Top 10 College Degrees With The Cheapest Cost In The U.S
 Top 50 Cheapest Schools for In-State Students in the US 2023/2024 |
 Top 10 Cheapest Majors in the USA Colleges Today |
 |
| Cheapest College Degrees in the US |
| Table of Contents |
The most recent data indicates that there are currently close to 16 million students attending American colleges. In the last ten years, there has been a steady decline in the number of college students in the US.
The rising cost of tuition is one of the main causes of the decline in the number of college students in the US.
According to recent surveys, nearly 60% of college students in their first, second, and last years are unable to pay their tuition.
Furthermore, 7% of students are compelled to leave college early in order to find employment or another type of education, not because of academic pressure but rather because the tuition is too expensive.
In the last ten years, college tuition in the US has increased by as much as 25%. While private schools typically charge $48,510 per year, public schools only charge about $21,370 annually.
The cost of a college education continues to be a challenge for students, even when the colleges they are applying to have online programs. Even though many students receive financial aid, their tuition remains a barrier. In actuality, only a small portion of students receive financial aid.
KnowInsiders.com found that there are majors that are very hot but the cost is the lowest.
Top 10 Cheapest College Degrees in the US Today
1. Marketing
Online marketing degrees are popular. Marketing teaches job-market skills.
Students need strategy, analytics, graphic design, psychology, sociology, and economics to market effectively.
Online marketing bachelor's degrees cost $320–$485 per credit. The cheapest online marketing bachelor's degree programs cost $38,000, while on-campus programs cost $50,000, excluding board and other fees.
Marketing degrees can sometimes boost income. In 2020, US marketing graduates earned $54,500 on average. Marketing associates earn $40,000.
Unlike IT, most marketing jobs require a bachelor's degree. Marketing master's and doctoral degrees can advance your career and studies after a bachelor's degree.
Marketing managers earn a median annual wage of $153,440 and are expected to grow 10% from 2021 to 2031. Graduate degrees will help you get promoted faster.
Marketing graduates have many job options. Digital marketers can work remotely. However, this marketing field may need online courses.
Digital marketing is a future hot job. Robots are not yet as sensitive to human emotions as people are to attract customers.
 Top 5 Career Opportunities in Digital Marketing |
2. Public Relations
Public relations is a versatile degree.
Public relations is a great career for people who enjoy working with others and the media. Earning a PR bachelor's degree online is affordable.
Online public relations bachelor's degrees cost $150–650 per credit, averaging $23,000. PR degrees often require internships or co-ops, which cost extra. These opportunities will help you build a large network for future employment.
Most PR graduates enter the competitive public relations specialist job market. From 2021 to 2031, PR jobs will grow 8% and pay $62,800 on average. Earning a graduate degree or certificate and specializing can boost your income.
Public relations (PR) is more about being a spokesperson and using your connections and skills to spread the word without advertising.
Job growth will continue as companies demand more public relations officers. PR officers help companies build customer trust.
 Top 15+ Most Prestigious Schools for Communication & Media in The US Today |
3. Finance
Finance is exciting and broad. If you love stocks, bonds, financial markets, and other investments, a finance job is for you. Finance has one of the cheapest online bachelor's degrees.
In-state and out-of-state students should pay $200–$600 per credit for online bachelor's in finance degrees. Tuition costs $24,000–$75,000. Finance degrees are affordable and have a high ROI.
In finance, even entry-level jobs pay well. Financial analysts earn $95,570 on average and are expected to grow 9% from 2021 to 2031. Entry-level salaries average $60,000.
Finance is considered hard because people think it's all math. While some of these assumptions are true and finance involves numbers, anyone who has worked with numbers can learn the necessary arithmetic.
Finance, tax, and accounting experts provide financial services. Personal, business, or both, these experts help.
Bankers need more than technical skills. Work ethic, perseverance, and passion for the subject are also needed.
If you have these qualities, it will go faster and leave you with new skills.
 Top 10+ Most Prestigious Schools for Accounting and Finance in The US Today |
4. Information Technology
2023's most affordable and flexible degree is IT. Online learners have many low-cost learning options. IT degrees cost less, but their ROI is unmatched.
