University Headquarters (HQ) is an industry-leading, independent educational organization that provides independent college rankings using a proprietary formula to create first class unbiased rankings. The team at University HQ strives to provide accurate and trustworthy rankings that highlights the best online bachelor's programs.
A bachelor's degree is one of the most common type of degree that you can earn from a college or university. You can find many different types of bachelor's degrees in almost any field that you can think of. Choosing a career is one thing; finding out which academic path that will get you there is another. It doesn’t have to be difficult though; there are many resources available to help you out, including your school’s career advisor and this guide. In today's competitive marketplace, many employers require a bachelor's degree for entry-level jobs that pay well.
High school students considering completing a four-year bachelor’s degree program after earning your high school diploma, whether you are looking for a 100% on-campus program or a 100% online bachelor's degree, this article can help you determine which type is right for you. You will find loads of information in this guide to help you learn about the types of bachelor degrees available to undergraduate students, how much they cost, the fields of study (arts and sciences) in these bachelor's degrees, what kind of jobs you can get with each major, the number of years to complete a program, how to decide between popular colleges and universities, financial aid options, programs for on-campus students and many online programs and online degrees, degree completion programs, and more. You will also be able to find the top 50 bachelor's degrees online offered by colleges and universities across the country.
Top 50 Best Online Bachelor's Programs
University of Wisconsin-Madison
Score: 83.48
- Undergraduate Tuition
- In-State: $11,205
- Out-of-State:$40,603
- Net Price: $13,376
- Acceptance Rate: 49%
- Retention Rate: 94%
- Graduation Rate: 89%
- Total Enrollment: 48,956
- Undergrad Students: 36,306
- Graduate Students: 12,650
- Grads Salary: $80,000
- Student-to-faculty: 18:1
Purdue University
Score: 82.86
- Undergraduate Tuition
- In-State: $9,992
- Out-of-State:$28,794
- Net Price: $12,576
- Acceptance Rate: 53%
- Retention Rate: 90%
- Graduation Rate: 83%
- Total Enrollment: 51,528
- Undergrad Students: 38,593
- Graduate Students: 12,935
- Grads Salary: $83,000
- Student-to-faculty: 14:1
Northeastern University
Score: 81.72
- Undergraduate Tuition
- In-State: $63,141
- Out-of-State:$63,141
- Net Price: $35,827
- Acceptance Rate: 7%
- Retention Rate: 97%
- Graduation Rate: 91%
- Total Enrollment: 30,013
- Undergrad Students: 16,302
- Graduate Students: 13,711
- Grads Salary: $87,000
- Student-to-faculty: 16:1
Ohio State University
Score: 79.61
- Undergraduate Tuition
- In-State: $12,859
- Out-of-State:$38,365
- Net Price: $19,582
- Acceptance Rate: 53%
- Retention Rate: 93%
- Graduation Rate: 88%
- Total Enrollment: 60,540
- Undergrad Students: 46,123
- Graduate Students: 14,417
- Grads Salary: $77,000
- Student-to-faculty: 17:1
University of Florida-Online
Score: 78.51
- Undergraduate Tuition
- In-State: $3,876
- Out-of-State:$16,579
- Net Price: $10,791
- Acceptance Rate: 65%
- Retention Rate: 92%
- Graduation Rate: 79%
- Total Enrollment: 5,356
- Undergrad Students: 5,356
- Graduate Students: N/A
- Grads Salary: $79,000
- Student-to-faculty: 54:1
University of Massachusetts-Amherst
Score: 78.34
- Undergraduate Tuition
- In-State: $17,357
- Out-of-State:$39,293
- Net Price: $22,291
