Online Degrees · 26 guides · 3 tools
Compare online programs on graduates’ pay and debt.
Program lists built on College Scorecard earnings and debt, plus Bureau of Labor Statistics pay data for the jobs each field leads to.
- jobs with BLS pay data
- 49
- Median pay and outlook, from Bureau of Labor Statistics wage files
- government source records
- 209
- behind these lists and tools, each dated
Guides by question
What do you need to know?
Online programs by field
Each list shows graduates’ median earnings and federal debt where the Scorecard reports them.
- Best Online Business Programs 2026: MBA Outcomes Seven online MBA programs compared on AACSB or ACBSP accreditation and Scorecard outcomes. Financial managers earned a $166,570 median in May 2025. 9 min read · Updated Ends in the Grad Loan Gap Check
- Online business administration degree: cost and pay (2026) Business administration bachelor's grads earned a $68,257 median 4 years out (finished 2017-19). 2026-27 tuition: $354 a credit at SNHU, $3,850 a WGU term. 8 min read · Updated Ends in the aid check
- Online accounting degree: the 120-credit CPA path (2026) 6 of 7 states we checked list a CPA route with a bachelor's plus 2 years' experience, Ohio if you first sit in 2026 or later. Dates, grads' pay, the math. 8 min read · Updated Ends in the aid check
- Best Online Technology Programs 2026: CS and IT Degrees Seven online computer science and IT degrees compared on College Scorecard outcomes. Software developers earned a $135,980 median in May 2025 (BLS). 9 min read · Updated Ends in the aid check
- Online cybersecurity degree: is it worth it in 2026? Bachelor's grads who finished 2017-18 or 2018-19 earned a $57,805 median in security science, $85,063 in IT admin (paid 2022 and 2023, 2024 dollars). 8 min read · Updated Ends in the aid check
- Best Online Nursing Programs 2026: RN-to-BSN and MSN Six accredited online RN-to-BSN and MSN programs, from WGU to Duke, compared on Scorecard outcomes. RNs earned a $97,550 median in May 2025 (BLS). 9 min read · Updated Ends in the aid check
- Online healthcare administration degree: cost and pay (2026) Health admin, medical office, records bachelor's grads (finished 2017-18 or 2018-19): $58,716 median, 2022 and 2023. BLS: managers typically need experience. 8 min read · Updated Ends in the aid check
- Best Online Education Programs 2026: MAT and M.Ed. Compared Seven online MAT and M.Ed. programs compared on licensure path and Scorecard outcomes. Elementary teachers earned a $63,970 median in May 2025 (BLS). 9 min read · Updated Ends in the Grad Loan Gap Check
- Best Online Counseling and MSW Programs 2026 Six CACREP and CSWE online counseling and MSW programs compared on Scorecard outcomes. Mental health counselors earned a $59,350 median in May 2025. 9 min read · Updated Ends in the Grad Loan Gap Check
- Best Online Criminal Justice Degrees 2026 Six online criminal justice degrees compared on College Scorecard outcomes. Police officers earned a $76,210 median in May 2025; academy is still required. 9 min read · Updated Ends in the aid check
- Best Online Liberal Arts Degrees 2026: Outcomes and Pay Five online liberal arts, humanities and English BAs compared. Graduates' median pay four years out: $48,298 to $66,656 (College Scorecard, 2026). 9 min read · Updated Ends in the aid check
- Best Online Degrees for Working Adults in 2026 10 accredited online options for working adults in 2026, compared on College Scorecard data: share of adult students, 8-year completion and net price. 8 min read · Updated Ends in the aid check
- Best Online Trades Programs 2026: What Works Online Most electricians and plumbers train in a 4- to 5-year paid apprenticeship (BLS). What online trade courses can do in 2026, and which ones federal aid covers. 8 min read · Updated Ends in the ROI Calculator
Is an online degree worth it?
Pay by field, outcomes by program, the math on staying put, and master’s degrees that fit the loan limit.
- Is an online degree worth it? 2026 payback math by field An online degree pays off when the job it leads to pays well above what you earn now. BLS 2025 wages by field, Scorecard costs and the payback formula. 9 min read · Updated Ends in the ROI Calculator
- Online associate degrees: cost, transfer and pay (2026) At NOVA and SNHU, an online associate degree takes 60+ credits. BLS: $1,135 a week in 2025 vs $966 for high school. Costs by residency, and what transfers. 7 min read · Updated Ends in the aid check
- Highest-Paying Online Degrees 2026: 15 Jobs by BLS Pay Financial managers top the list at a $166,570 median (BLS May 2025). 15 degree-linked jobs ranked by pay, with the online programs that lead to them. 8 min read · Updated Ends in the ROI Calculator
- Online college completion rates 2026: 10 schools compared College Scorecard data for 10 online-heavy schools: 8-year completion runs 21% to 52%, graduates' earnings $54,301 to $87,445. What each figure measures. 9 min read · Updated Ends in the aid check
- Online master's degrees under $20,500 a year (2026) New graduate students can borrow $20,500 a year in federal loans. At 18 credits a year, tuition up to $1,138 a credit fits. Real 2026-27 prices that clear it. 6 min read · Updated Ends in the ROI Calculator
Check a school before you enroll
Accreditation, who runs the school, graduates’ earnings and the new federal earnings test.
- Is an online school legit? A five-minute check (2026) A real online school is accredited by an agency the Education Department recognizes, has a College Scorecard record and takes federal aid. How to check each. 6 min read · Updated Ends in the ROI Calculator
- Regional vs national accreditation: what changed in 2026 ED has recognized no regional accreditors since July 1, 2020. Its 2026 proposals target the label and transfer denials; neither was final on Oct 27, 2026. 8 min read · Updated Ends in the aid check
- Nonprofit vs for-profit online colleges: the 2026 data Public, nonprofit, for-profit: in 35 schools we profile, award-rate medians sit close (42%, 44%, 32%); schools span 15% to 74% (2017-18 starters, our math). 9 min read · Updated Ends in the aid check
- How to check what a college's graduates earn (2026) The College Scorecard shows graduates' median pay by program, 1 and 4 years out. The FAFSA flags schools whose graduates earn less than high school graduates. 6 min read · Updated Ends in the ROI Calculator
- Will your program pass the new earnings test? (2026) The federal earnings test compares graduates' pay with high school graduates'. Programs failing 2 of 3 years lose federal loans, from 2028 at the earliest. 7 min read · Updated Ends in the ROI Calculator
Fields with growing demand
Where students are moving, what BLS projects for each job, and how to switch into nursing.
- Which degrees hold up against AI? The 2026 jobs data 71% of Americans expect AI to mean fewer jobs. Health care enrollment rose 6% to 7% in spring 2026 while computer science fell 8% to 11%. 6 min read · Updated Ends in Degree Match
- Health care careers you can start online in 2026 Health administration, medical records, RN-to-BSN and nurse practitioner programs offer online classes. Pay, growth and what must be in person. 7 min read · Updated Ends in the ROI Calculator
- Switching to nursing at 40: the routes that fit (2026) Nurses earn a $97,550 median (BLS, May 2025). At 40 you can start with an associate degree, an accelerated BSN if you hold a degree, then finish a BSN online. 7 min read · Updated Ends in the ROI Calculator
Tools for this topic
Where these figures come from
Every number links to the page it came from.
We quote the government source directly and note the date we last read it. A top amount is labelled as a top amount, never as what you’ll get.
- College Scorecard (ed.gov) Program earnings, debt and graduate counts
- Bureau of Labor Statistics Median pay and job outlook
Find out what’s free before you borrow.
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