Education isn’t limited to a four-year bachelor’s degree anymore. Today, you have plenty of education opportunities to choose from, including bachelor’s, associate’s, and master’s degrees, as well as various professional certificates and short-term courses. You even have access to plenty of easy online certifications that can score you employment.
Maybe you already have a degree in your field but want to specialize in a certain niche. Or, you don’t have the time or budget to embark on a four-year degree program, and crave a less time-intensive option.
Some specific career paths also require a certificate either as a stand-alone qualification or in addition to other credentials. There are even certifications you can get online to kickstart or pump up your current career and education.
Luckily, the best online certificate programs offer you all of the above: quality education, flexibility, and advancement opportunities. Ready to take your career and education to the next level with a wicked certificate program? Stay tuned as we walk through 20 top online certificate programs
The best online certificate programs offer you a marketable credential without demanding the same time and financial commitment as a four-year university program. This makes certificate programs attractive to people managing a stressful job while studying, raising children, or other obligations. Moreover, certificates are known to bump salary potential by 13%-25%. For example, project managers who earn a Project Management Professional (PMP) certification enjoy median salaries that are 25% higher than those who are not PMP certified.
Certificate programs are in-depth studies of a particular subject, often specialized and specific to a specific role. They usually take less time to complete than a degree (between six months to two years), and offer more flexibility in study.
Another key aspect of certificate programs is your peers. You might not find your average freshman in a certificate program because many already-working professionals enroll to heighten specific skills and advance their careers.
Some popular certificate courses these days are in the computer science area, like data analytics, artificial intelligence, digital marketing, ethical hacking, and programming languages like Java and Python.
Bottom line? People get certificates to:
One big distinguisher between online certificates and degrees is the time aspect. Most degree completion times range between 2-4 years, even longer for doctoral degrees. Degrees are also more “prestigious” in certain job settings, with some postings demanding a bachelor’s education.
Certificates are much quicker to complete, ranging between six months to two years. In fact, you can even find accredited certification programs online that take a few weeks to a few months to complete. While you’ll receive a certificate of completion upon graduating, the credential isn’t thought to be as strong as a degree in the job market on a broad level. If you’re in a specific niche, though, that’s a different story.
Degree programs offer a more wide range of study, allowing you to specialize in different areas and pursue multiple career paths. Certificates, on the other hand, consist of focused training meant to apply to a specific career. For example, health care specialists can become “certified nursing assistants,” and auto mechanics can obtain certificates in certain repair techniques.
Today, there are a variety of certificate programs available.
Students who do not have a college or university degree can choose from undergraduate certificate programs. Graduate degree holders can choose from both undergraduate and post-graduate certificate programs.
If you're considering an online certificate program, remember one thing: not every online course will be right for you. With that in mind, consider these factors as you browse our list of the best online certifications.
Certificate programs vary greatly in price, and you’ll find many cheap certificate programs out there. It’s hard to judge a program only on this factor, but think about it this way:
You don’t need to pay for the most expensive certificate program for a quality education. On the other hand, the cheapest program might not be bad, but it might not necessarily be good either.
Don’t rush into a choice just because of the price. After researching, pair the price with other considerations, like financial aid opportunities, scholarships, and your personal interest in the program.
Not all certificates are created equal. Go through each program offering with a fine-toothed comb to ensure it covers material relevant to your goals and interests. You should also confirm that the name of the certification is consistent with your desired industry’s expectations.
Our advice? Find three programs in the same field that look similar. Find out which one is more attractive in terms of curriculum and course features, and rank them from 1-3. Then, do the same with certificates for a different specialty if you’re considering multiple fields. Find the top online certificate programs for each of your interested fields then compare the top contenders across the board.
Is your certificate program completely online, or must you go to campus to take exams? Is the schedule full of live lectures you must be present for, or are they pre-recorded, allowing you to attend at your convenience? Think about how you prefer to learn and compare that with each program structure.
Before you apply for a professional certification course, take a look at the course's requirements for working professionals and distance learners.
Pay attention to the following:
Many reputable universities host online certificate programs, like Harvard, the University of North Carolina, and many more.
While you won't be attending that university, in most cases, it's important to make sure the college sponsoring the online program or online course is well-known, accredited, and recognized in your field.