- Acceptance Rate: 64%
- Retention Rate: 90%
- Graduation Rate: 83%
- Total Enrollment: 32,229
- Undergrad Students: 24,391
- Graduate Students: 7,838
- Grads Salary: $82,000
- Student-to-faculty: 18:1
University of South Florida
Score: 77.08
- Undergraduate Tuition
- In-State: $6,410
- Out-of-State:$17,324
- Net Price: $11,004
- Acceptance Rate: 44%
- Retention Rate: 90%
- Graduation Rate: 74%
- Total Enrollment: 49,600
- Undergrad Students: 38,047
- Graduate Students: 11,553
- Grads Salary: $73,000
- Student-to-faculty: 22:1
Indiana University-Bloomington
Score: 76.58
- Undergraduate Tuition
- In-State: $11,790
- Out-of-State:$40,482
- Net Price: $16,234
- Acceptance Rate: 82%
- Retention Rate: 90%
- Graduation Rate: 81%
- Total Enrollment: 47,005
- Undergrad Students: 35,660
- Graduate Students: 11,345
- Grads Salary: $76,000
- Student-to-faculty: 17:1
University of Central Florida
Score: 76.26
- Undergraduate Tuition
- In-State: $6,368
- Out-of-State:$22,467
- Net Price: $13,108
- Acceptance Rate: 41%
- Retention Rate: 93%
- Graduation Rate: 76%
- Total Enrollment: 68,346
- Undergrad Students: 58,662
- Graduate Students: 9,684
- Grads Salary: $71,000
- Student-to-faculty: 29:1
Charter Oak State College
Score: 76.19
- Undergraduate Tuition
- In-State: $8,506
- Out-of-State:$8,506
- Net Price: $10,191
- Acceptance Rate: 100%
- Retention Rate: 100%
- Graduation Rate: 64%
- Total Enrollment: 1,602
- Undergrad Students: 1,501
- Graduate Students: 101
- Grads Salary: $81,000
- Student-to-faculty: 13:1
Auburn University
Score: 75.68
- Undergraduate Tuition
- In-State: $12,536
- Out-of-State:$33,944
- Net Price: $25,271
- Acceptance Rate: 44%
- Retention Rate: 93%
- Graduation Rate: 81%
- Total Enrollment: 31,764
- Undergrad Students: 25,379
- Graduate Students: 6,385
- Grads Salary: $76,000
- Student-to-faculty: 20:1
George Mason University
Score: 74.55
- Undergraduate Tuition
- In-State: $13,815
- Out-of-State:$39,397
- Net Price: $18,479
- Acceptance Rate: 90%
- Retention Rate: 85%
- Graduation Rate: 71%
- Total Enrollment: 39,049
- Undergrad Students: 27,014
- Graduate Students: 12,035
- Grads Salary: $82,000
- Student-to-faculty: 16:1
Florida International University
Score: 74.24
- Undergraduate Tuition
- In-State: $6,565
- Out-of-State:$18,963
- Net Price: $9,881
- Acceptance Rate: 64%
- Retention Rate: 91%
- Graduation Rate: 69%
- Total Enrollment: 55,609
- Undergrad Students: 45,688
- Graduate Students: 9,921
- Grads Salary: $71,000
- Student-to-faculty: 24:1
University of Utah
Score: 74.17
- Undergraduate Tuition
- In-State: $9,315
- Out-of-State:$29,837
- Net Price: $12,399
- Acceptance Rate: 89%
- Retention Rate: 85%
- Graduation Rate: 65%
- Total Enrollment: 34,734
- Undergrad Students: 26,355
- Graduate Students: 8,379
- Grads Salary: $80,000
- Student-to-faculty: 18:1
George Washington University
Score: 74.13
- Undergraduate Tuition
- In-State: $64,990
- Out-of-State:$64,990
- Net Price: $42,723
- Acceptance Rate: 49%
- Retention Rate: 90%
- Graduation Rate: 85%
- Total Enrollment: 25,939
- Undergrad Students: 11,482
- Graduate Students: 14,457
- Grads Salary: $85,000
- Student-to-faculty: 12:1
LeTourneau University
Score: 74.05
- Undergraduate Tuition
- In-State: $35,500
- Out-of-State:$35,500
- Net Price: $26,974
- Acceptance Rate: 49%
- Retention Rate: 77%
- Graduation Rate: 67%
- Total Enrollment: 3,536
- Undergrad Students: 3,350
- Graduate Students: 186
- Grads Salary: $87,000
- Student-to-faculty: 13:1
Miami University-Oxford
Score: 73.91
- Undergraduate Tuition
- In-State: $17,809
- Out-of-State:$40,025
- Net Price: $23,031
- Acceptance Rate: 88%
