Distance learning needs a significant amount of commitment; therefore, school administrators in Texas do not want students to wait until their college entrance to enhance and create an innovative approach to their learning. The Texas High Performance Schools Consortium’s mission is to inspire students to carve their paths to success without depending too much on standardized examinations and routine memorization. It is fully supported by the state legislature and consists of 23 school districts.
The Southern Regional Education Board (SREB) collaborates with academic institutions and state policymakers to improve education and provides students with what they need the most. As community colleges saw a surge in enrollment, many educational institutions responded by expanding their distance education program offerings. Texas residents who enroll in online programs within the state receive more than just reduced tuition. Also, they received legitimate credentials and a quality education that they can complete at their own pace at home.
Students who are looking for an online college or university in Texas have an abundance of choices. Indeed, the state is home to no fewer than 108 public colleges or universities as well as 68 private, not-for-profit schools, and 101 for-profit private academic institutions. This results in the second-highest population of full-time students in the country, with an expected projection of 1.5 million students enrolled in 2020.
METHODOLOGY
When looking for an online school that best fits your needs, you need to sort through the many choices you have in Texas. Our writers and researchers at OnlineSchoolsCenter.com did the work for you! We assembled the 5 Top Online Schools in Texas to give you a detailed, yet quick, peek at the best options you have in the state. We considered these factors to come up with our list:
- High-tech online learning platform that features ease of coursework access and technical support,
- A diverse range of rigorous degree and course options that produce highly skilled graduates,
- Great student-to-teacher ratio for a superior student learning experience,
- Full accreditation from academic organizations.
For more details on our ranking process, visit our Methodology Page.
Texas Tech University
Texas Tech University is a public research academic institution founded in 1923. It is one of the members of the Texas Tech University System that enrolls more than 35,000 students, offering several on-campus and online degree programs. TTU provides several online degree programs in different areas of study, such as business, education, agricultural sciences, engineering, general studies, and social sciences. Online students use Blackboard to access courses, projects, assignments, research work, and other learning-related materials. Also, they have access to several student support services, such as an online library and 24/7 technical support.
Program length and requirements vary per online degree. TTU’s Bachelor of Science in Early Child Care prepares students to be equipped with the essential skills and expertise to work in early childhood settings with young children. Students need 120-credit hours for completion of the program. They enroll in mandatory courses such as Working with Families; Administration and Supervision in Early Childhood Settings; Health, Safety, and Nutrition; Diversity in the Lives of Young Children and Families; and Technology and Young Children. The online degree program does not lead to licensure as a teacher.
Prospective students pursuing a graduate degree at TTU can choose from the university’s variety of master’s and doctoral degree programs. One of the popular programs includes the Master of Business Administration, offered through TTU’s Jerry S. Rawls College of Business Administration. Students must have 42-credit hours for the completion of this program, allowing students to earn this degree in only a year or up to six years depending on the student’s time frame of learning. This online business degree program is offered in two concentrations namely Health Organization Management, or Information Technology.
Location: Lubbock, Texas
Admission Requirements:
- Online Application for Admission
- Official Transcript of Records from previous college or universities attended
- Official High School Transcripts
Accreditation: Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges
Lamar University
Lamar University is a member of the Texas State University System established in 1923. Currently, the university is home to over 15,000 on-campus students and distance learners. Moreover, Lamar University offers more than 20 online programs at the bachelor’s and master’s levels, providing distance learners the skills they need to advance their career further and the flexibility to attend classes anytime anywhere. In addition, the university offers a wide range of online programs and courses that meet the needs and schedules of working adults.
Most of the online bachelor’s degree programs require students to have at least 120-credit hours for program completion. Areas of study include general business, computer science, sociology, communication, and entrepreneurship among many other featured online programs.
One of the popular online degree programs of Lamar is the Bachelor of Science in Nursing (RN-to-BSN), offered through the Joanne Dishman School of Nursing. Students must have 120-credit hours to complete this nursing program. The Nursing core courses include Nursing Theories and Online Education; Nursing Inquiry and EBP; Synthesis in Professional Nursing; Nursing Practice: Care of Communities; and Nursing Practice: Leadership and Management in the Healthcare System among many other unique courses. A practicum requirement is needed for the completion of this program.
Graduate students can choose from Lamar’s online master’s degree offerings in education, psychology, business administration, nursing, public health, nutrition, and foreign language, to name a few. One of the unique online graduate programs includes a Master of Arts Degree in Teaching Spanish as a Foreign Language, a product of the collaborative initiative between Lamar University and Universidad de Salamanca. This online program is designed specifically for teachers of Spanish, delivering graduate-level course work in teaching methods, literature, culture as well as art and history. This 30-credit hour program includes courses in Sintaxis Del Espanol; Studies in Latin American Literature; Special Topics in Teaching; Cultura Espanola; and Studies of Hispanic Literature in the U.S., among other unique courses.
