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⚑ TL;DR
The cheapest accredited online degrees in 2026 come from a small group of institutions whose accreditation we could verify on a national register and whose fees are published in full. For a bachelor’s: University of the People (approx. $7,260 in assessment fees, WSCUC-accredited), FernUniversitΓ€t in Hagen (approx. €2,100–€2,400, German-language), IGNOU (β‚Ή49,800 for an online BCA), UNISA (R1,925–R8,005 per module), University of London Band A (Β£14,666 for a BSc Computer Science) and WGU ($4,050 per six-month term, typically $16,000–$32,000 all-in). For a master’s: Georgia Tech’s OMSCS ($227 per credit, approx. $8,000–$9,000 total), University of the People’s MBA ($5,940), WGU’s MBA (approx. $10,000 in two terms) and the Illinois Gies iMBA ($27,288, AACSB). Anything cheaper than these that also promises a fast, recognised degree is almost certainly not accredited, and the accreditation-check section below explains how to tell.

Cheapest accredited online degrees is a search that produces two kinds of results: a handful of genuine institutions that have reduced the cost of a recognised degree to a few thousand dollars, and a much larger number of operators that sell certificates from bodies that accredit nobody but themselves. The word “accredited” on a website means nothing on its own; what matters is which body did the accrediting and whether a national government or its designated agency recognises that body. Get that right and the cheapest options in this guide are remarkable value: a WSCUC-accredited American bachelor’s degree for the price of a laptop, a German state university degree for the price of a semester’s textbooks elsewhere, a Georgia Tech master’s in computer science for under $10,000. Get it wrong and the cheapest option is a worthless piece of paper. This guide lists eight institutions whose fees and accreditation we verified in September 2026, calculates the total cost to completion rather than the per-credit headline, and sets out an accreditation check that takes ten minutes. It is part of our MBA & Business Education hub.

Independent review: Kurums is not affiliated with the schools listed here. Selections are editorial. Institutions can apply for a paid, clearly labelled listing through the Program Listing Program or a sponsored position in the Education directory; paid listings never influence editorial rankings.
Key Takeaways

What is the cheapest accredited online bachelor’s degree?
In absolute terms FernUniversitΓ€t in Hagen (approx. €2,100–€2,400) and IGNOU (approx. β‚Ή50,000), both public and both in their national language. In English with international recognition, University of the People at approx. $7,260 in assessment fees, followed by UNISA and University of London Band A.

What is the cheapest accredited online master’s?
University of the People’s MBA at $5,940 and Georgia Tech’s OMSCS at approx. $8,000–$9,000 are the lowest from US-accredited universities; WGU’s MBA costs approx. $10,000 if completed in two terms. Georgia Tech is the only one of the three from a top-ranked research university.

How do I know a cheap degree is genuinely accredited?
Find the institution on its country’s official register (DAPIP or CHEA in the US, the OfS register in the UK, the CHE in South Africa), not on the institution’s own site. Our accreditation guide lists every register.

What do cheap degrees sacrifice?
Tutor contact, brand recognition and, at the very cheapest, program choice. They do not sacrifice validity if the accreditation is real.

At a glance: the shortlist

Program Institution / country / accreditation Format & length Fee (as published 2026) Best for
BS Business Administration / Computer Science University of the People, US Β· WSCUC (regional) Online, 8-week terms, 5 starts a year; 4 years typical $180 per course assessment fee; $7,260 total; $60 application fee Lowest-cost US-accredited bachelor’s in English
BS / MBA (business and IT) Western Governors University, US Β· NWCCU (regional) Competency-based, flat fee per 6-month term $4,050 per term (bachelor’s), $5,050 (MBA), from 1 Jan 2026 Fastest cheap route for experienced professionals
Bachelor’s degrees (most fields) UNISA, South Africa Β· Council on Higher Education Open distance e-learning; 4–6 years R1,925–R8,005 per module (subject to change); international levy outside SADC Cheapest full-range English-language university
Online BCA, BBA, BA, B.Com IGNOU, India Β· Act of Parliament; NAAC A++; UGC-recognised Online or ODL; 3 years minimum, 6 maximum Online BCA β‚Ή8,300 per semester, β‚Ή49,800 total; other bachelor’s approx. β‚Ή4,000–₹12,000 a year Lowest absolute cost; South Asian and diaspora students
Bachelor’s (economics, computer science, psychology, law, humanities) FernUniversitΓ€t in Hagen, Germany Β· state university Distance, German-language; 6 semesters standard approx. €2,100–€2,400 for a full bachelor’s (as published) Cheapest EU state-university degree; German speakers
BSc Computer Science and other BScs University of London Worldwide, UK Β· Royal Charter; academic direction Goldsmiths / LSE Distance; 3–6 years Β£14,666 Band A / Β£21,829 Band B total (2026–27) Cheapest globally recognised brand for Band A countries
Online MS in Computer Science (OMSCS) Georgia Institute of Technology, US Β· SACSCOC (regional) Online, 30 credit hours; 2–6 years $227 per credit hour plus $212–$531 fees per semester (Fall 2026); approx. $8,000–$9,000 total Cheapest master’s from a top-10 CS department
iMBA University of Illinois Gies College of Business, US Β· HLC; AACSB Online, 24–60 months, 5 intakes a year $27,288 total tuition and fees Cheapest AACSB MBA from a flagship university
MBA / MSIT University of the People, US Β· WSCUC Online; approx. 15 months $490 per course; $5,940 total Cheapest US-accredited MBA
BA/BSc (any subject) The Open University, UK Β· Royal Charter; OfS Supported distance; 3–6 years Β£7,335 per 120 credits (England, 2026/27); approx. Β£22,000 per degree Best-supported low-cost UK degree
Bachelor’s (business, IT, psychology) Southern New Hampshire University, US Β· NECHE Online, 8-week terms $354 per credit; $42,480 for a 120-credit BS (2026–27) Cheap only with heavy transfer credit

All fees as published on the institutions’ own pages in September 2026. University of London Band A includes TΓΌrkiye, India, Nigeria, Pakistan and most middle-income countries. IGNOU fees other than the online BCA are ranges based on the university’s published programme fees and are marked approx.

How did we choose the cheapest accredited online degrees?

We applied a filter before a ranking. The filter is accreditation: every institution here appears on a government or government-recognised register that we checked ourselves, not on the institution’s own claim. For the United States that means a regional accreditor listed by the Department of Education’s DAPIP database (WSCUC, NWCCU, SACSCOC, HLC, NECHE); for the United Kingdom, a Royal Charter and the Office for Students register; for Germany, status as a state university or state-recognised institution; for South Africa, the Council on Higher Education; for India, establishment by Act of Parliament and UGC recognition. We excluded institutions accredited only by bodies that are not themselves recognised, however plausible their names. Within the filtered list we ranked by total cost to completion, calculated from the institution’s own credit requirement and fee schedule rather than the per-credit headline, and we required that the fee be fully published. We then applied a recognition test: the degree must be accepted for postgraduate admission in its home country. Institutions passing all three tests are listed in the Distance Learning Universities directory; the broader comparison is in our distance learning universities guide.

The 8 cheapest accredited online degrees in 2026

1. Bachelor’s in Business Administration, Computer Science or Health Science β€” University of the People

Online, 8-week terms, five starts a year Β· 120 credits, typically 4 years Β· No tuition; $180 assessment fee per course, $7,260 total for Business Administration and Computer Science, $7,080 for Health Science, $60 application fee (as published 2026) Β· Accredited by the WASC Senior College and University Commission (WSCUC); previously DEAC, withdrawn 31 December 2025

University of the People is a non-profit American university that charges no tuition and instead levies a fixed assessment fee at the end of each course, which makes a full bachelor’s degree cost roughly $7,000, an associate degree $3,660 and an MBA $5,940. It was founded in 2009, gained national accreditation from DEAC in 2014 and, more importantly, regional accreditation from WSCUC, the same body that accredits Stanford and the University of California, which it now relies on exclusively. Courses are taught by volunteer and paid faculty, largely drawn from other universities, in small online classes with weekly deadlines and peer assessment. It suits students anywhere in the world for whom cost is the binding constraint, refugees and displaced students (the university has partnerships with UNHCR), and anyone who wants a US-accredited credential without US prices. The drawbacks are a narrow program range (business, computer science, health science, education), very large enrolment with thin support, a brand that employers outside its niche do not know, and a peer-graded model that some students find inconsistent. It is a real degree at a real price; it is not a substitute for a research university.

Program page β†—

2. Bachelor’s and MBA in business or IT β€” Western Governors University

Competency-based online, flat fee per 6-month term Β· Bachelor’s typically 2–4 years; MBA often 1 year Β· $3,850 tuition plus $200 resources fee per term for business bachelor’s; $4,850 plus $200 for the MBA and business master’s (from 1 January 2026, as published) Β· NWCCU regional accreditation; ACBSP for business; CAHIIM, CCNE, CAEP for other colleges

WGU is not the cheapest institution on this list per term, but it is often the cheapest per degree, because a student who already knows the material can pass as many courses as they like in a six-month term for the same $4,050. Experienced professionals routinely finish a bachelor’s in four to six terms ($16,000–$25,000) and the MBA in two ($10,100). Assessment is by proctored exams and graded projects; there are no lectures, no cohorts and no seat-time requirements, and each student has a program mentor who calls weekly. It suits working adults in IT, business, healthcare administration and teaching who have several years of relevant experience and can hold themselves to a schedule, and it is a well-known credential among US employers, particularly in technology, where WGU’s IT certifications are embedded in the degree. The drawbacks are that the model punishes students who fall behind, since a slow student pays more than a fast one, the business accreditation is ACBSP rather than AACSB, and the degree carries less weight outside the US. WGU has also been the subject of a 2017 US Department of Education audit over faculty interaction, since resolved in its favour, which critics still cite.

Program page β†—

3. Bachelor’s degrees across most fields β€” University of South Africa (UNISA)

Open distance e-learning Β· 360 credits, typically 4–6 years at 4–6 modules a year Β· R1,925–R8,005 per module (as published, subject to change); international levy for students outside the SADC region; books extra Β· Public university accredited by the Council on Higher Education; qualifications registered on the South African NQF

UNISA is the largest university in Africa and the oldest dedicated distance university in the world, and it offers the widest program range of any institution on this list at the lowest price in English: accounting, law, economics, computing, education, engineering technology, psychology, public administration and more. A typical year of four to six modules costs roughly R10,000–R40,000, which at 2026 exchange rates is a few hundred to a couple of thousand dollars, and a full bachelor’s can be completed for less than the cost of one semester at a US public university. Its degrees are recognised by South African professional bodies, including SAICA for chartered accountants, and across the Commonwealth. It suits students in Africa, the Gulf and South Asia who need an accredited English-language degree with broad subject choice, and expatriates who want a credential recognised at home. The drawbacks are administrative: registration windows are rigid, support is thin at this scale, examinations for overseas students require arrangements that can be slow, and the international levy and currency risk add to the published figure. The brand is respected in Africa and little known in Europe or North America.

Program page β†—

4. Online BCA, BBA and other bachelor’s degrees β€” IGNOU

Online (OL) or open and distance learning (ODL) Β· Minimum 36 months, maximum 72 Β· Online BCA β‚Ή8,300 per semester, β‚Ή49,800 total, examination fees extra (as published); most other bachelor’s approx. β‚Ή4,000–₹12,000 a year Β· Established by Act of Parliament 1985; UGC-recognised; NAAC A++; ranked first among open universities in India’s NIRF

Indira Gandhi National Open University is the largest university in the world, with several million enrolled students, and it is by a wide margin the cheapest accredited degree provider that teaches in English. Its online BCA costs β‚Ή49,800 for the whole program, roughly $600, and its BA, B.Com and BBA programs cost a fraction of that per year. The university is a statutory body created by India’s parliament, its degrees are recognised by the University Grants Commission on the same footing as any Indian university’s, and it holds the highest NAAC grade. It suits students in India and the Indian diaspora, students in neighbouring countries and the Gulf, and anyone who needs a legitimate degree at the lowest possible cost and can manage a large-scale bureaucratic system. The drawbacks are substantial for an international student: study centres, examinations and support are organised around India, the online programs are newer and narrower than the ODL ones, recognition outside South Asia depends on formal equivalence procedures rather than reputation, and the student experience at this scale is impersonal. For a reader in TΓΌrkiye or Europe, IGNOU is worth knowing about as a benchmark for what accredited education can cost, more than as a practical option.

Program page β†—

5. Bachelor’s in economics, computer science, psychology, law or humanities β€” FernUniversitΓ€t in Hagen

Distance, German-language Β· 6 semesters standard, longer part-time Β· approx. €2,100–€2,400 for a full bachelor’s over the standard period (as published 2026); fees charged per module plus a semester contribution Β· Germany’s only state distance university; degrees accredited within the German system

FernUniversitΓ€t in Hagen is a public university of the state of North Rhine-Westphalia and, as a state institution, charges only cost-recovery fees: the university’s own figure for a complete bachelor’s degree is around €2,100–€2,400, which makes it the cheapest recognised university degree in the European Union by a wide margin. It has more than 70,000 students, mostly working adults, and its degrees in economics and business, computer science, mathematics, psychology, law and the humanities are identical in status to those of any German university. It suits German speakers anywhere in the world, including the large Turkish-German community, who want a full EU degree at negligible cost and can study independently; Hagen’s materials are strong, its examinations are held at regional centres in Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Hungary and elsewhere, and its psychology and business programs are well regarded by German employers. The drawback is the language: almost everything is taught and examined in German, and there is no English-language undergraduate track. Support is lighter than at the Open University, the pace is set by the semester calendar, and the drop-out rate is high, as at most open universities. For anyone who reads German, though, it is the outstanding bargain on this list.

Program page β†—

6. BSc Computer Science and other BScs β€” University of London Worldwide

Distance learning, optional local teaching centres Β· 3–6 years Β· BSc Computer Science Β£14,666 total for Band A countries, Β£21,829 for Band B, Β£18,545 for the UK (2026–27, as published; approx. 5% annual increases); other BScs priced similarly Β· Royal Charter; academic direction from Goldsmiths (Computer Science), LSE (economics, finance, management) and other member institutions

University of London is not the cheapest institution in this guide, but it is the cheapest way to obtain a degree with a globally recognised name, and its banded pricing means that a student in TΓΌrkiye, India, Egypt or Nigeria pays roughly a third less than one in Germany or the United States. The BSc Computer Science, with academic direction from Goldsmiths, costs Β£14,666 in Band A over the minimum period, and the LSE-directed degrees in economics, finance, accounting and management cost in the same range. The degree is awarded by the University of London on the same terms as for its campus students, examinations are held at centres in more than 100 countries, and graduates go on to master’s degrees at LSE, UCL and equivalent universities. It suits students who want a brand that opens doors internationally, particularly for finance and technology careers, and who are comfortable with an examination-led assessment model. The drawbacks are lighter tutor contact than at the Open University, annual fee increases that penalise slow completion, and examination-centre and teaching-centre costs that come on top of the published figure. Band B students should compare the total against the Open University before choosing.

Program page β†—

7. Online Master of Science in Computer Science (OMSCS) β€” Georgia Institute of Technology

Online, 30 credit hours, 10 courses Β· 2–6 years, most students 2–3 Β· $227 per semester credit hour plus mandatory fees of $212 (under 4 credit hours) or $531 (4 or more) per semester (Fall 2026, as published); approx. $8,000–$9,000 total at one course per semester Β· SACSCOC regional accreditation; the degree is Georgia Tech’s MS in Computer Science, with no online designation

Georgia Tech’s OMSCS, launched in 2014 with Udacity and AT&T, is the program that proved a top-ranked research university could deliver a full master’s degree online at a tenth of the campus price. The degree is identical to the on-campus MS in Computer Science, taught by the same faculty from a computer science department consistently ranked in the US top ten, and it costs $227 per credit hour, so the 30-credit program comes to under $7,000 in tuition plus a few hundred dollars a semester in fees. More than 15,000 students are enrolled at any time, from almost every country, and admission requires a bachelor’s degree with a strong technical background rather than the GRE. It suits software engineers, data professionals and career changers with programming experience who want a rigorous, recognised credential in machine learning, computing systems, interactive intelligence or computational perception. The drawbacks are rigour and pace: the courses are genuinely graduate-level, the workload is heavy, and the completion rate is well below that of the campus program; support is largely by forum and teaching assistants. For a qualified applicant it is the best value graduate degree in the world.

Program page β†—

8. iMBA β€” University of Illinois Gies College of Business

Fully online with Coursera, weekly live sessions Β· 24–60 months, five intakes a year Β· $27,288 total tuition and fees, pay as you go (as published 2026) Β· HLC regional accreditation; AACSB-accredited business school

The Gies iMBA is the cheapest MBA on this list from an AACSB-accredited school at a major research university, and it was designed to be exactly that: Illinois closed its residential MBA in 2019 to concentrate on the online program, priced it at a fraction of competitors and built it with Coursera so that prospective students can try the open courses before enrolling. The full degree costs $27,288 including fees, spread across the 24 to 60 months a student takes; there are five intakes a year and the curriculum covers strategy, finance, accounting, marketing and data analytics with live weekly sessions taught by Illinois faculty. It suits mid-career professionals who want the MBA credential and the general management education from a recognised US university at the lowest price, and international students who cannot leave work. The drawbacks are the ones the price implies: no residency, large classes, a network that is entirely virtual, and a brand that is respected but does not open the doors that a top-20 online MBA such as Kelley or UNC does with US recruiters. For a knowledge-and-credential purchase it is the best deal in graduate business education, as our online MBA guide also concludes.

Program page β†—

What does each degree really cost to completion?

Per-credit and per-term prices hide the number that matters, which is what you will have paid on the day you graduate. The table uses each institution’s own credit requirement and fee schedule, a realistic completion time rather than the fastest possible one, and adds the fees institutions charge outside tuition: examination centres, resources, graduation, applications. It excludes books, currency movements and any scholarship. The right-hand column is our estimate and is rounded.

Degree Published price basis Realistic time Extras to add Approx. total to completion
UoPeople BS (Business / CS) $180 Γ— 40 courses = $7,260 (school’s figure) 4 years $60 application; retaken courses approx. $7,300–$8,000
UoPeople MBA $490 Γ— 12 courses = $5,940 15 months $60 application approx. $6,000
WGU bachelor’s (business) $4,050 per 6-month term 4–8 terms $65 application; certification exam vouchers included approx. $16,000–$32,000
WGU MBA $5,050 per 6-month term 2–3 terms Application fee approx. $10,000–$15,000
UNISA bachelor’s R1,925–R8,005 per module, approx. 30 modules 4–6 years International levy; books; exam arrangements abroad approx. R60,000–R150,000 (approx. $3,500–$8,500)
IGNOU online BCA β‚Ή8,300 Γ— 6 semesters = β‚Ή49,800 3–4 years Examination fees per paper; registration approx. β‚Ή55,000–₹65,000 (approx. $650–$800)
FernUni Hagen bachelor’s approx. €2,100–€2,400 (university’s own figure) 6–10 semesters Semester contributions if part-time; travel to exam centres approx. €2,500–€3,500
University of London BSc (Band A) Β£14,666 indicative total 3–6 years Exam-centre fees; approx. 5% annual rises; optional teaching centre approx. Β£15,500–£18,500
Georgia Tech OMSCS $227 Γ— 30 credits = $6,810 6–10 semesters $212 fees per semester (one course); $75 application approx. $8,000–$9,000
Illinois Gies iMBA $27,288 all-in (school’s figure) 2–5 years Books; Coursera subscription during open courses approx. $27,500–$28,500

Two things stand out. First, the cheapest degrees in absolute terms are public universities in countries with low costs (IGNOU, FernUni Hagen, UNISA), and their prices reflect state subsidy rather than a clever model; they are excellent value for people who can operate in those systems and languages. Second, among internationally portable English-language degrees, the gap between the cheapest (UoPeople) and the best-known (University of London, Georgia Tech, Illinois) is not as large as the gap between any of them and a conventional campus degree, so a student who can afford Β£15,000 rather than $7,000 usually buys a great deal of recognition for the difference.

How do you check that a cheap online degree is genuinely accredited?

This is the section to read before paying anyone anything. “Accredited” is a claim that costs nothing to make. Diploma mills routinely cite accreditation from bodies they created themselves, from organisations with names that imitate real accreditors, or from “international” agencies that no government recognises. The check is simple and takes ten minutes: find the institution on a register maintained by a government or by a body that government recognises, using the register’s own search, and never rely on a logo or a link on the institution’s site.

Country of the institution Where to check What a genuine entry looks like Red flag
United States Department of Education DAPIP database; CHEA directory Institution listed with a recognised accreditor (WSCUC, NWCCU, HLC, MSCHE, NECHE, SACSCOC, or DEAC for distance) Accreditor not in DAPIP or CHEA; “state licensed” or “state authorised” offered as if it were accreditation
United Kingdom Office for Students register; GOV.UK list of recognised bodies with degree-awarding powers Institution appears as a recognised body or the degree is validated by one that does “University” in the name but absent from the recognised-bodies list; registered as a company only
EU and EEA National ENIC-NARIC centre; national accreditation agency listed in EQAR State university, or state-recognised private institution with programs accredited by an EQAR-listed agency “EU-accredited” (no such thing); accreditor not in EQAR
Canada Universities Canada membership; provincial ministry lists (e.g. Campus Alberta Quality Council) Public or provincially chartered university with degree-granting authority Federal-sounding “accreditation” (Canada has no federal accreditor)
South Africa, India, Australia CHE / DHET register; UGC list of universities; TEQSA national register Listed by name with current registration Listed on UGC’s fake-university list; not on TEQSA
TΓΌrkiye (for recognition of any foreign degree) YΓ–K denklik portal and YΓ–K’s recognised-institutions list Institution recognised by YΓ–K; program type eligible for denklik Institution absent from YΓ–K’s list; distance program in a field YΓ–K excludes
Five warning signs that override any price. A degree awarded in weeks or months; credit for “life experience” making up most of the program; a fee quoted per degree rather than per course or credit; an address that is a mailbox or a serviced office; and accreditation from a body whose only accredited institutions are the one you are looking at and a handful like it. Any one of these should end the conversation. Our step-by-step accreditation guide covers each country’s register in detail, including YΓ–K denklik for Turkish readers.

When is the cheapest degree the wrong choice?

Price is a legitimate criterion and, for many readers, the decisive one. It is the wrong criterion in three situations. The first is when the degree is a means to a regulated profession: accountancy, law, engineering, nursing, teaching and psychology all have licensing bodies that recognise specific programs, and the cheapest accredited degree may not be on the list, so check with the professional body before enrolling rather than after graduating. The second is when the degree’s purpose is access to a particular employer market. A University of the People degree and a University of London degree are both valid; only one of them will be recognised by a recruiter at a London bank, and the Β£8,000 difference is cheap for that. The third is when the student needs support to finish. The cheapest institutions are cheap partly because they provide less tutoring, and their completion rates show it; a student who has previously abandoned self-paced study may spend less in total at the Open University or SNHU, with their structured terms and named tutors, than at a cheaper institution they never finish. If the goal is a specific skill rather than a degree, a professional certificate from our courses directory may be cheaper still and faster; if the goal is a graduate credential, the online master’s directory lists accredited options by field.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is University of the People a real, accredited university?

Yes. It is accredited by the WASC Senior College and University Commission, a US regional accreditor recognised by the Department of Education and CHEA that also accredits Stanford and the University of California. It previously held DEAC national accreditation, which it voluntarily withdrew at the end of 2025 once WSCUC accreditation made it redundant. Its degrees are accepted for graduate admission at US universities.

Are cheap online degrees recognised by employers?

Employers check two things: whether the institution is accredited by a body they recognise, and whether they have heard of it. All eight institutions here pass the first test. On the second, Georgia Tech, Illinois and University of London are widely known; WGU is well known in US technology hiring; UoPeople, UNISA, IGNOU and FernUni Hagen are known within their regions. Choose accordingly.

What is the difference between regional and national accreditation in the US?

Regional accreditors (WSCUC, HLC, MSCHE, NECHE, NWCCU, SACSCOC) accredit whole institutions, including all major research universities, and their credits transfer most widely. National accreditors such as DEAC also carry Department of Education recognition but their credits are accepted less readily by regionally accredited universities. For maximum portability, prefer regional accreditation, which every US institution in this guide holds.

Can I get a cheap online degree recognised in TΓΌrkiye (denklik)?

YΓ–K grants denklik to degrees from institutions it recognises, and applies specific rules to open and distance education that have changed several times. Degrees from chartered UK universities and regionally accredited US universities have the strongest record; programs in medicine, law and some other fields are excluded from distance recognition. Check the YΓ–K denklik portal for the institution and program type before enrolling.

Are there free accredited online degrees?

Not entirely free, but close. University of the People charges no tuition and only assessment fees; FernUniversitΓ€t in Hagen and other German state universities charge cost-recovery fees of a few hundred euros a year; IGNOU’s fees are nominal. Scholarships at UoPeople and elsewhere can reduce even those. Anything advertised as a “free accredited degree” with no fees at all is almost certainly not accredited.

Is WGU cheaper than SNHU?

Usually, but not always. WGU charges $4,050 per six-month term with unlimited courses, so a fast student pays $16,000–$20,000 for a bachelor’s; SNHU charges $354 per credit, or $42,480 for 120 credits, but accepts up to 90 transfer credits, so a student with two years of prior credit may pay under $11,000. Compare on your own credit position and pace, not the headline.

Last Updated: September 2026 · Reviewed by the Kurums Business Education editorial team. Fees, formats and intake dates were checked in September 2026 and change frequently; confirm on the school’s own page before applying.

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