In-state students pay $150 to $600 per credit, averaging $35,000 per program. Out-of-state students should expect to pay $550–$700 per credit or $55,000 for the program.
Online bachelor's degree programs and on-campus information technology programs offer many job opportunities with a median annual wage of $97,430 and a 15% growth rate from 2021 to 2031.
Professional industries, scientific and technical services, transportation equipment manufacturing, education, and hospitals need technology-related workers. Not all IT jobs require technical knowledge of a company's industry.
Online courses or associate degrees can start your IT career if a bachelor's degree is too much. These alternatives can help you choose the right path.
Information technology uses computers and telecommunications. This major covers many hardware, software, and services. Information technology improves business processes with electronic data processing.
Technology demands more IT professionals. Any business relies on IT. It helps organize and store company data. IT can improve business communications internally and externally.
5. Computer Science
Computer science degrees are great for tech careers. Computer science majors are best suited to learn programming to develop innovative computing solutions. This online degree is one of the most affordable and accessible.
On-campus computer science degrees cost up to $80,000, while online programs average $50,000.
The ROI makes this reasonable. Computer science undergraduates can expect 15% growth from 2021 to 2031 and several six-figure jobs with a median annual wage of $97,430.
Earn up to $131,000 with a master's degree in computer science. You'll find affordable online master's programs.
To focus on one subject at a time, most master's degrees last four weeks.
Some confuse computer science with information technology. These degrees have lapses but different purposes.
Computer science creates computers and software. Information technology maintains and fixes computers, networks, systems, and databases.
This job may not be for you if you hate working with others. Computer science requires frequent collaboration. Many work with college friends or joint venture partners.
 Top 15 Most Prestigious Schools for Computer Science in the US 2023/24 |
6. Public Administration
Public administration specialists are always needed to help individuals, families, and vulnerable populations. The COVID-19 pandemic will affect public administrator demand in the coming years.
Public administration bachelor's degrees average $9,349. Public administration median salaries are $38,050. Due to low budgetary funds, this path will soon be in demand despite a 4% job growth decline.
The government always needs skilled workers. Emergency services administrators, budget managers, city administrators, urban planners, and others have seats.
Public administrators are servants. Public policymakers and policy analysts use data to create, review, and recommend policy changes, while public administrators enact, administer, and manage them.
They often manage logistics and operations in public.
7. Health and Human Services
If you want a rewarding job helping others, consider health and human services. Healthcare and human services professionals are crucial now. Human services bachelor's degrees are popular due to their flexibility, affordability, and diverse job opportunities.
Degree costs vary by school and level. Bachelor's degrees cost more than associate's. In-state bachelor's tuition averages $9,580.
COVID-19's mental health issues and deaths devastated the US.
The world learned the hard way how vital health and human service workers are to our well-being. Human services professionals earn $37,610 on average and will grow 12% from 2021 to 2031.
Health and human services are growing faster than all careers. Demand is justified. Frontline healthcare workers are always needed to assist more patients.
Seniors will need better healthcare as baby boomers age. Rehabilitation, psychiatry, and social work facilities need human services.
8. Economics
Economics is about people. It seeks to explain why people act, choose, and react to challenges and successes. College students find this degree affordable and popular.
Online economics degrees cost $290–$600 per credit. Student tuition averages $55,000. The ROI is worth it, even if this seems far-fetched.
Economists earn more than other academics due to their scarcity and specialized consulting and finance knowledge.
Sociologists sometimes criticize economics rhetorically. Economists earn a median annual salary of $105,630, expected to rise 6% from 2021 to 2031.
Economics can solve business, finance, and public sector issues. Quantitative and statistical skills improve.
Economic principles can be applied to complex data logic, relationships, and the big picture.
This proves that a degree in economics opens doors to many jobs, reducing unemployment risks.
Banks, insurance, accounting firms, corporations, and the government need economists. Economists can also advise governments and companies on public policy, such as the Greek debt crisis.