- Retention Rate: 89%
- Graduation Rate: 81%
- Total Enrollment: 19,107
- Undergrad Students: 16,864
- Graduate Students: 2,243
- Grads Salary: $76,000
- Student-to-faculty: 15:1
California State University-Chico
Score: 73.89
- Undergraduate Tuition
- In-State: $8,064
- Out-of-State:$19,944
- Net Price: $15,517
- Acceptance Rate: 95%
- Retention Rate: 80%
- Graduation Rate: 64%
- Total Enrollment: 14,183
- Undergrad Students: 12,981
- Graduate Students: 1,202
- Grads Salary: $85,000
- Student-to-faculty: 20:1
University of Illinois Chicago
Score: 73.87
- Undergraduate Tuition
- In-State: $14,338
- Out-of-State:$29,360
- Net Price: $10,384
- Acceptance Rate: 79%
- Retention Rate: 78%
- Graduation Rate: 62%
- Total Enrollment: 33,747
- Undergrad Students: 21,807
- Graduate Students: 11,940
- Grads Salary: $80,000
- Student-to-faculty: 18:1
Thomas Jefferson University
Score: 73.87
- Undergraduate Tuition
- In-State: $45,683
- Out-of-State:$45,683
- Net Price: $28,110
- Acceptance Rate: 89%
- Retention Rate: 82%
- Graduation Rate: 68%
- Total Enrollment: 8,286
- Undergrad Students: 3,771
- Graduate Students: 4,515
- Grads Salary: $91,000
- Student-to-faculty: 13:1
University of Arizona
Score: 73.64
- Undergraduate Tuition
- In-State: $13,626
- Out-of-State:$41,095
- Net Price: $17,075
- Acceptance Rate: 87%
- Retention Rate: 86%
- Graduation Rate: 68%
- Total Enrollment: 49,403
- Undergrad Students: 38,751
- Graduate Students: 10,652
- Grads Salary: $80,000
- Student-to-faculty: 17:1
North Carolina A&T State University
Score: 73.31
- Undergraduate Tuition
- In-State: $6,748
- Out-of-State:$20,408
- Net Price: $9,189
- Acceptance Rate: 56%
- Retention Rate: 74%
- Graduation Rate: 57%
- Total Enrollment: 13,487
- Undergrad Students: 11,833
- Graduate Students: 1,654
- Grads Salary: $79,000
- Student-to-faculty: 19:1
Regis University
Score: 73.28
- Undergraduate Tuition
- In-State: $43,980
- Out-of-State:$43,980
- Net Price: $26,377
- Acceptance Rate: 76%
- Retention Rate: 72%
- Graduation Rate: 67%
- Total Enrollment: 4,668
- Undergrad Students: 2,398
- Graduate Students: 2,270
- Grads Salary: $89,000
- Student-to-faculty: 9:1
Mercer University
Score: 73.2
- Undergraduate Tuition
- In-State: $40,890
- Out-of-State:$40,890
- Net Price: $22,087
- Acceptance Rate: 75%
- Retention Rate: 86%
- Graduation Rate: 74%
- Total Enrollment: 8,889
- Undergrad Students: 4,859
- Graduate Students: 4,030
- Grads Salary: $77,000
- Student-to-faculty: 13:1
Syracuse University
Score: 73.06
- Undergraduate Tuition
- In-State: $63,061
- Out-of-State:$63,061
- Net Price: $43,651
- Acceptance Rate: 52%
- Retention Rate: 91%
- Graduation Rate: 83%
- Total Enrollment: 22,698
- Undergrad Students: 15,421
- Graduate Students: 7,277
- Grads Salary: $85,000
- Student-to-faculty: 15:1
Oregon State University
Score: 73
- Undergraduate Tuition
- In-State: $13,494
- Out-of-State:$35,664
- Net Price: $21,163
- Acceptance Rate: 83%
- Retention Rate: 87%
- Graduation Rate: 70%
- Total Enrollment: 34,292
- Undergrad Students: 28,905
- Graduate Students: 5,387
- Grads Salary: $80,000
- Student-to-faculty: 19:1
University of Oklahoma
Score: 72.95
- Undergraduate Tuition
- In-State: $9,595
- Out-of-State:$26,665
- Net Price: $22,601
- Acceptance Rate: 73%
- Retention Rate: 88%
- Graduation Rate: 76%
- Total Enrollment: 28,308
- Undergrad Students: 21,282
- Graduate Students: 7,026
- Grads Salary: $75,000
- Student-to-faculty: 16:1
University of North Carolina at Charlotte
Score: 72.92
- Undergraduate Tuition
- In-State: $7,214
- Out-of-State:$21,876
- Net Price: $13,951
- Acceptance Rate: 80%
- Retention Rate: 84%
