Average Cost of Online College (2026 stats)
TL;DR
Analysis of online college costs compared to traditional in-person programs.
Key Facts
- Data analysis based on College Scorecard 2024 data.
Download the data
Downloads reflect the processed dataset used to generate this page’s charts and tables.
In-State Tuition (Scorecard)
Tuition Benchmark
Median in-state tuition is $11,790 across 3,609 reporting campuses. College Scorecard does not publish a separate online tuition field in this extract; figures are in-state tuition at reporting campuses.
College Scorecard does not publish a separate online tuition field in this extract; figures are in-state tuition at reporting campuses.
FAQ
What does the Average Cost of Online College (2026 stats) dataset measure?
It summarizes the metrics shown on this page (charts and tables) using the sources listed in the Data Sources section, with national aggregates and breakdowns where available.
What is the primary data source?
College Scorecard (U.S. Department of Education). Some pages also incorporate Census ACS context where noted.
How often is this page updated?
Pages update when the underlying processed datasets are refreshed and the HTML is regenerated; the Last updated date reflects the most recent build.
Data Sources
- College Scorecard - U.S. Department of Education
- Institutional characteristics, costs, completion rates, and enrollment data
- Data year: 2024
- Source: collegescorecard.ed.gov
- Census ACS - U.S. Census Bureau
- Demographic and workforce data
- Data year: 2023
- Source: census.gov