2027 Cheapest Accredited Online Electrical Engineering Degree Programs: Tuition, Fees, and Financial Aid
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The cheapest online electrical engineering degree is not always the one with the lowest advertised tuition. Students must compare accreditation, mandatory fees, transfer rules, aid eligibility, and net price before enrolling. This guide is for undergraduates, transfer students, working adults, and military-connected learners comparing accredited online electrical engineering options.
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, electrical and electronics engineers had a May 2024 median annual wage of $118,780, making cost control especially important when evaluating long-term return on investment.
Key Things You Should Know
- Among publicly posted accredited online options, Florida International University and Stony Brook University often appear among the lowest-cost choices for eligible students, with in-state or online rates starting far below many national online engineering programs.
- An online electrical engineering student may also pay technology fees, lab-kit costs, proctoring charges, books, software, transfer-evaluation fees, and graduation fees before reaching the real total program cost.
- Net price matters more than sticker price because FAFSA-based grants, scholarships, employer tuition benefits, military education benefits, and transfer credits can reduce what a student actually pays out of pocket.
What Are the Cheapest Accredited Online Electrical Engineering Degree Programs?
The cheapest accredited online electrical engineering degree programs are usually public universities with online or distance rates, strong transfer pathways, and regional institutional accreditation. For engineering-specific credibility, students should also check whether the bachelor's program is accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of ABET, especially if they may pursue professional engineering licensure later.
The table below compares affordable online or mostly online electrical engineering options using published tuition structures as a starting point. Because rates and residency rules can change, use this table to narrow your shortlist, then request a written cost sheet from each school before applying.
| School and online program | Accreditation note | Published tuition signal | Cost takeaway | Best fit |
| Florida International University, BS in Electrical Engineering online | Institutionally accredited; confirm current ABET status for the exact online pathway | Florida resident online tuition is commonly much lower than nonresident tuition | Can be one of the lowest-cost choices for Florida residents, but nonresident pricing is substantially higher. | Florida residents and transfer students seeking a public university route. |
| Stony Brook University, online BS in Electrical Engineering degree-completion pathway | Institutionally accredited; verify ABET status and degree-completion requirements | SUNY online rates are often competitive, especially for students who transfer lower-division credits | May be very affordable if the student already has transferable calculus, physics, and engineering prerequisites. | Transfer students who have completed substantial lower-division coursework. |
| University of North Dakota, online BS in Electrical Engineering | Institutionally accredited; program has a long-standing online engineering model | Uses a distance education tuition model that is often easier to compare across states | Not always the lowest per credit, but predictable pricing and engineering-specific online support can improve value. | Working adults who need an established distance engineering program. |
| Arizona State University Online, BSE in Electrical Engineering | Institutionally accredited; confirm current programmatic accreditation for the online BSE | Online tuition varies by program and student factors | Often costs more than the lowest public options, but may offer broad course availability and scalable online support. | Students prioritizing online infrastructure, course access, and brand recognition. |
| Old Dominion University, online Electrical Engineering Technology pathway | Engineering technology accreditation may differ from engineering accreditation | Often competitively priced compared with many online engineering programs | Can be affordable, but it is not the same as an electrical engineering degree for every licensure or employer requirement. | Students targeting applied technology roles rather than traditional engineering licensure. |
For most students, the lowest total-cost pathway is not a full four-year online enrollment from the first semester. It is often a transfer plan: complete lower-division math, physics, general education, and introductory engineering courses at a lower-cost public institution, then finish upper-division electrical engineering courses through an accredited online university.
Be careful with degree names. "Electrical engineering," "electrical and computer engineering," "electronics engineering technology," and "electrical engineering technology" can lead to different accreditation, licensure, and job outcomes. If your goal is professional engineering licensure, ask whether the exact degree you will receive is an ABET-accredited engineering degree, not only whether the university is accredited.
How Were the Cheapest Online Electrical Engineering Degree Programs Ranked?
A useful affordability ranking must go beyond advertised tuition. Electrical engineering is lab-heavy and sequential, so fees, transfer limits, repeated courses, summer terms, and prerequisite gaps can change the final bill.
The ranking logic below prioritizes the factors that most directly affect what students pay and whether the credential will be recognized. Students comparing a lab-intensive engineering degree with a less equipment-heavy option, such as a business administration degree online, should be especially careful because engineering fees and prerequisite sequencing can make cost comparisons misleading.
| Ranking factor | Why it matters | How to use it |
| Accreditation | Institutional accreditation affects federal aid eligibility; ABET accreditation can affect engineering licensure and employer recognition. | Verify both the school and the exact degree program before applying. |
| Tuition per credit | This is the easiest number to compare, but it is rarely the full cost. | Multiply by required credits, then add fees and materials. |
| Mandatory fees | Technology, distance learning, lab, and proctoring fees can materially increase online costs. | Ask for a program-level fee sheet, not just a tuition page. |
| Transfer acceptance | Accepted credits reduce both tuition and time to graduation. | Request a written transfer evaluation before committing. |
| Residency pricing | Some public universities charge much lower in-state rates. | Compare your own rate, not the lowest rate shown online. |
| Student outcomes | Completion support, licensure alignment, and career services affect value. | Review retention, graduation, and employment-support information where available. |
The best-value program is the one that combines recognized accreditation, a manageable net price, strong credit transfer, and a curriculum aligned with your goals. A slightly higher-tuition program may be a better investment if it prevents lost credits, unnecessary course repeats, or licensure barriers.
How Can You Verify the Accreditation of an Online Electrical Engineering Degree Program?
Accreditation is the first filter when comparing cheap online electrical engineering degrees. Institutional accreditation signals that the school meets recognized academic and administrative standards, while programmatic engineering accreditation, most commonly ABET for bachelor's engineering programs, helps confirm that the curriculum meets profession-specific expectations.
Use the following sequence before you rely on any tuition quote. It helps prevent one of the costliest mistakes: enrolling in an inexpensive program that does not meet financial aid, transfer, employer, or licensure expectations.
- Confirm institutional accreditation through the U.S. Department of Education's recognized accreditation database or the school's official accreditation page.
- Check whether the exact electrical engineering bachelor's program is listed by ABET, not just whether another engineering program at the same university is accredited.
- Verify that the online modality is covered or considered equivalent to the campus program, especially if the school offers both formats.
- Ask the department whether the degree title on the transcript and diploma matches the accredited program title.
- If professional engineering licensure is a goal, contact your state licensing board to confirm whether the program satisfies education requirements.
Red flags include vague phrases such as "accredited curriculum," "aligned with ABET standards," or "accreditation pending" without a clear listing for the exact program. Those phrases may indicate quality intentions, but they are not the same as verified accreditation.
The real cost of an accredited online electrical engineering degree is the total amount required to complete the credential, not just the per-credit rate. Students should separate tuition, mandatory fees, optional costs, financial aid, and net price.
The table below shows how the same advertised tuition can produce different out-of-pocket costs depending on fees, transfer credits, and aid. The figures are illustrative calculation categories, not a guarantee of what any one student will pay.
| Cost category | What it includes | Why it changes the total |
| Tuition | Per-credit or per-term academic charge. | Usually the largest cost, but not the only required charge |
| Mandatory university fees | Technology, online learning, student services, registration, and course fees. | May apply every term or every credit |
| Engineering-specific costs | Lab kits, simulation software, hardware, calculators, and proctored exams. | Electrical engineering often has higher course-material needs than many online majors |
| Transfer-credit impact | Credits accepted from prior colleges or exams. | Can reduce the number of credits billed by the degree-granting university |
| Financial aid | Grants, scholarships, federal loans, employer benefits, military benefits, and state aid. | Can lower the net price, although loans must be repaid |
Required credits multiplied by tuition per credit, plus mandatory fees and materials, minus grants, scholarships, employer payments, and other gift aid. Loans can help cash flow, but they do not reduce the price of the degree because they create repayment obligations.
Use current labor-market data carefully when judging cost. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported a May 2024 median annual wage of $118,780 for electrical and electronics engineers, but that figure does not guarantee an outcome for every graduate. Location, experience, industry, licensure, internships, and technical skills all affect individual earnings.
Tuition models matter because online engineering students may enroll part time, transfer in credits, or take courses year-round. The most affordable model depends on how many credits you need and how quickly you can complete them.
These common pricing models can affect the final cost of an online electrical engineering degree. If you are comparing engineering with technology-heavy alternatives such as the best online AI degree programs, remember that course materials, math prerequisites, and lab requirements may differ substantially.
- Per-credit tuition: Best for part-time students and transfer students who need only upper-division courses, but the total cost rises with every additional prerequisite or repeated course.
- Flat-rate term tuition: Can lower the cost for students who can take a heavier course load, but it may become expensive if work or family obligations force withdrawals.
- In-state public tuition: Often the cheapest option for residents, although eligibility rules vary and some online programs charge separate rates.
- Distance-rate tuition: Charges the same or similar online rate regardless of state, which can make planning easier for nonresidents.
- Degree-completion pricing: Can be very affordable when the student already has transferable lower-division credits, but costly if prerequisites are missing.
Before choosing a model, map the full curriculum. Electrical engineering courses are sequential, so taking fewer credits per term may extend graduation, while taking too many may increase the risk of dropping a course and paying twice.
Online electrical engineering students may qualify for federal financial aid if they attend an eligible accredited institution, enroll in an eligible degree program, and meet federal student aid requirements. The FAFSA is the main application used to determine eligibility for federal grants, federal student loans, and many state or institutional aid programs.
The FAFSA process is similar across majors, but engineering students should pay close attention to enrollment intensity because prerequisite sequencing may affect full-time or part-time status. Students who compare engineering with fields such as a bachelor of business administration online should remember that both may use FAFSA, but engineering course loads and lab sequencing can affect aid timing differently.
- Confirm that the school participates in federal student aid and that the online electrical engineering degree is an eligible program.
- Submit the FAFSA using accurate tax and household information as early as possible for the aid year.
- Review the financial aid offer and separate gift aid from loans that must be repaid.
- Check whether aid requires full-time enrollment, satisfactory academic progress, or completion of specific credit hours.
- Ask how dropping, repeating, or delaying a required engineering course could affect aid eligibility.
For context, the maximum Federal Pell Grant for the 2024-2025 award year is $7,395 for eligible students. That amount can significantly reduce net price for qualifying undergraduates, but it may not cover the full cost of an engineering program, especially when nonresident tuition or mandatory fees are high.
The best funding strategy combines multiple sources: federal aid, state grants, institutional scholarships, private engineering scholarships, employer tuition assistance, military education benefits, and paid work-based learning where available. Grants and scholarships are usually preferable to loans because they generally do not require repayment if conditions are met.
Students should evaluate funding by renewability, eligibility rules, and timing. The same financial planning mindset applies to later credentials too, including an online doctorate in organizational leadership, where employer support and institutional aid can change the net price substantially.
| Funding source | How it can help | What to verify |
| Federal Pell Grant | Reduces undergraduate net price for eligible students. | Eligibility amount, enrollment status, and remaining lifetime eligibility |
| State grants | May lower costs at public universities or for residents. | Residency rules and whether online students qualify |
| Institutional scholarships | Can offset tuition or fees at the degree-granting school. | Minimum GPA, renewal criteria, and whether transfer students qualify |
| Engineering scholarships | May support students in electrical, electronics, energy, robotics, or computer engineering tracks. | Major restrictions, ABET requirements, essay deadlines, and membership rules |
| Employer tuition assistance | Can reduce out-of-pocket costs for working adults. | Annual cap, grade requirements, repayment obligations, and approved-program rules |
| Military and veteran benefits | May cover tuition, fees, books, or housing-related allowances depending on the benefit. | Benefit eligibility, school certification, and remaining entitlement |
When comparing scholarships, ask whether the award is renewable for every year or only available once. A one-time scholarship can help, but a renewable award can change the affordability of the entire degree.
Transfer credits are one of the strongest cost-saving tools for online electrical engineering students. Because engineering bachelor's degrees commonly require a long sequence of calculus, physics, circuits, electronics, programming, and design courses, even a few accepted credits can reduce tuition and shorten the path to graduation.
Transfer planning is especially important for students comparing several online majors. A transfer-friendly major such as an online graphic design degree may evaluate portfolio or studio credits differently from an engineering program that requires strict math, science, and lab equivalencies.
Use these steps before enrolling so you do not lose credits that could have reduced your total cost.
- Request an unofficial transfer review before applying and an official degree audit before enrolling.
- Confirm how calculus, physics, chemistry, programming, and introductory engineering courses transfer into the major, not just as electives.
- Ask about residency requirements, which specify how many credits must be completed at the degree-granting university.
