Online colleges in Florida have provided a venue for frugal students to obtain degrees and certificates without incurring significant debt. Like most states, tuition rates in Florida have spiked in recent years alongside major cutbacks in state funding and appropriations.
However, grants account for nearly 12% of the state’s total financial support for higher education, a significant allocation that helps individual students save on tuition and related expenses. Additionally, the rise of online programs has encouraged many students to study in a distance program, where costs are generally lower.
Below we’ve listed the top 10 most affordable online schools in Florida. We compiled the ranking based on tuition costs reported in the National Center for Education Statistics’ College Navigator Database, as well as each school’s website
Top Accredited Online Colleges in Florida
1. University of Central Florida
Surrounded by 800 acres of woodland, UCF’s main campus in east Orlando is one of 12 regional campuses and locations spread out to best serve the community in Central Florida. In addition to its physical campuses, it’s also one of the best online colleges in Florida, offering courses online for the past 20 years. Today, UCF Online provides more than 20 online bachelor's degrees in areas such as the sciences, arts and humanities, and health and public affairs. Online students have complete access to UCF's entire library, as well as the Writing Center, Career Services, and all on-campus athletics events.
To ensure its online students are supported fully, UCF Online pairs each student with a Student Success Coach, a school representative who takes on the responsibility of aiding and guiding online students throughout their experience, answering questions, sending reminders, and helping students navigate their way through their degree or individual courses.
2. Palm Beach State College
Lake Worth, Fla.
Tuition: $2,378
Acceptance Rate: Open Admissions
Topping our affordable online colleges list with a low tuition rate of just $2,378, Palm Beach State College is a publicly supported institution that enrolls nearly 49,000 students in over 100 academic areas at its campuses in Lake Worth, Belle Glade, Palm Beach Gardens, Boca Raton and online. Ranked 8th in the country by Community College Week magazine, PBSC is dedicated to maintaining small class sizes to develop leadership, ethics, and a commitment to community service. Students choosing eLearning have the ability to earn a BS in nursing, BAS in information management or BAS in supervision and management through completely online classes. Palm Beach State College is #1 in our ranking of affordable Florida online colleges.
3. College of Central Florida
Ocala, Fla.
Tuition: $2,570
Acceptance Rate: Open Admissions
Named among the top 120 colleges in America for quality education by the Aspen Institute, the College of Central Florida is a public state college based in Ocala with satellite locations in Chiefland, Lecanto and online for virtual learning. With the best student-to-faculty ratio in the Florida College System at 19:1, CF serves more than 18,800 students at the associate’s, bachelor’s and certificate levels. Through Canvas, students can take a wide range of online classes and earn their Associate of Arts (AA) degree fully online.
4. Florida International University
When it was founded in 1965, FIU became the first public research university in Miami. Today, with more than 54,000 students, FIU is among the 10 largest universities in the U.S. and remains the only public research university in Miami.
With over 27 fully online programs, including 20 bachelor's degrees, FIU online has something for everyone. In fact, almost half of all FIU students take online classes in some fashion during the school year. Some unique programs on offer include the BS in recreation and sports management, a BA in communication arts, and the FIBA anti-money laundering certification. The school also offers a selection of Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs). These courses are free, open to anyone with Internet access, and offer an introduction to online learning through the school. FIU offers 24/7 technical support, success coaches, and access to every resource students have on campus.
5. The University of West Florida
Home to around 13,000 students, UWF has physical locations all throughout Northwest Florida, including the main campus, which is situated in Pensacola. With some of its core values being inclusiveness, quality, relevance, and innovation, UWF is one of the best online colleges in Florida, offering more than 500 online course sections each semester, and seven fully online undergraduate degrees that provide all the upper division coursework necessary to graduate.
Online bachelor’s programs include a BS in engineering technology, a BA in exceptional student education, and a BA in maritime studies, among others. All the lower division coursework in these programs is available at UWF or through its partner institutions. Approximately 30% of UWF's student body study completely online. For this reason, the school provides its students with substantial technical support and online resources, ensuring that online students are supported every bit as much as the students are on campus.
6. Valencia College
Orlando, Fla.
Tuition: $2,474
Acceptance Rate: Open Admissions
Featuring the lowest tuition in Central Florida, Valencia College is the third largest public state college educating more than 59,900 students annually from its several campuses in Orlando, Kissimmee and Winter Park as well as virtually through the Internet. Once named the “National Community College of the Year” by the National Alliance of Business, VC is proud to rank first in the number of associate’s degrees awarded in America. In addition to 33 associate’s programs, students can select from three bachelor’s degrees in electrical and computer engineering, radiologic and imaging sciences, or cardiopulmonary sciences.