Best Online Construction Management Degrees

Online construction management degrees teach you the skills you need to oversee building projects, manage budgets and schedules, and ensure safety and quality standards compliance. These online degrees are designed for working adults to help you balance work, home, and education.

After graduating, most people find work as a safety officer, project superintendent, cost estimator, or construction and building inspector.

In this guide we’ll present you with our top picks for online construction management programs along with their strengths and what you should know about them before you enroll. We analyzed programs using factors like salary after graduation, employer connections, and certification opportunities. Based on these strengths, we assigned each qualifying school a superlative designation.

When choosing a construction management program, consider factors like program cost and length, application requirements, and potential careers you can pursue after graduation. This can ensure you find the program that best meets your needs before enrolling.

Online construction management degrees usually cost around $15,202 per year without financial aid, according to data from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES). Since these programs typically take four years to complete, this adds up to about $60,808 once you graduate.

However, students with financial aid can pay closer to $8,774 per year, lowering the total cost of a bachelor’s in construction management to $35,096.

This savings of over $25,000 shows how much financial aid, such as grants and scholarships, can reduce the cost of tuition and fees. Also, remember that the cost averages presented here include online and in-person construction management bachelor’s degrees. So, these averages may be higher than the prices you’ll find when researching online programs.

To get financial aid, you should fill out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) each year you’re studying. If you’re not eligible for FAFSA, you may still qualify for other forms of financial aid, so contact your school’s financial aid department.

If you’re employed, ask your employer about a tuition reimbursement program. These programs can cover part or all of your educational expenses.

Like other bachelor’s degrees, a construction management degree takes around four years to complete. You’ll have to earn around 120 credits, or 30 credits per semester, as a full-time student.

If you’re returning to school after earning your associate degree, a degree completion program can knock down that time to as little as a year. Degree completion programs in construction management like the University of Oklahoma’s program allows you to transfer in between 60-90 of the 120 required credits.

With a bachelor’s in construction management, you can work as a construction manager, cost estimator, or construction and building inspector. These roles pay between $72,120 and $106,980 per year, according to the BLS.

Licensing requirements for these jobs vary between states, so contact your state licensing board to learn more.

Some voluntary certifications like the Certified Construction Manager (CCM), Associate Constructor (AC), or the Certified Professional Constructor credential awarded by the American Institute of Constructors may also make you stand out from other candidates.

A construction management degree can be worth it if you’re entering jobs like construction management, cost estimation, or construction and building inspection as those jobs all earn higher annual salaries than the total cost of a program with financial aid, according to NCES data.

However, salary isn’t the only thing to consider when choosing a program. Decide if this is a field you would like to pursue if you’re switching careers or entering the job field for the first time. If you ever want to engage in a different career, learn leadership, analytical, and people-focused skills that you can take into a new field.

Once you earn your online construction management degree, you can pursue either a master of science (MS) in construction management or a specialized master of business administration (MBA).

Holding a master’s degree can prepare you for leadership roles in construction, such as project manager, real estate developer, or even construction executive. With these higher-level positions, you’ll likely see increased earnings.