Location: Beaumont, Texas
Admission Requirements:
- Online Application for Admission
- Official Transcript of Records from previous college or universities attended
- Official High School Transcripts
Accreditation: Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges
Dallas Baptist University
Dallas Baptist University is a faith-based academic institution founded in 1898. The Christian liberal arts university is home to approximately 5,400 students with 1,800 in distance learning programs. DBU offers several fully online programs in the certificate, undergraduate, master’s, accelerated bachelor’s/master’s degree, and dual master’s degree programs. Distance learners enjoy a wealth of student support services that help them in their online learning journeys such as DBU writing center, bookstore, library, and disability student services.
Similar to other academic institutions around Texas, DBU offers a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology with courses such as Statistics for the Social Sciences, Juvenile Delinquency, Multicultural Perspectives, Social Psychology, and Psychology of Abnormal Behavior, among many other featured courses. Also, DBU offers a variety of online programs under the Bachelors of Arts, Science, Arts and Sciences, Business Administration, and Business Studies.
Graduate students can choose DBU’s unique Master of Arts in Global Leadership, designed for global-thinking leaders who want to develop new paradigms for working in multicultural environments. Students must have 36-credit hours to graduate. In addition, they enroll in core courses such as Global Christianity, Strategies for Urban Ministries, Integrating Faith and Cultures, Christianity in a Pluralistic World, and Christian Perspectives on Global Religions and Worldviews, among other featured courses.
Location: Dallas, Texas
Admission Requirements:
- Online Application for Admission
- Official Transcript of Records from previous college or universities attended
- Official High School Transcripts
Accreditation: Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges
West Texas A&M University
West Texas A&M University is a member of the Texas A&M University System established in 1910 that has grown into a comprehensive academic institution. The university offers quality distance learning education in their undergraduate, graduate and doctoral programs. WTAMU has integrated WTClass, the university’s online learning management system that allows students to access courses, learning resources, assignments, and lessons with comprehensive details, along with notes from their instructors. WTClass also enables students to collaborate and interact with their instructors.
WTAMU offers a Bachelor of Business Administration-Marketing, providing courses that prepare students for the post-scandal corporate environment, helps students to become players in the global economy, shows students how to leverage technology and create income, and trains future managers in the art of managing a variety of employee groups in a rapidly changing workforce. Students must have 120-credit hours for the completion of this business program. Business core courses include Management Information Systems, Principles of Management, Principles of Financial Accounting, Statistics for Business and Economics, and Business Law, among many other highlighted courses. A capstone project is required for the completion of the program.
Prospective students who want to consider enrolling in WTAMU for graduate degree programs may choose from 15 master’s degree offerings. The Master of Science in Sports and Exercise Science prepares students with a variety of skills and knowledge in sports-related fundamentals such as sports performance, sports administration, sport management, physiological testing and prescription, and corporate fitness and wellness. Students enroll in core courses such as Research Techniques, Trends/Issues in Sports and Exercise Sciences, Sociological Analysis of Sport, and Ethical Issues in Sport and Exercise Sciences.
Location: Canyon, Texas
Admission Requirements:
- Online Application for Admission
- Official Transcript of Records from previous college or universities attended
- Official High School Transcripts
Accreditation: Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges
LeTourneau University
LeTourneau University is a private, Christian academic institution founded in 1946 and is home to approximately 3,000 students from around the world. Initially, the founders of the university created the educational institution 70 years ago as a foundation for the education of veterans returning from World War II. The university has several unique online programs in different areas of study such as arts & sciences, business, education, aviation & aeronautical science, nursing, psychology & counseling, and theology & vocation.
Program duration and requirements differ per online degree program. The university is well-known for its online Bachelor of Science in Aviation Management that helps prepare students with a concrete foundation in both business and aviation fundamentals. The university prepares them to become airport managers, airline operations managers, quality managers, revenue management analysts, or maintenance managers. This 122-credit hour online aviation program has core required courses in Aviation Human Factors, Aviation Safety Factors, Aviation Management Capstone, Aviation Law, and Aviation Safety Management Systems, among many other aviation-related courses.
