If you're fascinated by the workings of the human mind and its effects on people's behavior, you may have a future career as a psychologist waiting for you.
A psychology degree can prepare you for a wide range of careers. Long-term goals (after graduate school) might include working in the field of mental health as a licensed clinical psychologist or counselor or as a psychiatrist.
However, not every psychology major chooses a clinical career. Understanding human behavior can make you a prime candidate for jobs in the corporate world, such as marketing or advertising.
To learn more about how you can enroll in an affordable online psychology program at the bachelor's level, keep reading.
Featured Affordable Psychology Degrees Online
Below, we share some of the top university programs in the U.S. offering online psychology degrees at economical prices.
1. California Coast University
California Coast University has designed its online, self-paced Bachelor of Science in psychology to provide students with extreme flexibility.
Boasting a very low tuition rate of $170 per unit (the equivalent of a credit hour), CCU offers students an option of paying via Interest-Free Payment Plans as low as $150 per month.
The program requires 126 total semester units. Core courses include interesting topics such as psychology of gender, health psychology, organizational psychology, developmental psychology, social psychology, personality theories, and abnormal psychology.
2. Eastern New Mexico University
You have a choice between an online Bachelor of Science or a Bachelor of Arts in psychology at ENMU, a state university. Tuition and fees, combined, for each 12-18 hour semester are $3,369 for New Mexico residents and $4,359 for nonresidents.
The university provides its online students with many supportive resources, from student organizations to tutoring services, a Golden Student Success Center, a writing center, and virtual librarians with distance learning library services.
3. Fayetteville State University
One of North Carolina's most economical state universities, Fayetteville State offers an online Bachelor of Science in psychology only as a degree completion program. Most students in the program are working adults, many of whom are associated with the military.
Such students need to balance their service in the armed forces with full- or part-time jobs, family responsibilities, and other life challenges, which is why the degree completion program is so valuable.
Tuition at North Carolina's leading online bachelor's program in psychology is $166 per credit hour for North Carolina residents and $228 per credit hour for nonresidents.
4. Florida International University
With a focus on five major areas of concentration within psychology (experimental, social, applied, personality/abnormal, and developmental) Florida International's online Bachelor of Arts in psychology is a great opportunity to get a broad-based education in the field.
The program's curriculum reflects current trends in the discipline, with an emphasis on the science of and research in psychology as well as courses in psychological theory and practice.
Tuition is $235.57 per credit hour for Florida residents and $648.87 for nonresidents. Additional fees will also be assessed.
5. Fort Hays State University
In Kansas, the public Fort Hays State University is home to your choice between an online Bachelor of Science or Bachelor of Arts degree program in psychology. Tuition is $242.76 per credit hour.
The BA degree requires 10 hours of a single foreign language, while the BS degree requires 13 additional hours of coursework in natural science and mathematics. The BS is recommended for students who plan to apply to graduate school in the field.
Core courses include abnormal psychology, cognitive psychology, social psychology, child and developmental psychology, neuropsychology, and others.
6. Fort Valley State University (FVSU)
Georgia's Fort Valley State University provides an online Bachelor of Arts degree in psychology at a tuition of just $169.33 per credit hour plus fees.
Coursework includes personal & community health, developmental psychology, abnormal psychology, physiological psychology, child psychology, cross-cultural psychology, personality, forensic psychology, psychopharmacology, and the psychology of religion.
7. Ohio University
The comprehensive online Bachelor of Science in psychology degree program at Ohio University includes coursework in statistics and research methods as well as core courses including physiological, cognitive, child and adolescent, and social psychology.
Students receive outstanding career advising with 18 guided advising tracks in areas such as clinical and counseling psychology, forensic, marriage and family psychology, and pre-law.
Other tracks include neuropsychology, pre-medicine, pre-occupational therapy, rehabilitation counseling, sales, school psychology, social services, and sports psychology.
Tuition is $307 and $312 per credit hour for residents and nonresidents, respectively.
8. University of Central Florida
If you live in Florida, you can earn an online Bachelor of Science in psychology for only $179 per credit hour at the University of Central Florida (though the nonresident rate is much higher at $716).
This degree program encourages students to 'explore the frontier of the human mind and behavior' by portraying the field as full of exciting paths for personal growth as well as professional development in academic, clinical, or other settings.
Optional program concentrations include clinical psychology, experimental psychology, human factors psychology, industrial & organizational psychology, and neuroscience.
9. University of Florida
At the University of Florida, state residents can earn an online Bachelor of Arts in psychology for the remarkably low tuition of $129 per credit hour (with the out-of-state rate at $553).
This BA degree program emphasizes psychology within an interdisciplinary science-based liberal arts education, exploring both the natural and social science perspectives.
The UF faculty brings expertise in five specialized areas: behavior analysis, counseling psychology, developmental psychology, behavioral and cognitive neuroscience, and social psychology.
10. University of the Cumberlands
The Kentucky-based University of the Cumberlands is home to your choice of an online Bachelor of Science or Bachelor of Arts in psychology. The BA requires an additional 12 credits of language study. Tuition is $220 per credit.
The department's philosophy is that 'The first step toward helping others is understanding them.' Its approach is to guide students to make a positive impact on the world by gaining a strong foundation in psychology and discovering its many career paths.
Financial Aid Options for Online Psychology Programs
Your best strategy is to work closely with the financial aid officer at the school or schools to which you're applying to ensure that you learn about all the opportunities for tuition discounts, scholarships, grants, loans, and payment plans that are available to you.
How Much Does It Cost To Earn a Psychology Degree?
While the cost of a college degree can run into the hundreds of thousands at some residential and elite colleges and universities, we've selected from among the most affordable online psychology undergraduate degrees in the nation.
Based on the above list, you can expect to find an academically excellent online degree program in psychology that assesses a tuition of $150 to $400 per credit hour.
Most bachelor's degrees require 120 credit hours, so multiply the tuition rate by the number of hours you will need to complete. Be aware that fees may be charged in addition to tuition.
You will also need to pay for books and supplies and maintain a computer with an online connection.
What Can I Do with a Psychology Degree?
A BS in psychology provides a strong foundation for graduate study at the master's and/or doctoral levels to become a licensed clinical psychologist or a medical doctor.
It can also lead to careers in research, such as social and market research or experimental psychology.
A BS or BA degree can prepare you for careers in human services, such as counseling, crisis work, probation officer, or personal coaching.
You may also find your dream job in the business sector, with positions in human resources, sales, public relations, and customer service.
Start Your Psychology Degree Online Today
If you feel drawn to the field of psychology and its many facets, there's never been a better time to explore the possibilities of studying psychology through an online bachelor's degree program.