Anyone in a corporate position can benefit from a leadership certificate, especially if they’re managing other people. The certificate teaches you how to look at your organization with a strategic lens and propel business growth forward.
Business management certificates are similar to leadership certificates, but more broad and applicable to more roles within an organization. It offers you both a resume goodie and solid, marketable skills to improve your performance. Some topics you’ll cover include business communication, accounting, leadership, operations management, and human resources topics. If you’re currently in a business or corporate role, the certificate will help you move up to managing teams more effectively or planning and strategizing better profits and efficiency.
A data science certificate offers you extremely in-demand skills for 2022, with data scientists making a median salary of $100,000 in the US. Any industry could benefit from data science skills to improve decision-making and strategize growth. Some topics you’ll cover include machine learning, probability, programming, cloud computing, and more.
A project management certificate doesn’t only give you actionable skills to improve business strategy and workflows — the renowned PMP Certification also opens up more job and promotion opportunities. Project managers manage workplace goals, progress, deliverables, budgeting, and resource management. They’re also responsible for coordinating teams and partners to work together toward common goals, and managing communication top-down from executives as well as from other stakeholders.
Interested in a career in law without the price tag and time commitment of law school? Paralegal certificate programs teach you all about litigation, family and real estate law, civil law, and much more. The career path also has a faster-than-average project growth in the next ten years, promising lots of job opportunities for certificate graduates.
The best graduate certificates to get depend on a few factors, like your interests, career needs, industry standards, schedule, and tuition costs. Now more than ever, education is accessible to students through various avenues, including flexible, online certificate programs.
Ready to pump up your career opportunities or gain a new, valuable skill? Browse through our list of the best online certificate programs. Then, take a look at our scholarship page to fund your education.
You can get many different certificates online, including for project management, data analytics, leadership, human resources, and many more.
Some of the highest-paying certificate jobs include:
You can find the quickest certification programs on websites like Coursera, with some courses needing only a few weeks of your time. However, the quickest university or college certificates usually take a minimum of six months.
Here’s a list of certifications in high demand, according to Glassdoor:
Absolutely. Some jobs require specific skills that a broader bachelor’s degree might not dive deep enough into to please an employer. You can score a job or promotion with many certifications in the IT, project management, finance, and sociology fields.
Fort Collins, Colorado
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Profit Type: Public
Avg Tuition: Request Info
Avg Federal grant awarded: $4,580
Avg Institutional grant awarded: $5,717
Graduation Rate: 67%
Specializations Offered: Entrepreneurship
Total Programs in Arts (4)
Arts Accreditation: Request Info
Profit Type: Public
Avg Tuition: Request Info
Avg Federal grant awarded: $4,834
Avg Institutional grant awarded: $7,797
Graduation Rate: 76%
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Total Programs in Arts (2)
St. Louis, Missouri
Arts Accreditation: Request Info
Avg Credits: 21
Avg Tuition: Request Info
Avg Federal grant awarded: $6,920
Avg Institutional grant awarded: $38,434
Graduation Rate: 94%
Specializations Offered: Writing
Total Programs in Arts (2)
Fayette, Iowa
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Avg Credits: 15
Avg Tuition: $ 6,615
Avg Federal grant awarded: $3,941
Avg Institutional grant awarded: $15,211
Graduation Rate: 44%
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Total Programs in Arts (2)
Forest city, Iowa
Arts Accreditation: Request Info
Avg Credits: 15
Avg Tuition: $ 4,350
Avg Federal grant awarded: $4,511
Avg Institutional grant awarded: $12,750
Graduation Rate: 23%
Specializations Offered: Communications
Total Programs in Arts (2)
Lakewood, Colorado
Arts Accreditation: Request Info
Avg Credits: 12
Avg Tuition: $ 5,460
Avg Federal grant awarded: $5,342
Avg Institutional grant awarded: $14,300
Graduation Rate: 53%
