Best Online Machine Learning Degrees (2026)

Machine learning gets its own major here, which is why Purdue belongs on this list. If you want the technical track, you'll need programming plus algorithms, calculus, linear algebra and probability on your record, and a 3.0 GPA. The 30 credits cost $950 each, $28,500 in all, and the degree ends with a 3-credit capstone. Pick the management major instead if modeling isn't your goal.

Northeastern suits a working professional who wants to apply machine learning inside a specific field rather than study theory. Concentrations cover Machine Learning for Cybersecurity and AI for 3D Imaging, which are narrower than most ML degrees offer. Fall and Spring starts and a 12 to 20 month finish keep it brisk. The downside is that it's a professional degree, so don't expect a research-heavy path.

If you want to learn machine learning but your degree is in something like business or the humanities, this is the way in. Nine credits of skill-building courses come first, then the standard curriculum, where a Machine Learning for Cybersecurity concentration is available. Plan on 12 to 24 months and $71,079 in tuition. That bridge is the cost, so skip it if you qualify for the standard program.

UIC puts machine learning into an engineering master's, so it works best if you'd rather lead technical projects than publish research. You take nine courses and skip a thesis. At $896 per credit across 36 credits, tuition is $32,256 before fees. Because the program can wrap in 12 months, you can move into ML work sooner than most degrees here allow.

For an engineer who wants machine learning aimed at physical systems, Washington is the pointed choice. You can build the degree around Data-Driven Dynamic Systems and Control, Modern AI Methods or Data Science for Materials Engineering, then finish with an applied capstone. Expect $40,375 to $43,088 in 2025-26, a single yearly start, and no I-20 admission, so the price is the hurdle.

Deep learning is the draw at George Washington. The course list includes Natural Language Processing with Deep Learning and Introduction to Computer Vision, so you'd study how models read text and images, not only how they fit data. Thirty credits come to $37,500 with eBooks included, GRE scores are optional, and five starts a year mean you rarely wait long to begin.

West Virginia is where a computer science graduate can specialize in machine learning for the least money on this page. Pick the Machine Learning concentration and you'll pay $24,150 in tuition for 30 credits at $805 each. Eight-week courses start in Fall, Spring and Summer, so you can pace yourself. The catch is entry: a 3.0 GPA, and a year of AI experience if your degree is in another field.

Drexel builds the whole degree around machine learning, and it expects you to arrive ready for it, with a strong computer science base. The 45 quarter credits at $1,400 total $63,000 before fees, the priciest figure in this group. In return you get four starts a year and capstone courses. A Graduate Certificate in Computer Science can bridge gaps first.

A Machine Learning concentration sits beside Biomedical Engineering and Autonomous Systems at North Texas, and the course list includes Data Mining and Machine Learning itself. The program is STEM-designated and has 33 credits. Texas residents can expect about $18.7K in tuition and fees, which is the lowest estimate in this group, though out-of-state totals vary by residency.

WGU is the choice if you're already comfortable studying ML on your own and want the fastest, flattest bill. You pay $4,385 for each six-month term, not per credit, and the typical finish is 19 months. The degree reads Computer Science with an AI and machine learning specialization. Work is asynchronous, so there are no class meetings, which won't suit everyone.

If you'd like computer vision or machine learning as a named concentration, Michigan-Dearborn offers both, along with Intelligent Interaction and Knowledge Management and Reasoning. You need a STEM bachelor's, a 3.0 GPA and prior programming, math and statistics coursework, and the GRE isn't required. Classes fall in late afternoons and evenings. Ask the school for an online price, since the published figures are general graduate rates.

This is the list's doctorate named for machine learning itself, with research courses like MCL 810 Machine Learning Research Methodologies and a supervisor-led, European-style model. Pick it if you're an experienced practitioner who wants to publish. Active-duty students pay $875 per credit instead of $980. The trade-off is that credits can run past 60 if your research takes longer, and each one adds a $55 fee.