Cheapest Online AI Degrees (2026)

This is a low-price bachelor's for students who want to manage and apply AI in a business setting. The sticker is $373.80 per credit for all 120 credits, so $44,856 total, with no separate in-state discount. The catch is that out-of-state students taking online computer science courses pay $491.50 per credit, so confirm which rate your courses carry.

Price-minded students who still want the technical version of this degree should start here. Every credit costs $373.80, so a full 120 credits is $44,856 at the standard rate. Sixteen-week terms and three starts a year keep it flexible. The watch-out is an extra $117.70 per credit delivery charge for non-residents on some online courses.

Think of this as the benchmark price to beat. Grand Canyon charges $490 per credit online, which makes $58,800 for 120 credits, and that is well above the public options. Pick it only if you value its format or need to start quickly. Otherwise the Dakota State and Maryland options above cost noticeably less for similar degrees.

Military families and Maryland residents get the best bachelor's deal here. In-state tuition is $337 per credit, or $40,440 for 120 credits, and service members pay $250 per credit. Up to 90 credits can transfer, so a long transcript could shrink the bill further. Everyone else pays $499 per credit, which is $59,880 and far less competitive.

Tennessee residents get a flagship-university degree at $490 per credit, about $58,800 over 120 credits. Out-of-state students pay $565, which is $67,800 and the top of this price range. Courses are asynchronous, so you can keep a full-time job. Budget for the full four years unless you bring in transfer credit, since the program is estimated at 48 months.

If total price is your only filter, this is the one to start with. The whole 30-credit degree costs $9,990, close to $10,000, which is far below the other master's here. GRE scores aren't required. You will need a technical bachelor's degree, usually computer science, engineering or math, so career changers should look at the other master's.

Grand Canyon's rate looks high at $610 per credit, yet it is the lowest per-credit master's price in this group. The catch is length. At 46 credits, the degree comes to $28,060 before fees, more than schools charging more per credit for 30. Transferring up to 12 credits trims it, so it suits people who already have graduate coursework.

Capitol's MPhil charges $665 per credit, so 36 credits come to $23,940 before the $55 per credit technology fee. It's fully online with no residencies. Active-duty servicemembers pay $350 and retirees $550. Choose it if a research thesis and oral defense appeal to you, perhaps as a step toward a doctorate. Expect more writing and independent work than a course-only master's.

The MRes is the shorter and cheaper of Capitol's two research master's. At 30 credits and $665 each, tuition is $19,950, plus the $55 per credit technology fee. Active-duty servicemembers pay $350 per credit. It suits working professionals with an AI background who want doctoral preparation. The dissertation is the centerpiece, so it rewards self-directed people more than those wanting a structured course sequence.

Florida Atlantic prices the degree as one flat figure per credit, $800, so 30 credits cost $24,000 with no residency tiers to decode. Fees cover course materials and Saturday-class meals too. Courses last four weeks and you finish in about 1.5 years, which means less time paying for months of enrollment. Expect to need calculus, statistics and programming already.

West Virginia lands in the middle of this price range at $805 per credit hour, or $24,150 over 30 credits, before fees. Eight-week courses and three starts a year help you move quickly through it, and the 12 to 36 month window lets you slow down if money gets tight. The school says rates are reviewed annually, so check the current number.

Career changers without a STEM degree can stay on budget here. Tuition is $810 per credit, so $24,300 for 30 credits, and it is a private Jesuit university rather than a public one. Saint Louis University says additional charges may apply, so ask for a written total. A research project replaces a thesis, which keeps the final stretch practical.

The $875 credit rate is the reason Maryville lands on a price list, and 33 credits brings the sticker to $28,875. Add the $775 technology fee that Maryville charges every semester before you compare it with other quotes. It fits a price-watcher who also dislikes entrance exams, since neither the GRE nor the GMAT is needed. It's slower than some, at 24 months at best.

Public-university tuition of $32,256 buys nine courses here, and UIC says a student can finish in as few as 12 months. That speed matters for cost, because a shorter degree means fewer months of lost evenings and quicker return to your regular pay. It suits engineers who want a non-thesis credential. Expect the 36 credit hours at $896 each to be heavier than a 30-credit program.

Residents and non-residents both pay $950 per credit at Purdue, so a 30-credit degree is $28,500 whether you live in Indiana or Idaho. Out-of-state students rarely get that kind of flat deal from a flagship. Choose it if you meet the admissions bar, which means a 3.0 GPA plus programming experience for the technical major or 24 months of work for the management major.

Oregon State is on this list for what it lets you skip. Up to 22 of the 45 credits can come from the online Business Analytics certificate, so you can start small and apply that spending toward the master's. Credits cost $965, which makes the full 45 credits $43,425, the highest tuition total in this chunk. Four start terms a year keep the entry point flexible.

Nothing about USD's price is hidden: $995 a unit across 30 units is $29,850, and student fees are named as an extra. Fees come on top, so the case rests on pace. Two seven-week courses per semester finish in about 20 months, which trims the time you pay for. Fit is strongest for someone who values a quick, steady finish.

North Carolina residents get the lowest bill you'll find here. Tuition is $76 per credit, so 65 credits is $4,940, and the catalog projects $5,355 with fees plus $1,800 for books. Out-of-state students pay $268 per credit, $17,420 in all, which erases most of the savings. Pick it if you live in the state and want a cheap first step.

Doctorates rarely come cheap, but this one is priced plainly: 60 credits at $980 is $58,800, with no residencies to pay travel for. Active-duty servicemembers pay $875 per credit and retirees $925, and full-time high school or community college staff get 20% off. Budget for the $55 per-credit technology fee on top. Choose it if you have a master's and a broad AI question.

Cost-minded doctoral students should read the fine print here. Tuition is $58,800 for 60 credits at $980 each, but Capitol says credits can run past 60 if your research takes longer, and every credit carries the $55 technology fee. Finishing with three accepted journal articles instead of a thesis may help you control that. It suits working machine learning professionals.