Online psychology degree: cost, jobs and pay (2026)

An online psychology bachelor’s costs $337 to $580 a credit at three schools and $375 to $415 a Capella quarter credit (October 2026 non-military rates); psychology bachelor’s grads of 2017-18 and 2018-19 earned a $50,706 national median, and psychologists typically need a graduate degree.

The pay is College Scorecard’s October 15, 2026 national median for Psychology, General (CIP 42.01) bachelor’s graduates four years after finishing, measured in 2022 and 2023, in 2024 dollars.

The degree line is the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS): psychologists “typically need an advanced degree, such as a master’s or doctoral degree, in psychology. Licensing requirements vary by state and position.”

You are paying with your own money this time, so a wrong pick costs you directly. Three numbers cut that risk: the price each school states, what past graduates earned and borrowed, and which jobs need more school after the bachelor’s.

This page covers the bachelor’s and when a master’s comes next. For more programs by field, see the online degrees hub.

30 credits cost $10,110 to $18,675 at four online schools

Each school states its price its own way. The table puts all four on 30 semester credits, our comparison basis, by our math. Capella bills quarter credits, and Capella says 1 semester credit equals 1.5 quarter credits, so 30 semester credits are 45 of its quarter credits.

School (group)	Rate the school states	30 credits, our math	Grads' median pay · federal debt
Arizona State University (public): ASU Online tuition; outcomes for Scorecard's Digital Immersion row	$580 per credit hour, most undergraduate programs, 2026-27, plus program fees	$17,400	$53,586 · $17,750
University of Maryland Global Campus (public)	$337 per credit in state, $499 out of state, $250 military; other fees may apply	$10,110 in state; $14,970 out of state	$58,439 · $18,713
Liberty University (nonprofit)	$410 per credit full time, $475 part time, 2026-27	$12,300 full time; $14,250 part time	$45,340 · $25,000
Capella University (for-profit)	GuidedPath: $375 per 1000-2000 level and $415 per 3000-4000 level quarter credit, plus a $150 resource kit	$16,875 to $18,675 (45 quarter credits)	$51,571 · $20,572

School (group) Arizona State University (public): ASU Online tuition; outcomes for Scorecard's Digital Immersion row

Rate the school states $580 per credit hour, most undergraduate programs, 2026-27, plus program fees

30 credits, our math $17,400

Grads' median pay · federal debt $53,586 · $17,750

School (group) University of Maryland Global Campus (public)

Rate the school states $337 per credit in state, $499 out of state, $250 military; other fees may apply

30 credits, our math $10,110 in state; $14,970 out of state

Grads' median pay · federal debt $58,439 · $18,713

School (group) Liberty University (nonprofit)

Rate the school states $410 per credit full time, $475 part time, 2026-27

30 credits, our math $12,300 full time; $14,250 part time

Grads' median pay · federal debt $45,340 · $25,000

School (group) Capella University (for-profit)

Rate the school states GuidedPath: $375 per 1000-2000 level and $415 per 3000-4000 level quarter credit, plus a $150 resource kit

30 credits, our math $16,875 to $18,675 (45 quarter credits)

Grads' median pay · federal debt $51,571 · $20,572

The four are our selection from the 158 schools that report every psychology bachelor’s credential can be finished fully online (Scorecard, October 2026): four of the ten with the most 2023-24 awards, with each group (public, nonprofit, for-profit) included. It is not a ranking.

For the whole degree, ASU and UMGC each list 120 credits. That is $69,600 at ASU’s rate and $40,440 at UMGC’s in-state rate ($59,880 out of state), by our math, before fees and transfer credit.

Capella also offers FlexPath, a flat $2,575 per 12-week billing session. Capella’s FlexPath estimates, which assume an average number of credits, are $10,300 at the pace of its fastest 25% of FlexPath students, $15,450 at the median pace and $25,750 at the pace of its fastest 75% (“only an estimate, effective July 13, 2026”).

