College is expensive. But did you know that there are many ways to get college credit for a lot less money? Today, we’re going to be talking about the top cheapest online courses out there. These courses range from Math to Psychology and Photography 101, all the way up to Computer Science! College degrees take a long time and a lot of money, but this doesn’t have to be the case. So if you’re looking for cheap online courses for college credit, a way to get your degrees, keep reading!
What Is College Credit?
College credits are a way of equalizing the time spent learning and studying for each college class. They’re ultimately a measure of how much work you put in, and what you learned.
Classes at universities can be super overwhelming, but college credits are a way of measuring the amount of time spent learning.
These credits are awarded for every hour spent in class or doing homework. There’s no set number of hours that equals one credit; it differs depending on the subject. For example, an English course may require more hours than math to earn the same number of credits.
Check this List of Diploma Courses you can learn from.
Types of Online Courses
Cheap online courses for college credit – There are several different types of college credit for you to get, the easiest being General Education Units (GEU), or College Credits for Education.
In general, GEU credit provides students the equivalent of half of a semester’s worth of credit hours to their college transcripts. According to The College Board’s Catalog of Educational Programs, 4 years of a 6 year college course will provide the equivalent of 32.5 credit hours. This means that if you take one full course in your program of study, you will receive a GEU. This doesn’t necessarily mean that you will receive college credit, though, as many colleges award their GEU credit based on specific, demonstrated competency requirements.
There are a ton of different types of online courses for college credit out there. All you have to do is look around the internet to find what you want. The below are some of the most popular.
SEO-BASED
- Content Marketing
- Digital Marketing
- Internet Marketing
SEO is basically the practice of improving your company’s online presence by making it more search engine friendly. Most of the websites I’ve seen that focus on SEO also offer digital marketing courses. Digital marketing is when companies use the internet to promote their products and services. Digital marketing courses are also great for anyone who is looking to run their own website. Digital marketing is also a really great way to boost sales. I’ve seen a lot of digital marketing courses for very reasonable prices.
AP Classes
AP classes are amazing. They’re the highest level of academic credit a college student can receive. To pass AP tests, you’ll have to study and take tests more rigorous than the ACT.
Because AP exams are the highest standard, they’re extremely expensive. The tests run about $60, and the College Board is the organization that organizes these tests. If you want to get the most rigorous AP coursework that will lead to a college diploma, the courses listed below are for you.
- Mathematics AP
- Physical Science AP
- Chemistry AP
- American History AP
- English AP
- U.S. Government & Politics AP
- The Writing Center
There are a lot of career opportunities in our society. That’s why it’s important that you have a solid foundation of knowledge before you enter a career.
AICE Classes
AICE – the Advanced International Certificate of Education – is a course that provides U.S. college credit to students around the world. And today, some of the most popular AICE courses are Biology and Math. However, there’s a wide array of AICE courses available to help students who may not be academically inclined. Some of the more popular AICE courses offered on the market right now are, for example, Spanish 101, Biochemistry 101, and Intro to Modern Poetry.
With this certificate, you’ll be able to pass the USA College Board’s AP Biology and AP Spanish exams. So if you’re someone who’s willing to put in the work, you can receive free college credit from your high school for these classes.
International Baccalaureate Diploma Program
This school doesn’t take money from you, they simply ask that you help them out in order to help the students of this country. As a result, they offer several online courses that are completely free to take. The IBCP courses are:
- Planetary Science
- Archaeology and World Cultures
- International Languages
- Performing Arts
All of the courses are taught in English, which is something that students around the world love!
So if you’re looking for a cheap or completely free way to take an awesome online courses for college credit and improve your skills, check out these amazing free courses:
- Psy.D – Psychology and Neuroscience
- Psy.D – Counseling Psychology
- Psy.D – Organizational Psychology
- Psy.D – Educational Psychology
- Psy.D – Clinical Psychology
- Psy.D – Computer Science
Learn psychology from these 5 Self-Help Books Written by Psychologists
College Level Examination Program Exams (CLEP)
The CLEP tests your English, reading, math and science skills and calculates your college credit based on how you perform on these tests. This helps avoid remedial courses and exams in the future!
In this section, you’ll learn the best way to prepare for the CLEP test, and how to score higher on the tests. If you score at least a 75 percent on the exam, you’ll be able to earn college credit!
Dual Enrollment
This is one of the oldest ways to get credit for school. You get a two semester scholarship for basically doing nothing! They give you credit for not attending class and filling out study guides. They also cover most of the books for the class. You have to sign up early to receive the scholarship.
Mindfulness Meditation – Founded in 2012, this course is a great introduction to the practice of mindfulness.
Summer College
Summer College is for people who want to take a high school equivalency exam while also earning credits towards their high school diploma. It allows you to pass the tests and receive college credit. These courses are offered online, onsite and hybrid.
Intro to Psychology
Maybe you have an interest in psychology and want to get your degree in this field. Take Intro to Psychology. This course can take you all the way to a psychology degree and certificate. It can also lead to an associate’s degree.
Customer Service
Customer Service is the perfect course if you want to be able to work with people from all around the world. This course can help you qualify for a job as an AVP or Director of Client Relations or Business Development Manager.
Early Enrollment
Many states allow students to get college credit for high school courses during the summer. If you’re thinking about enrolling in college, why not take your spring, or spring and summer courses!
What’s the catch? Just like any other college credit online class, you don’t know what you’re getting into. Some classes are written, some are video lectures, and some are both. So just like in the real college, there is a chance that the quality of the course will not meet your expectations. We’ve been here too, so that shouldn’t be a surprise.
Cheap Online Courses for College Credit
Harvard Extension School for Beginners
This one’s for beginners. But it’s Harvard, so it should be good right?
If you want to get your degree, you need to get your undergraduate degree and then you should earn your Master’s. But if you’re in high school, you can do your undergraduate degree online, with a certificate. Or if you’re older, you can do the certificate online and then finish your degree when you’re older. Basically, Harvard’s website has an enormous amount of information on the entire process.
It also has over 500 courses in every discipline that you can earn credit for, and you can earn those credit hours very easily and almost immediately.
Tons of classes are even available online and you can earn credits for almost any class.
For more details on these cheap online courses for college credit, check out what this site had to say.
- Gataway Math and Science
- The Basics of A.A. in Health
- Algebra I
- General Chemistry
- Calculus
- Computer Science
- Life and Career
- The Human Body
- Early Childhood Education
- Dance
- High School Math, Science and Art
- Social Science
- Earth Science
- Physics
- College prep
- Gataway Math and Science
- The Basics of A.A. in Health
- The Online Computer Academy
- Productivity and Organization
- Designing your Own Computer
- Becoming A Young Lawyer
There are a lot of different sites offering discounted college courses. Many have huge discounts of over 90%.
Get more ideas from this lists of Vocational Courses, MBA Courses, Professional Courses…
Final thoughts
If you want to get your college degree, or you just want to learn more about Psychology, you’re going to have to go to school to do it. If you don’t have the money to do so, though, it’s definitely possible to take college classes online. I know I’ve personally used these methods to get college credit and in many cases for free!
Check out the cheapest online courses from Udemy, study.com or Coursera to find out more and get college courses ideas from here. If you have any suggestions for us, please leave them in the comments below!