Complete List of Accredited Online Degrees in 2024

It’s easy to see why online degrees are popular. They’re a flexible and affordable option for busy students. Today, many top-ranked colleges and universities offer online bachelor’s degrees and online master’s degrees. You can also earn a certificate online or even pursue your doctorate online.

But what’s the best way to choose an online college and find a degree? Our resources will help you identify high-quality, reputable online programs to earn your degree.

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Most Popular Online Degree Subjects

Biological Sciences Degrees

In the biological sciences, you can earn a degree in agriculture, environmental science, or biology. Most biological sciences careers require a college degree.

What kinds of jobs can you get with a degree in these fields? You can become an agricultural technician with an associate degree in agriculture, and these careers report a median annual pay of $47,010 (Bureau of Labor Statistics, May 2023).

Or become a biology major to work as a microbiologist or prepare for a graduate-level degree. Microbiologists earn a median salary of $85,470 (BLS, May 2023). These degrees also lead to many in-demand green careers.

Overall, careers in the life, physical, and social sciences report a median annual pay of $78,280 (BLS, May 2023). That’s significantly higher than the median pay of $48,060 for all occupations.

Business and Management Degrees

Business is the most popular major — nearly one in five college graduates earns a degree in business, according to 2020-2021 data from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES).

Within business, you can earn a career-focused degree in accounting, finance, or marketing. A business administration degree can also lead to high-paying careers.

From certificates to doctoral programs, you can study business and management at every degree level. And these fields report a high median wage. Business and finance jobs earn a median of $79,050 (BLS, May 2023), while management jobs earn $116,880 (BLS, May 2023).

With a bachelor’s in business, you’ll qualify for careers as a financial analyst, project manager, or accountant. At the graduate level, an MBA leads to many six-figure management careers.

Computer Science and Technology Degrees

Prepare for in-demand careers in tech with a computer science or IT degree. With a computer science degree, you can become a software developer, computer programmer, or information security analyst.

Many computer science careers report six-figure median salaries. For example, software developers earn a median pay of $130,160 (BLS, May 2023). With an IT degree, you can study web development to work as a web developer, where the median wage is $92,750 (BLS, May 2023).

Computer science and technology degrees offer a strong return on investment. Careers in tech report a median annual wage of $104,420 (BLS, May 2023).

Counseling and Social Work Degrees

A counseling or social work degree can help you launch your career in community and social services.

For counseling careers, you’ll need a bachelor’s degree or master’s degree, depending on your counseling specialization. A master’s in counseling can lead to careers as a marriage and family therapist or rehabilitation counselor. Marriage and family therapists report a median pay of $58,510 (BLS, May 2023).

With a social work degree, you can become a social worker. Social workers earn a median salary of $58,380 (BLS, May 2023). For clinical social work careers, you’ll need a master’s degree. Overall, the community and social services field reports a median wage of $52,000 (BLS, May 2023).

Criminal Justice and Law Degrees

With a degree in criminology or paralegal studies, you can launch your career as a police officer, forensic scientist, or mediator. Or consider other criminal justice careers in cybersecurity or emergency management.

How much can you earn with a criminal justice degree? Police officers and detectives earn a median pay of $74,910 (BLS, May 2023). Overall, protective services careers report a median salary of $47,760 (BLS, May 2023).

Legal studies majors can work as a paralegal or go to law school and prepare for higher-paying legal occupations, including attorneys and judges. The legal field reports a median annual wage of $99,220 (BLS, May 2023).

Education and Library Degrees

With an education or library degree, you can become a teacher or librarian. And you can earn an online teaching degree in high-demand fields like math, science, and special education. Majors in child development or early childhood education lead to opportunities as a preschool teacher or social worker.

Careers in educational instruction and library science earn a median pay of $59,940 (BLS, May 2023). Librarians, for example, make a median wage of $64,370 and generally need a master’s degree (BLS, May 2023). And teachers can boost their earning potential with a master’s in education.

Engineering Degrees

Earning an engineering degree can pay off. That’s because engineers rank among the highest-paying careers by degree level. Overall, engineering careers report a median pay of $91,420 (BLS, May 2023).

With an associate degree in aeronautics, you can become an aerospace engineering technician, a field with a $77,830 median pay (BLS, May 2023). And a bachelor’s in electrical engineering leads to high-paying careers as an electrical engineer with a median wage of $109,010 (BLS, May 2023).

Learn about different engineering specialties to discover career paths in civil engineering, chemical engineering, and mechanical engineering.

Healthcare and Health Sciences Degrees

Healthcare is one of the fastest-growing fields. And you can launch a healthcare career in as little as two years with an online degree. Healthcare occupations report a median salary of $80,820 (BLS, May 2023), and you can find healthcare career paths at every degree level.

Allied health programs in dental hygiene, radiology, and respiratory therapy lead to high-paying careers. Dental hygienists make a median salary of $87,530 with an associate degree (BLS, May 2023).

Degrees in health informatics, nutrition, and public health also lead to in-demand careers. Nutritionists with a bachelor’s degree can earn a median pay of $69,680 (BLS, May 2023).

Nursing Degrees

Nurses are in high demand. You can become a registered nurse in as little as two years. As a registered nurse, you can expect a median annual wage of $86,070 (BLS, May 2023). RNs can also advance their education with online RN-to-BSN programs.

With a nursing degree, you can qualify for nursing careers in specialties like pediatrics, critical care, or nurse informatics. The highest-paying nursing careers typically require a graduate degree.

Nurse practitioners, for example, earn a median pay of $129,480 (BLS, May 2023). Graduate programs also prepare nurses for roles like nurse educator, nurse anesthetist, and nurse manager.

Philosophy & Religious Studies Degrees

Philosophy and religious studies majors explore faith, belief systems, and the meaning of life. With a degree in ministry, you can also become a clergy member.

Clergy report a median annual wage of $58,920 (BLS, May 2023), while other religious workers earn a median pay of $37,960 (BLS, May 2023). With the analytical skills of a philosophy major, you can pursue careers in law, business, or social services.

At online Christian colleges and online Bible colleges, you can explore theology and Christian philosophy. Or study comparative religion to examine diverse faiths. Plus, theology and religious studies majors qualify for many scholarships and grants.

Psychology Degrees

Psychology is one of the most popular majors, according to NCES data. Psychologists need a graduate degree. But if you don’t want to go to graduate school, you can apply their analytical and communication skills as a psych major to work in diverse fields like marketing and social services.

Want to become a psychologist? You’ll need a doctorate for many psychology careers. Psychologists report a median annual wage of $92,740 (BLS, May 2023).

During your graduate studies, you can specialize in child psychology, forensic psychology, or clinical psychology. Or explore organizational psychology to work as an industrial-organizational psychologist. These in-demand roles pay a median annual wage of $147,420 (BLS, May 2023).

Social Sciences and Humanities Degrees

Earning a social sciences or humanities degree strengthens critical thinking, communication, and analytical abilities — and these are in-demand skills in many fields.

You can study communication, public relations, or journalism to work in media and communications roles. For example, public relations specialists earn a median annual pay of $66,750 (BLS, May 2023).

With a political science, sociology, or economics degree, you’ll qualify for high-paying social sciences careers. For example, sociologists make a median wage of $101,770 (BLS, May 2023), while economists earn $115,730 (BLS, May 2023).

Visual & Performing Arts Degrees

Hone your creative skills with a visual and performing arts degree. And, despite what you may think, an art degree can pay off. The median annual wage for art and design careers reached $51,660 (BLS, May 2023).

You can study fashion, photography, or music to launch your art career. Or specialize in graphic design or video game design to prepare for a design career. As a graphic designer, you can expect a median pay of $58,910 (BLS, May 2023).

A degree in animation or film can lead to opportunities as an animator, special effects artist, or camera operator. Special effects artists and animators make a median wage of $99,060 (BLS, May 2022).

All About Online Degrees

Online degrees are growing in popularity. In fall 2021, 9.4 million college students took an online class, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. That number represents 61% of all students. And 4.4 million, or 28% of students, enrolled fully online.

As online degrees become more popular, there’s also been a positive shift in how they’re perceived. Our 2023 Online Education Trends Report found that 96% of students have seen or expect a positive ROI for their online degree.

Plus, online learning prioritizes affordability and convenience. For many students, that means an online degree can pay off.

Some of our most popular online programs include:

Types of Online Schools

What schools offer online degrees? You can earn a degree online at a public university, private college, community college, or vocational school. Just make sure to choose an accredited online college.

Online Degree Cost: How to Pay for College

Earning a degree online can save you money. That’s because you can compare colleges to find the most affordable options. Because of in-state tuition discounts, public colleges in your state might be the cheapest route. As an online student, you can also save on living expenses, transportation costs, and childcare expenses.

When it comes to paying for college, it’s a good idea to start with the FAFSA. By choosing an accredited online college, you’ll also qualify for other forms of student financial aid.

Financial Aid and the FAFSA

Most students use financial aid to pay for college. That includes scholarships, grants, loans, and work-study programs. Some financial aid requires proof of financial need. And some support specific student populations, like LGBTQ+ scholarships.

It’s a good idea to start with the FAFSA. Submit the FAFSA every year to qualify for federal student aid, including federal grants and loans. Many colleges also use the FAFSA to determine financial aid packages.

Scholarships and Grants

College scholarships and grants are the best form of financial aid because you don’t need to repay the award. In addition to scholarships and grants offered by colleges, look for private scholarships and state grants. For example, you can find scholarships for adult learners, scholarships for women, and scholarships for Black students.

Federal and Private Loans

After you’ve exhausted your financial aid options that don’t require repayment, you can consider college loans. Keep in mind that you’ll need to pay back these loans with interest.

What’s the difference between federal vs. private loans? Federal loans typically offer lower interest rates and more repayment options. Submit the FAFSA to learn about your federal loan options.

What to Know About Accelerated Online Programs

By choosing an accelerated program, you can graduate in less time. For example, a fast-track bachelor’s degree can take as little as one year, compared with four years for traditional programs.

You can also earn an accelerated graduate degree. With a one-year master’s program, you’ll complete a graduate degree in as little as 12 months. That means you’ll enter the workforce with your new degree quickly.

Accelerated online programs require a big time commitment, leaving little time for work or other responsibilities. You can find accelerated degrees in fields like business, education, tech, and more.

Below is a list of some popular online accelerated programs: