Can You Get a Bachelor’s Degree Online?

Online bachelor’s degree programs provide accredited bachelor’s degrees online, including 100% remote formats. Online bachelor’s degree programs require students to choose an accredited institution, meet admissions requirements, complete online coursework, and satisfy graduation requirements. Online bachelor’s programs differ from traditional on-campus programs by offering a remote learning environment and reduced campus attendance expectations.

Online bachelor’s degree programs use asynchronous and synchronous classes to facilitate virtual learning while traditional programs emphasize in-person class meetings and campus-based networking. Online degrees offer schedule and location flexibility, accelerated terms, virtual interaction, and lower travel or living costs. Academic pathways for online bachelor’s programs include business administration, computer science, criminal justice, education, engineering, information technology, liberal arts, nursing, psychology, and public health.

Can You Get a Bachelor’s Degree Online?

Yes, you can get a bachelor’s degree online. There are many types of accredited online bachelor degrees offered 100% online. Recent data from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) shows that a significant portion of college students take online courses, with 53 % of all U.S. college students having taken at least one online course and between 15 to 25 % studying fully online, highlighting sustained demand for remote undergraduate learning.

The biggest difference between an online bachelor’s degree program versus a traditional in-person program is the learning environment. Traditional bachelor’s programs require students to meet in person at certain times throughout the week.

Some other major differences between 100% online degree programs versus traditional bachelor’s programs include:

Online classes may not require any travel.
In-person classes offer more opportunities to network and meet with professors.
Tuition costs may be higher for in-person programs.
Access to certain student services or resources may be limited with online programs.
Online programs may offer accelerated semester schedules so you can finish sooner.

Online bachelor’s degrees can include virtual asynchronous or synchronous classes. Asynchronous classes are more self-paced and don’t meet at specific times. Synchronous classes are more structured because you meet with your class virtually at a specific time.

Earning your degree online could be a more flexible option if you can’t relocate or if you have other responsibilities that would hinder you from attending classes in person.

Popular Online Bachelor’s Degrees

There are many types of bachelor’s degree programs offered fully online, such as:

Business Administration. This program explores business concepts—such as marketing, accounting, and business management practices—to prepare you for the business environment.
Computer Science. This technical degree can teach you about data structures, algorithms, artificial intelligence, computer systems and networks, and programming languages.
Criminal Justice. This program explores various aspects of crime and the justice system. It typically offers courses in criminology, law, psychology, and sociology.
Education. These degrees can prepare you for work as an educator or in a similar role by offering coursework on the foundations of learning and development, classroom management, and instructional design.
Engineering. These degrees introduce you to engineering fundamentals and industry tools.
Information Technology. These programs explore IT fundamentals, such as cybersecurity, information systems, web programming, and networking.
Liberal Arts. This multidisciplinary degree can help prepare you for many different careers by having you study a wide range of subjects in the arts and humanities.
Nursing. Online nursing degrees can help prepare you for various nursing roles and similar healthcare positions by introducing you to topics like patient care and safety, healthcare technologies, and population health.
Psychology. These programs include several courses on the different types of psychology to teach you about the human mind and behaviors.
Public Health. This program explores key concepts and fundamentals relevant to promoting the health of the public.

These are just a few examples of popular online bachelors degree programs. There are many other types of bachelor’s degrees available completely online.

Advantages of Online Bachelor’s Degree Programs

Getting your bachelors degree online can come with many benefits that in-person degrees may not offer, such as:

Schedule flexibility. Fast degrees online are usually flexible because you can choose between synchronous and asynchronous courses.
Ability to learn from anywhere. With access to high-speed internet and the proper technology needed for classes and assignments, you can learn from anywhere.
Accelerated programs. The fastest bachelor’s degrees you can get online have accelerated semester schedules to help you graduate sooner.
Opportunity to interact with peers and professors virtually. Live lectures and video conferences make engaging with peers and professors possible, just like in-person classes.
Reduced travel and living expenses. Earning your degree online may reduce or completely cut out travel or living costs that typically come with on-campus programs.

While on-campus degrees also come with advantages, an online degree might be more convenient if you have other responsibilities that make traveling to campus or having a fixed schedule difficult.

Getting Your Bachelor Degree Online

How do you get a bachelor’s degree online? When can you get a bachelor degree? To earn a bachelor’s degree online, you typically need to research and choose an accredited online program, meet admission requirements, complete coursework and assignments through the online platform, and fulfill graduation requirements to obtain your degree.

There are many bachelors degree programs offered 100% online through synchronous and asynchronous classes.

There are several reasons why students may choose to earn their degree online versus in-person, such as scheduling conflicts, preferred learning environment, or affordability. With distance learning, you can interact with peers and professors through live virtual instruction and group assignments in the comfort of your own home or wherever you choose to learn.

You can take the next step in your educational journey by researching accredited colleges and universities that offer fully online bachelor programs that align with your interests and career goals—click “Find My Program” to get started.