Specializations Offered: Communications
Total Programs in Arts (2)
Arts Accreditation: Request Info
Avg Credits: 16
Avg Tuition: $ 3,008
Avg Federal grant awarded: $4,176
Avg Institutional grant awarded: $993
Graduation Rate: 24%
Specializations Offered: Communications
Total Programs in Arts (2)
Arts Accreditation: Request Info
Profit Type: Public
Avg Tuition: Request Info
Avg Federal grant awarded: $4,127
Avg Institutional grant awarded: $1,477
Graduation Rate: 37%
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Total Programs in Arts (2)
Arts Accreditation: Request Info
Profit Type: Public
Avg Tuition: Request Info
Avg Federal grant awarded: $4,127
Avg Institutional grant awarded: $1,477
Graduation Rate: 37%
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Total Programs in Arts (2)
Baltimore, Maryland
Accounting Accreditation: Request Info
Profit Type: Private Not-For-Profit
Avg Tuition: Request Info
Avg Federal grant awarded: $5,680
Avg Institutional grant awarded: $37,115
Graduation Rate: 92%
Specializations Offered: Finance
Total Programs in Accounting (2)
Louisville, Kentucky
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Avg Credits: 21
Avg Tuition: $ 12,900
Avg Federal grant awarded: $4,464
Avg Institutional grant awarded: $9,336
Graduation Rate: 53%
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Total Programs in Accounting (2)
Accounting Accreditation: Request Info
Avg Credits: 18
Avg Tuition: $ 8,700
Avg Federal grant awarded: $3,777
Avg Institutional grant awarded: $2,542
Graduation Rate: 33%
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Total Programs in Accounting (2)
Accounting Accreditation: Request Info
Avg Credits: 30
Avg Tuition: $ 29,880
Avg Federal grant awarded: $4,834
Avg Institutional grant awarded: $7,797
Graduation Rate: 76%
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Total Programs in Accounting (2)
Washington, District of Columbia
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Profit Type: Private Not-For-Profit
Avg Tuition: $ 6,570
Avg Federal grant awarded: $7,155
Avg Institutional grant awarded: $38,784
Graduation Rate: 94%
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Total Programs in Accounting (2)
Cincinnati, Ohio
Accounting Accreditation: Request Info
Avg Credits: 12
Avg Tuition: $ 12,060
Avg Federal grant awarded: $4,688
Avg Institutional grant awarded: $5,640
Graduation Rate: 67%
Specializations Offered: Finance
Total Programs in Accounting (4)
Jackson, Mississippi
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Avg Credits: 36
Avg Tuition: $ 13,320
Avg Federal grant awarded: $4,382
Avg Institutional grant awarded: $10,928
Graduation Rate: 36%
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Total Programs in Accounting (2)
Accounting Accreditation: Request Info
Avg Credits: 16
Avg Tuition: $ 4,018
Avg Federal grant awarded: $4,042
Avg Institutional grant awarded: $3,865
Graduation Rate: 83%
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Somerset, Kentucky
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Avg Credits: 15
Avg Tuition: $ 2,535
Avg Federal grant awarded: $4,366
Avg Institutional grant awarded: $2,591
Graduation Rate: 25%
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Total Programs in Accounting (2)
Hopkinsville, Kentucky
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Avg Credits: 9
Avg Tuition: $ 1,521
Avg Federal grant awarded: $4,278
Avg Institutional grant awarded: $1,847
Graduation Rate: 33%
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Total Programs in Accounting (2)
Henderson, Kentucky
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Profit Type: Public
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Avg Federal grant awarded: $4,435
Avg Institutional grant awarded: $1,704
Graduation Rate: 21%
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Clarkston, Georgia
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Avg Federal grant awarded: $5,338
Graduation Rate: 42%
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Frederick, Maryland
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Avg Credits: 24
Avg Tuition: $ 3,528
Avg Federal grant awarded: $4,956
Avg Institutional grant awarded: $769
Graduation Rate: 29%
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Total Programs in Accounting (2)
Accounting Accreditation: Request Info
Avg Credits: 18
Avg Tuition: $ 3,042
Avg Federal grant awarded: $4,162
Avg Institutional grant awarded: $2,022
Graduation Rate: 11%
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Total Programs in Accounting (2)
Baltimore, Maryland
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Avg Credits: 33
Avg Tuition: $ 4,125
