Online Bachelor’s Degrees
- Business
- Health professions
- Social sciences and history
- Psychology
- Biological and biomedical sciences
- Engineering
This increase is likely the result of more employers requiring bachelor’s degrees for positions that only required high school diplomas or associate degrees in the past. Another reason for the increase is the increased availability and flexibility of online bachelor’s degree programs. Individuals can now earn bachelor’s degrees through traditional campus-based schools, online programs, or hybrid programs.
5 Reasons to Earn a Bachelor Degree
- Bachelor’s degrees are becoming the minimum credential to land most jobs. Degrees earned at the bachelor’s level can help qualify individuals to work in their industry of choice.
- Having a bachelor’s degree increases an individual’s earning potential and professional value. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, individuals with bachelor’s degrees earn $2.3 million throughout their work life while those with only a high school diploma earn an average of $1.3 million during their working years.
- The education and skills learned through a rigorous degree program can give you the confidence to pursue workplace opportunities and to deal with challenges.
- Bachelor’s degree holders may be more satisfied in their careers because they have an increased chance of finding a job that pays well, offers employer benefits, and provides opportunities for growth.
- Students interested in careers that typically require a higher-level master’s or doctoral degree usually need to earn first a bachelor’s degree before enrolling in graduate school.
Timeline of a Bachelor’s Degree Program
Types of Bachelor’s Degrees
Top Bachelor’s Degree Programs
- Program prominence, based on how many bachelor’s degrees were awarded in 2016-17
- Ratio of undergraduate students participating fully or partially in distance education to total enrollment
- Average in-state tuition for undergraduates
- Retention rate
- Percent of undergraduate students awarded federal, state, local, institutional or other sources of grant aid
- Average amount of federal, state, local, institutional, or other sources of grant aid awarded to undergraduate students
- Number of programs that are offered at the bachelor’s degree level on campus
- Number of programs that are offered at the bachelor’s degree level via distance education
- The availability of any tuition plans
- Payment
- Guaranteed
- Prepaid
- Other
- Services
- Academic/Career
- Placement for Completers
- Credit offerings
- Dual
- Life
- AP
- Military
- Three-year repayment rate for completers
Ranking | School Name | In State Avg. Undergrad Tuition | % Receiving Financial Aid | Retention Rate | Career Counseling | Payment Plan |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | University of Florida | $4,477 | 93% | 97% | 1 | 0 |
2 | Grand Canyon University | $16,399 | 98% | 64% | 1 | 1 |
Financial Aid
Why Accreditation Matters
Fastest-Growing Careers with a Bachelor’s Degree
Highest-Paying Careers with a Bachelor’s Degree
What Comes After Bachelor’s Degree
Browse Bachelor’s Programs by Subject
- 2017 Occupational Employment Statistics and 2016-26 Employment Projections, Bureau of Labor Statistics, BLS.gov
- Data on display: Projected new jobs by major industry sector, 2016-26, Career Outlook, Bureau of Labor Statistics, https://www.bls.gov/careeroutlook/2017/data-on-display/projections-industry-sectors, accessed August 2018
- Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) 2016-17, National Center for Education Statistics, http://nces.ed.gov/ipeds/
- Is a College Degree the New High School Diploma, The Washington Post, https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/grade-point/wp/2017/01/13/is-a-college-degree-the-new-high-school-diploma-heres-why-your-degrees-worth-is-stagnant/?noredirect=on&utm_term=.e8b3ffb7aba9, Accessed August 2018
- O*NET OnLine, https://www.onetonline.org/, Accessed August 2018
- Occupation Finder, Occupational Outlook Handbook, Bureau of Labor Statistics, https://www.bls.gov/ooh/occupation-finder?pay=&education=Bachelor%E2%80%99s+degree&training=&newjobs=&growth=Faster+than+average&submit=GO, accessed August 2018
- Occupational Outlook Handbook, Bureau of Labor Statistics, https://www.bls.gov/ooh/, Accessed August 2018
- These 10 Industries are Growing the Fastest in the U.S., Forbes, https://www.forbes.com/sites/sageworks/2018/05/13/10-fastest-growing-industries-u-s/#58f0a66b907f, Accessed August 2018
- Undergraduate Degree Fields, National Center for Education Statistics, https://nces.ed.gov/programs/coe/indicator_cta.asp, Accessed August 2018