Here’s what to consider before committing to an online degree.
Accreditation
Online institutions are held to the same accreditation standards as brick-and-mortar schools. You should make sure your online school has institutional college accreditation. Institutional accreditation comes from organizations approved by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA). You’ll need to attend an accredited college to qualify for federal student aid, credit transfers, graduate programs, and certain professional credentials.
Programmatic accreditation applies to individual degrees and programs. However, the American Psychological Association does not accredit bachelor’s degree programs.
Course work
Different online psychology programs prepare students for different career paths. For example, a bachelor of science in psychology is thought to offer solid preparation for graduate studies in psychology. In contrast, a bachelor of arts in psychology provides a good educational foundation for entering the job market directly after college.
When selecting a program, you may want to consider questions such as:
- What are your professional goals?
- Do you want to attend graduate school?
- Do you want to enter the job market directly after finishing your bachelor’s degree?
Cost and financial aid
The average total cost of tuition for the programs ranked on this page, including both public and private schools, is around $38,100.
By comparison, tuition and fees for an average four-year undergraduate degree at a public state university cost $9,596 per year, or more than $38,300 for a full bachelor’s degree, according to the National Center for Education StatisticsPrivate four-year colleges cost an average of $34,041 for tuition and fees, which totals more than $136,100 for a bachelor’s degree.
Many students turn to loans and other forms of financial aid to pay for their college education. To find out if you qualify for federal student aid, complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA®). Other funding options are also available, such as grants, work-study programs, and scholarships.
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