Avg Federal grant awarded: $4,506
Avg Institutional grant awarded: $992
Graduation Rate: 10%
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Hayward, California
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Avg Federal grant awarded: $4,490
Avg Institutional grant awarded: $1,100
Graduation Rate: 28%
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Toms River, New Jersey
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Avg Credits: 29
Avg Tuition: $ 3,451
Avg Federal grant awarded: $4,414
Avg Institutional grant awarded: $744
Graduation Rate: 35%
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Charleston, South Carolina
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Avg Credits: 27
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Avg Federal grant awarded: $4,950
Avg Institutional grant awarded: $2,043
Graduation Rate: 10%
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Forest city, Iowa
Human Services Accreditation: Request Info
Avg Credits: 15
Avg Tuition: $ 4,350
Avg Federal grant awarded: $4,511
Avg Institutional grant awarded: $12,750
Graduation Rate: 23%
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Total Programs in Human Services (2)
Human Services Accreditation: Request Info
Profit Type: Public
Avg Tuition: $ 5,800
Avg Federal grant awarded: $4,834
Avg Institutional grant awarded: $7,797
Graduation Rate: 76%
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Total Programs in Human Services (2)
Durham, North Carolina
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Profit Type: Private Not-For-Profit
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Avg Federal grant awarded: $8,558
Avg Institutional grant awarded: $44,543
Graduation Rate: 95%
Specializations Offered: Social Work
Total Programs in Human Services (2)
Chapel Hill, North Carolina
Human Services Accreditation: Request Info
Avg Credits: 19
Avg Tuition: $ 21,250
Avg Federal grant awarded: $4,655
Avg Institutional grant awarded: $14,036
Graduation Rate: 91%
Specializations Offered: Emergency Management
Total Programs in Human Services (4)
Fort Collins, Colorado
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Profit Type: Public
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Avg Federal grant awarded: $4,580
Avg Institutional grant awarded: $5,717
Graduation Rate: 67%
Specializations Offered: Sustainability Management
Total Programs in Human Services (2)
Human Services Accreditation: Request Info
Avg Credits: 15
Avg Tuition: $ 5,850
Graduation Rate: 67%
Specializations Offered: Human Resources
Total Programs in Human Services (2)
Human Services Accreditation: Request Info
Avg Credits: 18
Avg Tuition: Request Info
Avg Federal grant awarded: $4,834
Avg Institutional grant awarded: $7,797
Graduation Rate: 76%
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Total Programs in Human Services (2)
Logan, Utah
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Profit Type: Public
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Avg Federal grant awarded: $4,147
Avg Institutional grant awarded: $7,187
Graduation Rate: 47%
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Total Programs in Human Services (4)
Glendive, Montana
Human Services Accreditation: Request Info
Avg Credits: 15
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Avg Federal grant awarded: $3,895
Avg Institutional grant awarded: $5,412
Graduation Rate: 37%
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Total Programs in Human Services (2)
San Bernardino, California
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Profit Type: Public
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Avg Federal grant awarded: $4,640
Avg Institutional grant awarded: $938
Graduation Rate: 20%
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Total Programs in Human Services (2)
Batavia, New York
Human Services Accreditation: Request Info
Avg Credits: 32
Avg Tuition: $ 6,080
Avg Federal grant awarded: $3,963
Avg Institutional grant awarded: $926
Graduation Rate: 26%
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Total Programs in Human Services (2)
Cleveland, Ohio
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Profit Type: Private Not-For-Profit
Avg Tuition: Request Info
Avg Federal grant awarded: $6,133
Avg Institutional grant awarded: $27,016
Graduation Rate: 82%
Specializations Offered: Leadership
Total Programs in Human Services (2)
Emporia, Kansas
Psychology Accreditation: Request Info
Avg Credits: 18
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Avg Federal grant awarded: $4,469
Avg Institutional grant awarded: $2,646
Graduation Rate: 44%
Specializations Offered: Teaching
Total Programs in Psychology (4)
Psychology Accreditation: Request Info
Profit Type: Public
Avg Tuition: Request Info
Avg Federal grant awarded: $4,834
Avg Institutional grant awarded: $7,797
Graduation Rate: 76%
Specializations Offered: Drug, Substance Abuse and Addiction Counseling
Total Programs in Psychology (2)
Pasadena, California
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Profit Type: Private Not-For-Profit
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Specializations Offered: Human Resources , Health and Wellness +3 more
Total Programs in Psychology (38)
Ithaca, New York
Psychology Accreditation: Request Info
Profit Type: Private For-Profit
Avg Tuition: $ 3,600
Avg Federal grant awarded: $5,884
Avg Institutional grant awarded: $35,592
Graduation Rate: 94%
Specializations Offered: Leadership
Total Programs in Psychology (2)
Psychology Accreditation: Request Info
Avg Credits: 6
Avg Tuition: $ 6,762
Specializations Offered: Industrial/Organizational Psychology , Child Psychology
Total Programs in Psychology (4)
Emporia, Kansas
Psychology Accreditation: Request Info
Avg Credits: 12
Avg Tuition: $ 5,640
Avg Federal grant awarded: $4,469
Avg Institutional grant awarded: $2,646
Graduation Rate: 44%
Specializations Offered: Autism Education
Total Programs in Psychology (2)
Pasadena, California
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Total Programs in Psychology (2)
Chicago, Illinois
Psychology Accreditation: Request Info
Avg Credits: 18
Avg Tuition: $ 18,540
Specializations Offered: Child Psychology
Total Programs in Psychology (2)
Orange Beach, Alabama
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Profit Type: Private For-Profit
Avg Tuition: Request Info
Avg Federal grant awarded: $5,235
Avg Institutional grant awarded: $473
Graduation Rate: 31%
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Total Programs in Psychology (2)
Computer Science Accreditation: Request Info
Avg Credits: 18
Avg Tuition: $ 4,770
Avg Federal grant awarded: $4,367
Avg Institutional grant awarded: $335
Graduation Rate: 38%
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Total Programs in Computer Science (2)
Vancouver, Washington
Computer Science Accreditation: Request Info
Avg Credits: 72
Avg Tuition: $ 21,672
Avg Federal grant awarded: $4,071
Avg Institutional grant awarded: $2,071
Graduation Rate: 47%
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Total Programs in Computer Science (2)
Wilmington, North Carolina
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Profit Type: Private For-Profit
Avg Tuition: Request Info
Avg Federal grant awarded: $5,177
Graduation Rate: 40%
Specializations Offered: Web Development
Total Programs in Computer Science (4)
Newark, Delaware
Computer Science Accreditation: Request Info
Avg Credits: 21
Avg Tuition: $ 38,367
Avg Federal grant awarded: $4,428
Avg Institutional grant awarded: $8,604
Graduation Rate: 81%
Specializations Offered: Cyber Security
Total Programs in Computer Science (2)
Syracuse, New York
Computer Science Accreditation: Request Info
Avg Credits: 15
Avg Tuition: $ 22,500
Avg Federal grant awarded: $5,294
Avg Institutional grant awarded: $27,108
Graduation Rate: 82%
Specializations Offered: Data Science
Total Programs in Computer Science (2)
Westminster, Colorado
Computer Science Accreditation: Request Info
Avg Credits: 20
Avg Tuition: $ 9,280
Avg Federal grant awarded: $4,952
Avg Institutional grant awarded: $1,393
Graduation Rate: 18%
Specializations Offered: Web Development , Application Development
Total Programs in Computer Science (10)
Indianapolis, Indiana
Computer Science Accreditation: Request Info
Avg Credits: 33
Avg Tuition: $ 5,335
Avg Federal grant awarded: $4,613
Avg Institutional grant awarded: $698
Graduation Rate: 14%
Specializations Offered: Cyber Security
Total Programs in Computer Science (2)
McKinney, Texas
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Profit Type: Public
Avg Tuition: Request Info
Avg Federal grant awarded: $4,360
Avg Institutional grant awarded: $1,802
Graduation Rate: 13%
Specializations Offered: Web Development
Total Programs in Computer Science (2)
Charleston, South Carolina
Computer Science Accreditation: Request Info
Avg Credits: 21
Avg Tuition: Request Info
Avg Federal grant awarded: $4,950
Avg Institutional grant awarded: $2,043
Graduation Rate: 10%
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Total Programs in Computer Science (2)
Computer Science Accreditation: Request Info
Avg Credits: 30
Avg Tuition: Request Info
Avg Federal grant awarded: $4,010
Avg Institutional grant awarded: $2,947
Graduation Rate: 20%
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Total Programs in Computer Science (2)