- Graduation Rate: 70%
- Total Enrollment: 29,551
- Undergrad Students: 23,461
- Graduate Students: 6,090
- Grads Salary: $74,000
- Student-to-faculty: 20:1
SUNY Polytechnic Institute
Score: 72.87
- Undergraduate Tuition
- In-State: $8,578
- Out-of-State:$20,228
- Net Price: $13,799
- Acceptance Rate: 82%
- Retention Rate: 79%
- Graduation Rate: 62%
- Total Enrollment: 2,842
- Undergrad Students: 1,982
- Graduate Students: 860
- Grads Salary: $80,000
- Student-to-faculty: 13:1
Arizona State University
Score: 72.6
- Undergraduate Tuition
- In-State: $12,051
- Out-of-State:$32,193
- Net Price: $14,808
- Acceptance Rate: 90%
- Retention Rate: 85%
- Graduation Rate: 67%
- Total Enrollment: 80,065
- Undergrad Students: 65,492
- Graduate Students: 14,573
- Grads Salary: $77,000
- Student-to-faculty: 19:1
University of Missouri-Columbia
Score: 72.5
- Undergraduate Tuition
- In-State: $14,130
- Out-of-State:$34,338
- Net Price: $19,889
- Acceptance Rate: 79%
- Retention Rate: 89%
- Graduation Rate: 75%
- Total Enrollment: 31,304
- Undergrad Students: 23,745
- Graduate Students: 7,559
- Grads Salary: $73,000
- Student-to-faculty: 18:1
West Coast University-Orange County
Score: 72.23
- Undergraduate Tuition
- In-State: $22,685
- Out-of-State:$22,685
- Net Price: $27,933
- Acceptance Rate: 100%
- Retention Rate: 100%
- Graduation Rate: 73%
- Total Enrollment: 4,475
- Undergrad Students: 3,023
- Graduate Students: 1,452
- Grads Salary: $81,000
- Student-to-faculty: 20:1
Spelman College
Score: 72.15
- Undergraduate Tuition
- In-State: $30,058
- Out-of-State:$30,058
- Net Price: $37,085
- Acceptance Rate: 28%
- Retention Rate: 89%
- Graduation Rate: 74%
- Total Enrollment: 3,102
- Undergrad Students: 3,102
- Graduate Students: N/A
- Grads Salary: $80,000
- Student-to-faculty: 11:1
University of Iowa
Score: 72.05
- Undergraduate Tuition
- In-State: $10,964
- Out-of-State:$32,927
- Net Price: $19,587
- Acceptance Rate: 86%
- Retention Rate: 89%
- Graduation Rate: 74%
- Total Enrollment: 30,015
- Undergrad Students: 21,973
- Graduate Students: 8,042
- Grads Salary: $73,000
- Student-to-faculty: 16:1
St. Catherine University
Score: 72.03
- Undergraduate Tuition
- In-State: $49,758
- Out-of-State:$49,758
- Net Price: $19,976
- Acceptance Rate: 93%
- Retention Rate: 83%
- Graduation Rate: 64%
- Total Enrollment: 3,577
- Undergrad Students: 2,404
- Graduate Students: 1,173
- Grads Salary: $82,000
- Student-to-faculty: 10:1
Colorado State University-Fort Collins
Score: 72.01
- Undergraduate Tuition
- In-State: $12,896
- Out-of-State:$33,751
- Net Price: $16,926
- Acceptance Rate: 91%
- Retention Rate: 86%
- Graduation Rate: 67%
- Total Enrollment: 33,403
- Undergrad Students: 25,777
- Graduate Students: 7,626
- Grads Salary: $77,000
- Student-to-faculty: 17:1
Washington State University
Score: 71.9
- Undergraduate Tuition
- In-State: $12,997
- Out-of-State:$29,073
- Net Price: $17,911
- Acceptance Rate: 83%
- Retention Rate: 81%
- Graduation Rate: 62%
- Total Enrollment: 27,539
- Undergrad Students: 22,612
- Graduate Students: 4,927
- Grads Salary: $81,000
- Student-to-faculty: 15:1
The University of Tennessee-Knoxville
Score: 71.86
- Undergraduate Tuition
- In-State: $13,484
- Out-of-State:$31,974
- Net Price: $21,880
- Acceptance Rate: 68%
- Retention Rate: 89%
- Graduation Rate: 73%
- Total Enrollment: 33,805
- Undergrad Students: 27,039
- Graduate Students: 6,766
- Grads Salary: $73,000
- Student-to-faculty: 18:1
Temple University
Score: 71.66
- Undergraduate Tuition
- In-State: $22,082
- Out-of-State:$37,462
- Net Price: $23,935
- Acceptance Rate: 80%
- Retention Rate: 84%