Transfer credit moves every total. UMGC takes up to 90 credits, Liberty up to 75% of the degree and Capella up to 135 of its 180 quarter credits. Ask each school for a transfer evaluation in writing.

Bachelor’s grads earned a $50,706 median four years out

College Scorecard’s October 15, 2026 release reports pay for psychology bachelor’s graduates nationwide. The median covers graduates who finished in 2017-18 and 2018-19, were working and not enrolled, measured in 2022 and 2023, in 2024 dollars.

Scorecard lists 1,471 schools with the field at the bachelor’s level, and 1,046 of them have a published earnings figure. It does not separate online graduates from campus graduates in a school’s row.

At the four schools in the table, the same graduates’ medians ran from $45,340 at Liberty to $58,439 at UMGC. Debt is a newer group: graduates who finished in 2022-23 and 2023-24, federal loans only.

A school’s median covers its past graduates in whatever jobs they took. It is not a forecast of your pay. To read one school’s row yourself, see how to check what a college’s graduates earn.

Psychologists typically need a graduate degree and, in most states, a license

BLSBLS, Bureau of Labor Statistics. The U.S. Department of Labor agency that publishes pay and job outlook figures for each occupation.: “Psychologists typically need at least a master’s degree to enter the occupation.” And “in most states, practicing psychology or using the title of ‘psychologist’ requires licensure.”

Liberty says the same about its own bachelor’s: “A Bachelor of Science in Psychology is a non-licensure program.”

1. Finish a bachelor's

   BLS: “Applicants to graduate-level psychology programs typically have a bachelor’s degree in a field such as psychology, education, or social science.”

2. Earn a graduate degree

   Psychologists “typically need at least a master’s degree to enter the occupation.” School psychologists “typically need at least a master’s degree in school psychology.”

3. Complete supervised experience and get licensed

   For psychologists, licensure “typically requires applicants to have earned a master’s or doctoral degree and completed supervised experience. They also may need to have passed an exam.” Licensing rules vary by state.

APA’s student network puts the bachelor’s this way: “the psychology bachelor’s degree qualifies a person for a large number of jobs, but the degree does not uniquely qualify a person for any particular job” (Landrum, January 2018).

BLS figures on workers who hold a psychology degree point the same way. In 2023, 51 percent of them held an advanced degree, against 38 percent across all fields, and their median wage was $60,000, against $70,000 (American Community Survey, all degree levels).

What each counseling or psychology job takes, in BLS’s words

1. With a bachelor's

   Substance abuse and behavioral disorder counselors “typically need at least a bachelor’s degree, although some positions require a high school diploma and others require a master’s degree.” For career or academic advisors, “employers may prefer candidates who have a bachelor’s degree and work experience.” For social workers, a BSW, a bachelor’s in social work, “is the most common requirement for entry-level nonclinical social worker positions.” A psychology bachelor’s is not a BSW.

2. With a master's

   Mental health counselors “typically need a master’s degree and an internship,” and their licensure “requires successfully completing a national examination and supervised clinical work under the supervision of a licensed counselor.” “Most school counselors need a master’s degree in school counseling or a related field.”

3. With a doctorate

   Clinical and counseling psychologists “typically need a Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in psychology or a Doctor of Psychology (Psy.D.) degree,” and they “are licensed in every state.”

A BSW “is not required in order to enter a master’s degree program in social work,” and BLS names psychology among the common majors.

Median pay in May 2025 (BLS): $59,350 for substance abuse, behavioral disorder and mental health counselors, $64,330 for school and career counselors and advisors, and $59,550 for child, family and school social workers, against $50,980 for all occupations.

Psychologists’ median was $99,110 in May 2025 (BLS). That is not pay a bachelor’s alone leads to: BLS says psychologists typically need at least a master’s degree to enter the occupation.

The master’s median runs $14,005 above the bachelor’s

For master’s graduates of Psychology, General who finished in 2017-18 and 2018-19, Scorecard’s national median was $64,711, measured the same way. That is $14,005 more than the bachelor’s median, by our math.

The clinical, counseling and applied psychology field (CIP 42.28) shows a similar step: $50,523 for bachelor’s graduates and $65,184 for master’s graduates, same cohort.

If licensed counseling is the goal, the master’s is the program to compare. See online counseling programs, and for the borrowing side, how much you can borrow for a master’s.

Federal aid can lower what you pay

Pell Grants pay up to $7,395 for 2026-27 to undergraduates who qualify. Against 30 credits at UMGC’s in-state rate, that maximum would leave $2,715 in tuition, by our math.

Federal Student Aid caps Direct Loans for an independent undergraduate at $9,500 in the first year, $10,500 in the second and $12,500 from the third, with $57,500 in total. Undergraduate Direct Loans first paid out in 2026-27 carry a 6.52% fixed rate.

The ROI calculator prices counseling jobs, not psychologist jobs

Pick Counseling / Psychology and the calculator lists three jobs: substance abuse and mental health counselors, school and career counselors, and child, family and school social workers. It does not show psychologist pay.

For the two counselor jobs, BLS lists a master’s as the typical entry for each job group, so the calculator prices a master’s only: enter master’s tuition, not the bachelor’s. The social worker line is a social work route, where BLS names a BSW as the most common requirement for entry-level nonclinical jobs, not a psychology degree.

You enter your current education, the yearly tuition, how long the program takes (2 to 6 years) and your pay now. It shows ten years of earnings at the job’s BLS May 2025 median and at its 25th percentile, and how long the job’s pay above what you earn now takes to earn back the tuition.

In the calculator, enter the tuition for the program the job takes: master’s tuition for either counselor job.

For the full method, see whether an online degree is worth it.

Four checks before you enroll

1. Confirm the school's accreditation

   Check who accredits the school before anything else: see how to check whether an online school is legit.

2. Put every price on one basis

   Per credit, per quarter credit or per 12-week session: convert to 30 semester credits before you compare.

3. Get a transfer evaluation in writing

   Ask how many of your earlier credits count and how many are left.

4. Check your state board if you want a licensed job

   Licensing rules for psychologists and counselors vary by state. Find what your board requires before you pick a graduate program.

Frequently asked questions

Can you become a psychologist with an online psychology bachelor’s?

No. BLS says psychologists “typically need at least a master’s degree to enter the occupation,” clinical and counseling psychologists typically need a Ph.D. or Psy.D., and practicing psychology requires a license in most states. Check your state board’s rules for any graduate program before you enroll.

Is an online psychology degree worth it?

It depends on what you pay and the job you move into. Psychology bachelor’s graduates who finished in 2017-18 and 2018-19 earned a $50,706 national median in 2022 and 2023, in 2024 dollars (College Scorecard, October 2026). Compare that with your pay now and the price of the credits you have left.

Can you be a counselor with a bachelor’s in psychology?

BLS says mental health counselors typically need a master’s degree and an internship, and every state requires them to be licensed. Substance abuse and behavioral disorder counselors “typically need at least a bachelor’s degree,” but those in private practice need a master’s, supervised clinical hours and a license.

How much does an online psychology degree cost?

At rates read October 28, 2026, ASU Online charges $580 a credit for most undergraduate programs, UMGC $337 in state, Liberty $410 full time and Capella $375 to $415 a quarter credit. For 30 semester credits that is $10,110 to $18,675, by our math, before fees, transfer credit and aid.

Next step: see your cost after aid

Pick two schools from the table and ask each for a transfer evaluation in writing. Then run the aid check: it shows a full-time Pell Grant estimate and your federal loan limits under the rules for the year you start (2026-27 or 2027-28), so you can subtract them from each school’s price. School matching comes after your result, and it is optional.

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