Cheapest College Course: How to Find Low-Cost Online Options

If you’re searching for the cheapest college course, you’re definitely not alone—plenty of people want a degree without the mountain of debt. The big surprise? Some legit college classes cost less than a tank of gas, especially if you stick to online options. Ever heard of $50-for-a-credit college courses? They really exist. The catch is knowing where to look and what to skip.

Cheap doesn’t always mean bad. You can land super low-cost college credits from places like community colleges, online learning platforms, and even some well-known universities offering intro classes for pocket change. The real trick is figuring out which classes transfer, count toward a degree, and are actually useful for your goals. Nobody wants to pay ten bucks for a course nobody accepts. So, let’s break down how to spot the real deals and avoid wasting cash.

• What Makes a Course the Cheapest
• Where to Find Low-Cost Online College Classes
• Tips to Cut Costs Even Further
• What to Watch Out For: Red Flags and Pitfalls

What Makes a Course the Cheapest

When you’re hunting for the cheapest college course, it all comes down to a few big things: base tuition, extra fees, material costs, and whether that credit actually counts toward your degree. Some courses look cheap at first glance, but then hidden charges show up when you try to enroll or transfer the credits. Knowing what you’re really paying for keeps you out of these traps.

Let’s break it down. The baseline cost usually covers tuition per credit hour. Online community colleges often have the lowest prices, sometimes under $50 per credit for in-state residents. Big online providers like Coursera or edX sometimes drop prices to nearly zero, especially for intro classes—sometimes you just pay a small fee for a verified certificate or to get official credit. What you want to watch out for are tech fees, textbook costs, and surcharges for things like exam proctoring.

Here’s how to tell if you’re really getting a deal:

• Accreditation matters: Only pay for courses from colleges or platforms with recognized accreditation, otherwise, credits are useless if you transfer.
• Look for hidden fees: Ask about charges for tech support, exams, or shipping physical textbooks.
• Transferability: Check if your target college accepts credits from your chosen online platform. Most community colleges will list transfer agreements on their websites.
• Book and material costs: Some free courses will still nail you with $100+ for textbooks. Opt for classes with Open Educational Resources or free materials when possible.

It’s not just about finding the lowest sticker price. Actual value is what you get for every dollar—and you want those credits to count toward your bigger goal. The best deals mix low cost, real credits, and zero surprise expenses.

Where to Find Low-Cost Online College Classes

Most people start with the big-name online platforms, but there are even cheaper places if you know where to look. Community colleges are usually the best pick. Many offer online classes at a fraction of what four-year schools charge. For example, California Community Colleges run online transfer courses for as low as $46 per unit for in-state students. Some states, like Florida and Texas, have similar deals. Out-of-state rates can be higher, but they’re still not bank-breakers.

Then you’ve got universities trying to make things more affordable. Arizona State University’s Universal Learner Courses are a good hack—they run about $25–$400 per class, and you only pay for credit if you need it. The course starts for free, or for a small fee. That’s way less than what you’d pay once you’re officially admitted. University of the People shakes things up even more with fully online, tuition-free degrees. You just pay $120 per course as an assessment fee when you’re ready to finish it. That’s hard to beat.

Next up are massive open online course (MOOC) platforms. Coursera and edX are legit, offering college-level courses from real universities, sometimes for free if you don’t care about credit. For those who want credentialed credits, edX MicroBachelors or Coursera’s credit-eligible courses can be used to transfer into participating schools. They usually run for a couple hundred bucks instead of thousands. Saylor Academy is even cheaper—many classes are 100% free, and you only pay $25 for a proctored exam if you need a transcript.

• Check local community colleges first—credit transfers are usually smoother and prices stay low.
• Look into university direct enrollment programs like ASU’s Universal Learner or University of the People for rock-bottom prices.
• Browse platforms like Coursera, edX, and Saylor Academy for flexible, low-cost options with credit potential.
• Always double-check if credits will transfer to your target school before registering and paying any fees.

The trick is not just picking any cheapest college course—it’s finding one that counts toward your end goal. Check school transfer policies, talk to advisors, and stash your receipts and transcripts. Saving money is awesome, but making it count is even better.

Tips to Cut Costs Even Further

Here's where you can really shrink that college bill. First, grab at every free resource you can. Schools like Harvard and MIT have free course materials on OpenCourseWare. These don't always give you credit, but they're perfect for learning stuff before taking an official test and saving on tuition.

If you want cheap credits, community college is hard to beat. Many community colleges let you take courses online for under $150 per credit hour. Even better: If you live nearby, check for in-district discounts. Some schools slash the price by half for residents.

Don’t sleep on credit-by-exam—tests like CLEP or DSST let you earn entire college credits in one shot for about $90 a pop, instead of paying for a whole course. This method is fully online, and accepted by many colleges if you pass.

• Look for subscription platforms like Sophia.org, which lets you take as many courses as you want for around $99 a month.
• Check out StraighterLine for accredited classes starting at $59 (plus a monthly fee).
• Research your college's transfer policies before you register. Some schools accept a ton of online credits, others are picky—check their website or call an advisor.
• Use textbooks wisely: buy used, rent, or see if the course uses free Open Educational Resources (OER).
• Ask about fee waivers or financial aid, even for online or nontraditional programs. It’s not always posted up front, but asking can save you big.

Here’s a quick side-by-side look at average prices, so you know what to expect:

One last thing—before you pounce on the cheapest college course, double-check how it fits with your college’s degree path. You don’t want to pay for a course that looks cheap now but saves you nothing down the road.

What to Watch Out For: Red Flags and Pitfalls

It’s easy to get excited when you spot a cheapest college course for $20, but let’s hit pause for a second. Not every deal online is legit, and some can totally backfire if you’re not careful. The last thing you want is spending money on a class that gives you nothing in return—not even a simple certificate.

First, check if the provider is accredited. If a class comes from a name you’ve never heard of and doesn’t appear on any U.S. Department of Education list, skip it. Accreditation matters because only those credits will actually transfer to real colleges. A common scam? Sites that claim their “accreditation” is just as good as a university’s. Always double-check their credentials—usually, real colleges post their status front and center.

Then there’s the hidden fees game. Some providers show you a $30 tuition but slip in extra charges for things like registration, proctoring, or even accessing the course material. Read all the fine print. If you can’t find a total price breakdown, that’s a huge warning sign.

If a school promises super-fast degrees or “guaranteed” credits, be suspicious. No legit school can guarantee a bachelor’s degree in three months. Transfer credits are another mess: before you sign up, ask the college you want to actually graduate from if they’ll take the credits. Some schools have fine print like only accepting classes from a short list of partners, or the credit needs to include a proctored exam for it to count.

Watch for weird refund policies or no way to talk to a real person. If you have to dig for customer support info, bail out. Real schools and reputable platforms always have clear ways to contact them and a standard refund policy.

• Check the school’s accreditation through official sites.
• Request a full price estimate before paying.
• Ask your target college if they’ll accept the credits.
• Double-check for extra costs like books or exam fees.
• Avoid any service promising a degree in weeks.

If something feels sketchy, it probably is. Spend an extra five minutes checking, and you’ll save yourself a ton of headaches (and wasted cash) down the road.