LETU offers 13 master’s degree programs in an entirely online format in different areas of study such as engineering, education, psychology, nursing, and many other fields of interest. The Master of Arts in Psychology program requires 39 credit hours for completion. The core curriculum consists of unique courses such as Integrative Theology for Counselors I, II and II, Lifespan Human Development, Ethical, Legal & Professional Standards in Counseling, Family Assessment, and Counseling Theories and Family Therapies for Professional Counselors, among other featured courses.
Location: Longview, Texas
Admission Requirements:
- Online Application for Admission
- Official Transcript of Records from previous college or universities attended
- Official High School Transcripts
Accreditation: Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges
The Georgetown Center for Education and the Workforce has projected that 62% of Texas career opportunities created by 2020 will require post-secondary education. A similar study conducted by the Office of the State Demographer has concluded that projected new jobs may require a 7.3% increase in the college-educated Texas workforce by 2020. An increased need for workers with post-secondary education must have affordable access to higher education, particularly online degree programs.
The National Association of State Student Grant & Aid Programs delivers information related to need-based and non-need-based financial aid in the United States. For the previous academic years, undergraduate students in Texas received roughly $400,000,000 in grants or work-study programs based only on need and approximately $358,000,000 in grants based on need and merit. The Southern Regional Education Board (SREB) collaborates with Southern states, including Texas, to enhance the quality of public education at all levels. The organization also assists in the professional development of educators.
SREB helps students enrolled in distance learning programs in Texas. Through its Academic Common Market program, prospective students interested in pursuing a degree that is unavailable in their state may enroll in an equivalent out-of-state degree program for the same rate of in-state tuition. Students can enjoy the benefits at on-campus and online colleges in Texas through this initiative. Numerous higher learning institutions in Texas participate in the Academic Common Market, such as the University of Texas, Texas A&M, and the University of Houston.
The eligibility of students requires residency in an SREB member state and they must adhere to the chosen institution’s admission requirements. Member states for SREB’s reduced-tuition initiative include Alabama, Arkansas, West Virginia, Virginia, Georgia, Kentucky, Tennessee, South Carolina, Maryland, Louisiana, Oklahoma, and Mississippi. North Carolina does not participate in the Academic Common Market despite being a member of the SREB.
METHODOLOGY
If, like most prospective students, you are on the hunt for the cheapest colleges in Texas, we’ve got you covered! Our list of the 5 Best Value Online Schools in Texas presents our best picks for affordable and top-quality online schools and degree programs. Our featured online colleges and universities also provide financial aid options to qualified distance learners.
Texas State University
Texas State University is home to approximately 38,661 students and provides 98 bachelor’s, 93 masters and 14 doctoral degree programs offered in different colleges. Texas State offers numerous opportunities for innovation and discovery to faculty members and students. With a beautiful location in the Texas Hill Country, Texas State enjoys a setting that is unique among Texas universities. Distance learners have access to TRACS, the online learning management system of Texas State for delivering course materials, facilitating classroom interactions and discussions as well as positive learning outcomes. They have access to a variety of student support services such as an online bookstore, academic and career advising, online library, tutoring services, and 24/7 technical support.
Texas State offers completely online programs in different areas of study such as criminal justice, agriculture, family and consumer science, accounting, marketing, business administration, and education, to name a few. The Bachelor of Health Information Management is suitable for holders of an Associate degree in Health Information Technology from a community college. Students enroll in core courses such as Principles of Health Information Management, Disease and Medical Science, Project Management for HIM, Introduction and Technical Aspects of HIM, and Coding and Compliance for HIM, among other featured courses.
Tuition Fees differ per residency status. Texas undergraduate students pay $812.31 per credit hour, while non-resident undergraduate students pay $1,234.31 per credit hour. The university offers several financial aid opportunities for eligible students depending on their enrollment status and majors.
Location: San Marcos, Texas
Admission Requirements:
- Online Application for Admission
- Official Transcript of Records from previous college or universities attended
- Official High School Transcripts
Accreditation: Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges
University of Houston- Downtown
The University of Houston-Downtown is a four-year, public academic institution founded in 1974. Today, the university is home to more than 14,000 students. The university is a member of the University of Houston System, offering more than 50 undergraduate and graduate degree programs including bachelor’s and master’s degree online programs through the UHD Online. Distance learners have access to a wide range of student support services such as online student orientation, an online bookstore, and library resources, to name a few. The university integrates Blackboard, an online learning management system that enables students to access coursework, assignments, research works, and other learning-related fundamentals.
UHD’s Bachelor of Arts in Humanities specializes in writing-intensive classes that emphasize critical thinking. The courses are taught by highly-respected instructors and authors who will share their expertise in developing effective communication and analytical skills employers prefer in a competitive workforce. This degree program is offered in four concentrations namely Cultural Studies, Critical Race Studies, Latino Studies, and Religious Studies.
