healthcare and IT can be elected by students if they show interest! Everything in this program is taught online, without having to attend classes in person. Another great benefit to taking an online MBA, apart from the greater flexibility and affordability, is the career prospects one has after completion. Many students enjoy leadership positions in business, while others continue their qualification to become lecturers or academic staff.
Cheapest Online Schools Per Credit Hour
When you start to search for one of the Cheapest Online Schools that offer online undergraduate and graduate programs, you can often find listings of programs that are priced per credit hour, rather than an annual tuition fee. For a bachelor’s degree, the required minimum of credits a student needs to take is 120.
Florida International University
Florida International University is one of the Cheapest Online Schools, per credit hour, offering online education to their students. The types of online programs, students can choose to do in this school, are only in the bachelor degree level of study. Regardless, the range of options for majors programs is satisfactory. This school has nearly 40 online undergraduate courses, which offer either a Bachelor of Science (BS) or a Bachelor of Arts (BA) qualification to their students. Examples of majors you can pursue at Florida International University are Health Services, Information Technology, Crime Science, Administration, Early Childhood Education, etc. This graduate school has the accreditation to offer the qualifications to students, which has been granted by the Southern Association of Colleges. The price at which these online majors are offered per credit hour is $247 which is comparatively cheaper than most online schools in the marketplace. In addition to that, Florida International University takes pride in its ranking at position #60 for best online bachelor’s degrees in the country, published by U.S. News and the World Report. This institution offers online education to 5,514 students from all over the globe, as it has been attracting more and more interest in its affordable online programs lately.
Oregon State University
Oregon State University is amongst the most affordable online schools, offering higher education to their students entirely virtually. This institution has 31 different bachelor’s degree majors, which are granting their students the qualifications- Bachelor of Science (BS) and Bachelor of Arts (BA) – all by means of their virtual learning platforms. Oregon State University also offers a range of minors, along with the chosen major program that students elect, giving them the chance to customize their academic experience fully and to achieve a comprehensive set of qualifications at graduation. Here are some examples of subjects that are covered in a BS or a BA degree in Oregon State University: Finance, Computer Science, Crop and Soil Science, Environmental Sciences, Economics, Digital Communication Arts, Liberal Studies, Philosophy, and so on. At the completion of one of these undergraduate degrees, online students receive a diploma that is equivalent to the one that regular students receive in the end. This school has a lot to offer to their online students not only because of their rich academic curriculum but also because of the affordability at which they price their courses per credit hour- $309. This is a cheap tuition fee in comparison with many other affordable online schools out there.
University of Alaska-Fairbanks
The University of Alaska-Fairbanks is also one of the best rated online universities for providing online graduate degrees to their students. This higher education institution offers 11 different bachelor’s degree majors which are delivered entirely online. Compared to other universities, the range of options is smaller, but the price per credit hour is also lower in comparison to most of the other Cheapest Online Schools you can find.
The types of degree certifications that students can achieve at the University of Alaska-Fairbanks are the following:
Bachelor of:
- Arts
- B.S.Science
- Bachelor of Applied Management
- Business Administration
- Security
- Emergency Management
- Bachelor of Sport
- Recreation Business
Examples of some of the disciplines within these major programs are Psychology, Biology, Political Science, History, and more. This school has online master’s and associate degrees for students who are interested in these levels of qualification. In terms of affordability, the University of Alaska-Fairbanks offers its courses at $246 per credit hour, making them one of the cheapest options out there. The ranking of this school, accredited by the U.S. News and World Report, puts this school amongst one of the top 100 universities in the country offering online bachelor degrees. The number of online students who are currently enrolled in the programs offered by this school is 5,718.
What Are The Cheapest Online Schools?
Clonlara School is one of the most affordable online schools online which you can find in the marketplace. According to its flattering reviews, this is a great virtual high school that offers the right environment for students to thrive and succeed. The faculty in this school is said to recognize the individual needs of the student and their goals, while they identify their strengths and manage to direct them into the right career path for them. This school allows students to enroll full-time, one semester at a time, or just by taking individual courses from their curricula such as Science or Arts. The cost for this program is $3,650 per academic year.
The Ogburn School is also on the list of the cheapest virtual schools for students. It is well known for the high quality of its online education for students in grades K-12. This institution has vast experience with home schooling, with over 30 years of delivering remote learning to students. The diploma that students will receive a completion of this school will be recognized internationally by colleges and universities around the world. The Ogburn School allows students to finish taking their classes during the summer, which gives them more opportunities to complete their academic year. Career counseling is also offered by this institution, giving the children the chance to discover the right profession for them after school. The program cost in Ogburn School is $1,295 per academic year. The range of courses students can take might differ.
National High School stands out as one of the Cheapest Online Schools that offer the best program cost out there. This school is a trusted institution that gives students the chance to decide whether they would like to take all of their classes remotely or they can choose to attend certain activities in person. This school has a Learn Center which promotes interactive activities for online students who have fewer options to socialize via virtual education. Since this is a high school, students can choose to take courses that will enhance their portfolio for their later study pursuits in colleges or universities. The cost to enroll your child in the National High School could cost you $199 per month if they signed up to take two or more courses.
The Oaks Private School is another addition to the list of affordable online schools. This is an accredited institution, which offers education to students between grades 6 and 12, entirely online. The type of academic preparation that students will receive can be customized based on their preference- there is a standard schooling track, one that is more college and university focused, and a diploma that is at honors-level. One of the benefits of this school is that students can choose to take as many courses as they want, without a limit, under the condition that they complete them within one year of their enrollment. The program cost in Oaks Private School is $1,316 per academic year.
Excel High school is one of the many examples that virtual education can also be affordable. This school offers an academic path to their student which is fully self-paced. The types of online programs that students can choose to take in this high school are a standard one, an adult program, and an honors diploma. Excel High School stands out with its innovative learning technology, which creates an interactive environment for its students to exchange ideas and grow as individuals. The cost to enroll in this high school is also fairly low compared to other online schools- between $99 and $129 per month. The types of courses taken can vary based on students’ interests and availability. Another great advantage of this high school is their online portal, which allows free access to online study materials, rather than purchasing expensive hard copies.