9. Business Administration
Business degrees still guarantee success in many industries. Business administration is the most popular and affordable bachelor's degree, surpassing engineering and information sciences. Business administration degrees are popular despite their generality.
Online business administration degrees cost $250–$600 per credit. Student tuition averages $32,900. After graduating, a master of business administration, which costs around $15,000, is a good idea.
Business administration bachelors earn $76,570. 2021–2031 growth is 7%. More people are starting businesses and need help running them profitably, making business administrators more in demand than ever.
Today's company administrators study to work for others and start their own businesses. Demand grows exponentially every year.
Businesses desperately need these specialists. Business administrators manage finances and help companies with debt repayment and other financial issues to boost profits year-round.
 Top 10+ Most Prestigious Schools for Business Administration in the US Today |
10. Criminal Justice
Many students choose a degree based on its marketability after graduation. Criminal justice degree programs are affordable and flexible.
Bachelor's degrees average $10,000–31,000. Criminal justice bachelors can tailor their degrees to their interests.
This lets you study forensics, law enforcement, and criminal investigations.
Criminal justice graduates can become police or detectives. Police and detective salaries average $66,020 and are expected to grow 3% from 2021 to 2031. While slower than the national average growth, graduates will have lower unemployment risks.
You must have strong morals, a commitment to ethical behavior, and a desire to help others to work in criminal justice.
Whether you're leaving your 9-to-5 desk job or starting out, you probably want something hands-on and engaging with no two days the same.
 Top 10+ Most Prestigious Schools for Criminology in The US Today |
Tips to Reducing the Burden of US University Tuition Fees
The best, easiest way to reduce the tuition burden on American students is to find financial aid sources and the work part-time.
Here are the best tips and advice to help you overcome the financial challenges of college:
Build a financial plan
Budget is your companion throughout college years. You need to determine your annual financial resources, consider family support, allowances, loans and salary (if you have a job).
A budget will give you a general idea of how much you have to spend each month, and then you can create a plan that meets your spending requirements to avoid default.
Low credit card debt
It's important to avoid seeing credit cards as an inexhaustible source of cash. Late payments and high credit card balances can make it difficult for graduates to find a job, rent an apartment or buy a home, slowing their ability to continue after graduation.
Track your expenses
You need to set up a schedule for yourself that includes regular financial accounting. You can quickly get a sense of your financial health by maintaining meticulous records of what you've spent and how much money is still in your account.
Take advantage of discounts
You should seek out and take advantage of free and inexpensive events on campus, and use the on-campus workout facilities instead of paying for expensive gym subscriptions.
Companies that attract students often offer discounts, including movie theaters and software providers, through student membership programs.
Part-time job
Even if you're busy with school, you can still find time to interact and participate in extracurricular activities and work part-time.
Most schools in the US offer work-study programs that allow you to plan your work around your studies. Although the amount is usually not too large, the work is not too difficult either.
Look for part-time positions in retail or off-campus restaurants. If you work during the summer, save a portion of your income for the school year.
Seeking Financial Help
There are many scholarships and other forms of financial aid available to students in the US. If you are eligible, it is very easy to get financial aid by applying online.
Student Loans
Your last resort should be student loans.
One of the first things a university will give you is information on student loans because that is how they make money. Our predatory student loan system also contributes to the generation problem, as student loan debt is much higher than credit card debt, with an average national balance of $1.7 trillion.
Make the most of all available scholarships, grants, and other opportunities before thinking about taking out student loans.
 Top 30+ Best Websites To Find Scholarships For International Students Do you want to find scholarships all over the world? Do you know about these excellent scholarship search engines? Here are the top 30+ scholarship ... |
 Top 20 Excellence Scholarships for Outstanding Students by Government and Universities Governments and leading colleges and universities around the world always offer special scholarships for outstanding international students. |
| Top 50 Cheapest Schools for In-State Students in the US 2023/2024 Tuition at public universities is more affordable for state residents than it is for people from other states. Check out this list of the ten ... |
 Top 25+ Cheapest Schools For Out-of-State Students in the U.S Today Many students are eager to study out of state for several reasons. KnowInsiders picked the best schools that offer low out-of-state tuition in the United ... |