- Graduation Rate: 78%
- Total Enrollment: 33,196
- Undergrad Students: 24,106
- Graduate Students: 9,090
- Grads Salary: $73,000
- Student-to-faculty: 12:1
Texas Tech University
Score: 71.56
- Undergraduate Tuition
- In-State: $11,852
- Out-of-State:$24,451
- Net Price: $17,896
- Acceptance Rate: 67%
- Retention Rate: 86%
- Graduation Rate: 64%
- Total Enrollment: 40,378
- Undergrad Students: 32,579
- Graduate Students: 7,799
- Grads Salary: $76,000
- Student-to-faculty: 21:1
University of La Verne
Score: 71.55
- Undergraduate Tuition
- In-State: $47,000
- Out-of-State:$47,000
- Net Price: $25,103
- Acceptance Rate: 74%
- Retention Rate: 77%
- Graduation Rate: 63%
- Total Enrollment: 5,662
- Undergrad Students: 3,365
- Graduate Students: 2,297
- Grads Salary: $85,000
- Student-to-faculty: 11:1
Saint Louis University
Score: 71.47
- Undergraduate Tuition
- In-State: $53,244
- Out-of-State:$53,244
- Net Price: $29,651
- Acceptance Rate: 85%
- Retention Rate: 87%
- Graduation Rate: 81%
- Total Enrollment: 15,755
- Undergrad Students: 10,662
- Graduate Students: 5,093
- Grads Salary: $75,000
- Student-to-faculty: 9:1
University of Arkansas
Score: 71.33
- Undergraduate Tuition
- In-State: $9,748
- Out-of-State:$28,772
- Net Price: $16,208
- Acceptance Rate: 79%
- Retention Rate: 86%
- Graduation Rate: 69%
- Total Enrollment: 30,936
- Undergrad Students: 26,269
- Graduate Students: 4,667
- Grads Salary: $72,000
- Student-to-faculty: 20:1
Simmons University
Score: 71.33
- Undergraduate Tuition
- In-State: $45,538
- Out-of-State:$45,538
- Net Price: $24,423
- Acceptance Rate: 76%
- Retention Rate: 81%
- Graduation Rate: 74%
- Total Enrollment: 5,710
- Undergrad Students: 1,788
- Graduate Students: 3,922
- Grads Salary: $75,000
- Student-to-faculty: 7:1
Lewis University
Score: 71.2
- Undergraduate Tuition
- In-State: $37,882
- Out-of-State:$37,882
- Net Price: $19,184
- Acceptance Rate: 74%
- Retention Rate: 81%
- Graduation Rate: 62%
- Total Enrollment: 6,513
- Undergrad Students: 3,933
- Graduate Students: 2,580
- Grads Salary: $79,000
- Student-to-faculty: 14:1
Drexel University
Score: 71.17
- Undergraduate Tuition
- In-State: $60,663
- Out-of-State:$60,663
- Net Price: $39,267
- Acceptance Rate: 80%
- Retention Rate: 87%
- Graduation Rate: 78%
- Total Enrollment: 22,344
- Undergrad Students: 14,021
- Graduate Students: 8,323
- Grads Salary: $84,000
- Student-to-faculty: 9:1
American Public University System
Score: 71.08
- Undergraduate Tuition
- In-State: $8,400
- Out-of-State:$8,400
- Net Price: $11,172
- Acceptance Rate: 100%
- Retention Rate: 90%
- Graduation Rate: 55%
- Total Enrollment: 48,668
- Undergrad Students: 39,206
- Graduate Students: 9,462
- Grads Salary: $79,000
- Student-to-faculty: 24:1
Oklahoma State University
Score: 71.07
- Undergraduate Tuition
- In-State: $10,234
- Out-of-State:$25,754
- Net Price: $16,718
- Acceptance Rate: 71%
- Retention Rate: 83%
- Graduation Rate: 65%
- Total Enrollment: 25,372
- Undergrad Students: 20,786
- Graduate Students: 4,586
- Grads Salary: $74,000
- Student-to-faculty: 18:1
University of North Florida
Score: 71.03
- Undergraduate Tuition
- In-State: $6,389
- Out-of-State:$20,793
- Net Price: $11,338
- Acceptance Rate: 71%
- Retention Rate: 80%
- Graduation Rate: 68%
- Total Enrollment: 16,406
- Undergrad Students: 14,171
- Graduate Students: 2,235
- Grads Salary: $68,000
- Student-to-faculty: 19:1
Louisiana State University
Score: 70.91
- Undergraduate Tuition
- In-State: $11,954
- Out-of-State:$28,631
- Net Price: $21,296
- Acceptance Rate: 76%
- Retention Rate: 84%
- Graduation Rate: 70%
- Total Enrollment: 37,348
- Undergrad Students: 30,952
- Graduate Students: 6,396
- Grads Salary: $75,000
- Student-to-faculty: 22:1
What are the Most Common Types of Bachelor's Degrees?
There are multiple types of bachelor's degree programs that students can earn to qualify for a wide array of jobs. The following are some of the online bachelor's degree types that are available:
- Bachelor of Arts (BA or BA Degree)
- Bachelor of Science (BS or BS Degree)
- Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA)
- Bachelor of Applied Science (BAS)
- Bachelor of Laws (LLB)
- What is a better degree BA or BS?
Why Get a Bachelors vs an Associates?
There are many good reasons why getting an online bachelor’s degree is better than obtaining an online associate degree; here are five reasons to strive for a four year bachelor's degree:
- An employer will almost always choose an applicant who holds a bachelor’s degree over one that holds an online associate degree when there is competition for a position.
- During your studies, you will gain much more knowledge and skills with a bachelor’s degree course than with an associate’s.
- With an online bachelor’s you can get right into a master’s, with an associate’s, you are years away.
- Those who hold a bachelor’s degree hold more respect.
- Online Bachelor’s degree holders are more likely to earn higher wages. A bachelor's degree worth is much higher than a high school diploma and typically a bachelor's degree graduate earns on average $27,300 more per year according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Typical Online Educational Requirements
To earn an online bachelor’s degree, colleges and universities may require from 120 to 180 college credits or semester hours, but the majority only require 120 credits, which you can earn by completing around 40 college classes. Therefore, it should take full-time students around four years to earn an online bachelor’s degree. However, if you already received your online associate degree, most colleges will allow you to transfer those 60 credits towards earning your undergraduate program online, leaving you with only 60 more hours of study to go that should take around two years.
Please note, in order to obtain a four-year bachelor’s degree, most colleges require that you study with them for at least half the time, or two years.
There are also accelerated online undergraduate degree programs available that compress the same traditional course into shorter sessions, meaning you would have to work much faster to complete the program but you would earn your degree quicker than in the average college program.
What are the Most Popular Online Undergraduate Majors?
According to the NCES, Over half of the 1.9 million bachelor's degrees programs awarded in 2015 to 2016, were concentrated in the following six areas:
- Business - 372,000 degrees
- Health Professions (Nursing) - 229,000 degrees
- Social Sciences & History - 161,000 degrees
- Psychology - 117,000 degrees
- Biology & Biomedical Sciences - 114,000 degrees
- Engineering - 107,000 degrees
The following bachelor's degree programs fields of study accounted for the next highest level of percentages with 5% each:
- Visual & Performing Arts - 93,000 degrees
- Journalism, Communication, and Related - 92,600 degrees
- Education - 87,200 degrees
Thus, overall, 18% of the bachelor's degrees were awarded in STEM fields that totaled 355,000. Choosing your college undergraduate major is not only the most important decision of your career but can also be the hardest one as well. This is mainly due to the fact that this decision will likely affect the rest of your career.