- Check whether upper-division engineering courses must be taken at the university even if similar courses were completed elsewhere.
- Compare community college articulation agreements, military credits, CLEP or AP credits, and prior college coursework.
- Ask whether prior learning credit applies to general education only or can satisfy technical requirements.
Competency-based education is less common in ABET-oriented electrical engineering than in some business or information technology programs because lab outcomes and design sequences must be assessed carefully. If a school advertises competency-based engineering, verify accreditation, faculty oversight, lab requirements, and how credits appear on the transcript.
How Should Students Compare the Net Price, Quality, and Return on Investment of Online Electrical Engineering Degree Programs?
The best online electrical engineering degree value is the program that you can afford, complete, and use toward your career goals. Net price is central, but quality signals such as accreditation, faculty access, lab design, advising, internship support, licensure alignment, and employer recognition also matter.
Use a side-by-side comparison before choosing. Students weighing engineering against fields such as a business administration degree online should compare not only tuition, but also technical equipment costs, course sequencing, career goals, and expected time to completion.
| Decision factor | Low-cost program advantage | When paying more may be reasonable |
| Net price after aid | Lower out-of-pocket cost and less borrowing | A higher-tuition school may cost less after grants, scholarships, or employer benefits, |
| Accreditation | Protects eligibility for aid and transfer | ABET-aligned licensure goals may justify choosing a program with stronger engineering accreditation fit, |
| Transfer acceptance | Reduces repeated coursework | A school with better transfer mapping can beat a lower per-credit rate, |
| Online lab quality | Flexible labs reduce travel and housing costs | Stronger lab support may improve learning and persistence, |
| Career alignment | Affordable programs can still lead to strong outcomes when skills and internships are solid | Programs with stronger employer ties, co-op access, or senior design support may improve practical value, |
Before enrolling, ask each school for the same decision-support information so comparisons are fair. The goal is to calculate the likely net price and identify academic risks before you pay deposits or commit to a course sequence.
- What is my total estimated cost to graduate after transfer credits are applied?
- Which fees are mandatory for online electrical engineering students?
- Is the exact online program ABET-accredited or otherwise programmatically accredited?
- How many credits must I complete at this university?
- What scholarships are renewable, and what GPA is required to keep them?
- How are online labs delivered, and are any campus visits required?
- What happens to tuition and aid if I need to repeat a sequential engineering course?
- What career, internship, co-op, or licensure advising is available to online students?
Common mistakes include choosing the lowest tuition without checking accreditation, comparing resident rates when you do not qualify for them, ignoring mandatory fees, assuming all transfer credits apply to the major, and treating loans as discounts. Avoid those errors by comparing net price, completion feasibility, and credential recognition together.
Other Things You Should Know About Electrical Engineering
It can be, especially when the school is institutionally accredited, the engineering program has appropriate programmatic accreditation, and the curriculum includes rigorous labs, design projects, and technical coursework. Employers typically focus on the credential, skills, projects, internships, and experience rather than the delivery format alone.
Some programs are fully online, while others require short residencies, in-person labs, exams, or senior design activities. Always ask whether campus visits are required and include travel, lodging, and time off work in your cost estimate.
Possibly, but requirements vary by state. If licensure is a goal, verify that the exact degree satisfies your state board's education rules, and pay close attention to ABET accreditation, engineering experience requirements, and exam pathways.
It can be more demanding because of calculus, physics, circuits, labs, and sequential prerequisites. Online students often succeed when they have strong time management, reliable technology, access to tutoring, and a realistic course load.
- Types of Financial Aid https://www.hhloans.com/types-of-financial-aid/
- CBE Crash Course Lesson 4: How does CBE Impact Accreditation & Financial Aid? https://www.wgulabs.org/posts/cbe-crash-course-lesson-4-how-does-cbe-impact-accreditation-financial-aid
- Scholarships for engineers https://ppi2pass.com/resources/pe-exam/scholarships-for-engineers
- 2025 Most Affordable Bachelor's in Engineering Online https://www.onlineu.com/most-affordable-colleges/engineering-degrees
- Accreditation processes for technical programs https://edquip.co/blog/accreditation-processes-for-technical-programs
- Criteria for Accrediting Engineering Programs, 2025 - 2026 - ABET https://www.abet.org/accreditation/accreditation-criteria/criteria-for-accrediting-engineering-programs-2025-2026/