Tuition and fees vary per residency status. Texas undergraduate students pay $345 per credit hour, while non-resident undergraduate students pay $760 per credit hour. Texas-based graduate students pay $485 per credit hour, while graduate non-Texas students pay $850 per credit hour. The university offers several financial aid opportunities for eligible students depending on their enrollment status and majors. They are required to apply for Financial Aid as part of their admissions checklist.
Location: Houston, Texas
Admission Requirements:
- Online Application for Admission
- Official Transcript of Records from previous college or universities attended
- Official High School Transcripts
Accreditation: Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges’
University of North Texas
The University of North Texas is a public research university founded in 1890. Currently, UNT is considered one of the most prominent public research academic institutions in the country and is home to 38,000 enrolled students. UNT offers more than 220 degree programs at the undergraduate and graduate level of studies. Canvas is UNT’s online learning management system. Students use Canvas to access their courses, assignments, syllabus, to research works, and to obtain other learning-related materials. UNT integrates Moreover, in which students have access to a variety of student support services that will help them in their online learning journey.
Program length and requirement differ per online degree program. UNT’s Bachelor of Science in Rehabilitation Studies combines a classroom curriculum with applied knowledge experience in community services and immersions, which provides students the guidance they need to a rewarding career in the field of rehabilitation. Students are required to have 120-credit hours for the completion of this program. They enroll in mandatory courses such as Criminal Justice Policy, Disability and Society, Professionalism/Leadership, Case Management in Rehabilitation, and Employment Services, among other featured courses. A practicum requirement is needed to complete the program.
Tuition and Fees differ depending on the residency status and type of degree. Undergraduate students based in Texas pay $731.07 per credit hour, while non-residents pay $1,153.07 per credit hour. Graduate students from Texas pay $858.25 per credit hour, while non-resident graduate students pay $1,280.25 per credit hour. A more detailed computation can be found through UNT’s Traditional Tuition Plan Calculator. UNT has several financial aid opportunities for eligible students.
Location: Denton, Texas
Admission Requirements:
- Online Application for Admission
- Official Transcript of Records from previous college or universities attended
- Official High School Transcripts
Accreditation: Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges
Sam Houston State University
Sam Houston State University is a public academic institution established in 1879 and is home to over 18,000 enrolled students. The university is a member of the Texas State University System, offering more than 30 online undergraduate, graduate, and certificate degree programs. SHSU integrates Blackboard, an online learning management system that enables distance learners to access courses, syllabus, work research, as well as interaction with their professors and classmates. Distance learners have access to a wide variety of student support services such as career services, advising, and library resources.
SHSU has a unique program called the Bachelor of Arts/Bachelor of Science in Victim Studies. It is considered to be the only program of its type in Texas and one of the few in the country. Students must have 120-credit hours to earn this degree successfully. They enroll in victim studies core courses such as Victimology, Introduction to the Criminal Justice System, Problem Analysis in Victim Studies, Criminology, and Introduction to Methods of Research.
Tuition and Fees differ per type of degree. SHSU Online Undergraduate students pay $524.50 per credit hour, while SHSU Online Graduate students pay $603.73 per credit hour. Several opportunities for financial aid are available through the Financial Aid & Scholarships Department of SHSU.
Location: Huntsville, Texas
Admission Requirements:
- Online Application for Admission
- Official Transcript of Records from previous college or universities attended
- Official High School Transcripts
Accreditation: Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges
Texas Woman’s University
Texas Woman’s University is a co-educational institution for the past decades and is probably recognized for its misleading name. However, the university remains to be dominated by female students. The university offers numerous online certificates and degree programs for undergraduate, graduate level, as well as Ph.D. programs. The university is home to exceptional degree programs in Dental Hygiene, Kinesiology-Sport Management, and Speech-Language Pathology. Aside from the unique programs, it has the best student support services around Texas, providing a billing center, payment plan arrangements, online library, online bookstore, Texas Veterans Portal, College for All Texans financial services, and other consumer sites.
Tuition and Fees vary per residency status and type of degree. Texas undergraduate students pay $219.50 per credit hour, while Texas graduate students pay $614.56 per credit hour. On the other hand, non-Texas undergraduate students pay $634.50 per credit hour, while non-Texas graduate students pay $1,029.56 per credit hour. Distance learners are eligible to apply and take advantage of the numerous financial aid opportunities offered by TWU.
Location: Denton, Texas
Admission Requirements:
- Online Application for Admission
- Official Transcript of Records from previous college or universities attended
- Official High School Transcripts
Accreditation: Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges
