2027 Best Online Two-Year Degrees With Low Textbook Costs

Business Programs

An online Associate of Arts (AA) or Associate of Science (AS) in business often suits students planning to transfer; an Associate of Applied Science (AAS) may emphasize accounting, office systems, or other workplace skills. These courses are worth checking for open educational resources (OER), library-accessible readings, and used books.

Accounting platforms and publisher access codes can offset those savings. Ask for the materials list for required courses, including electives, and confirm that a transfer-oriented degree meets your intended bachelor's program's requirements.

Healthcare Programs

Online healthcare administration or health information associate programs may be candidates for low-cost digital materials. Specialized coding manuals, software subscriptions, certification preparation, or a practicum can raise expenses.

An AAS may prepare students for certain entry-level support roles, while an AS may be better suited to transfer; neither automatically qualifies a graduate for certification. Confirm any required site placement, equipment, and professional credential requirements before comparing advertised book costs.

Information Technology Programs

Online IT, computer science, and cybersecurity associate programs may use free documentation, OER, and included virtual labs. Compare those savings with charges for cloud services, lab platforms, hardware, and optional certification exams.

An AS in computer science commonly supports transfer, while an AAS may focus on practical support or networking skills. Choose the curriculum that matches your goal: a transfer plan for further study or hands-on projects and troubleshooting practice for entry-level applications.

Nursing / Pre-Nursing Programs

A pre-nursing AA or AS may offer online general education courses with affordable materials, but admission to a nursing major is usually a separate decision. Associate Degree in Nursing programs typically require supervised, in-person clinical practice even when lectures are online.

Expect to check costs for supplies, screenings, transportation, and exam preparation as well as books. To seek registered nurse licensure, graduates must meet state requirements and pass the NCLEX-RN; a pre-nursing degree alone does not qualify someone as a nurse.

Criminal Justice Programs

Online criminal justice AA, AS, and AAS programs cover courts, corrections, and public safety. Some courses use public documents or OER, but others require paid casebooks or access codes. Transfer-oriented students should verify how the degree applies to a bachelor's major.

An associate degree does not replace the background checks, academy training, or other requirements that public-safety employers may impose. Compare programs against a specific job goal, not an assumption that the major leads directly to one role.

Psychology / Counseling Programs

An online psychology AA or AS can be a useful transfer path when instructors use OER or library readings. Confirm the price of research-methods software and any required courseware. These degrees provide a foundation for further study, not a counseling license.

Students seeking licensed counseling or psychologist roles generally need substantially more education and must meet state-specific requirements. If immediate workforce entry is the priority, compare this path with a career-focused human services program and its practicum requirements.

The best option is the one whose required courses have verifiably affordable materials and whose degree leads toward your goal. No major is inherently a "low-textbook-cost" degree: instructors select materials, and a free introductory textbook cannot make up for costly required software later in the program.

The comparison below shows where to start your search, not a ranking of colleges or a promise of low prices. Use these field-level trade-offs to narrow your options, then obtain the current materials list for the exact program and courses you would take.

Course materials are only one part of academic fit. If you are comparing majors partly because of their perceived difficulty, use a cheapest easiest online degree discussion as a starting point - not as a substitute for checking your own course requirements and strengths.

Start with the total cost to finish, not the price of one credit or one textbook. Published tuition is the listed charge; net price reflects applicable grant aid; total cost also includes mandatory fees, materials, technology, and any required travel or placements.

The College Board's 2024-25 public two-year in-district tuition-and-fee average of $4,050 is a national benchmark, not a quote for an online program. Residency rules and online fees can produce a very different bill.

The following cost categories help reveal when a program with inexpensive books is still expensive overall. Request an estimate for your expected enrollment pattern and remaining credits.

Ask the bookstore or department for materials costs by course and term. "Textbook included" may mean the charge is built into a mandatory fee, so ask whether you can opt out and still complete assignments.

For aid comparisons, best online colleges that accept FAFSA can help you identify options to investigate; confirm each school's current aid eligibility and your personal award before calculating net cost.

An online associate degree can be accredited and transferable, but neither outcome follows automatically from the words "online" or "associate." Verify the institution's current accreditation through the accreditor or the U.S. Department of Education.

For nursing and other regulated fields, ask whether the specific program meets applicable approval or accreditation requirements and supports eligibility in the state where you intend to work.

AA and AS degrees are often designed for transfer, while AAS degrees often emphasize employment; colleges may structure them differently. Before enrolling, obtain a written transfer evaluation or articulation plan from the intended bachelor's institution. Confirm not just whether it accepts the credits, but whether each course satisfies your intended major and how many credits you must complete there.

Career fit depends on the curriculum and the occupation's entry requirements, not the degree title alone. An IT program with practical troubleshooting may support applications for support roles; health information coursework may be relevant to medical-records work.

Business programs can build accounting and administrative skills, while criminal justice and psychology are often better evaluated as stepping stones toward a specific job or further education.

Nursing illustrates both opportunity and the need to check credentials. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported a 2024 median annual wage of $93,600 for registered nurses.

That is an occupational median across workers, not the expected salary of a new associate-degree graduate; eligibility to practice also requires meeting state rules and passing the licensure exam. If work setting matters as much as job title, exploring careers for introverts may help you frame questions about daily duties before choosing a major.

Most associate programs combine general education - such as writing, quantitative reasoning, and social science - with courses in a major.

Business students might study accounting and management; IT students might practice networking and troubleshooting; health information students might learn records systems and terminology. AA and AS curricula may reserve more space for courses intended to transfer, while AAS programs may emphasize applied skills.

Delivery matters as much as content. "Online" courses may be asynchronous or require scheduled meetings, proctored assessments, physical lab work, internships, or clinical placements.

Review the course sequence and sample syllabi to see whether required software is included and whether any campus or local-site attendance fits your schedule and budget.

Colleges commonly ask associate-degree applicants for a high school diploma or equivalent, an application, and prior transcripts. Placement measures or prerequisites may determine where you start in math and writing; policies vary.

Open admission to a college does not mean automatic entry into a selective nursing or allied-health major, which may have separate prerequisite, grade, screening, or capacity requirements.

Before applying, ask admissions to distinguish college admission from major admission and to evaluate any previous coursework. An accepted transfer course can reduce the number of classes - and materials - you must purchase, but only if it applies to your particular degree plan.

Many associate degrees require around 60 semester credits and are planned as two years of full-time study. Actual time depends on your course load, accepted credits, prerequisite order, course availability, and any clinical placement. Part-time study generally extends the timeline; a short course term does not, by itself, shorten the entire degree.

If speed could lower your overall expenses, compare the full degree map with the claims made for a fast track degree. Ask how many credits and terms the advertised timeline assumes. A faster schedule may also leave less time to seek used materials, balance work, or earn enough each term to maintain aid eligibility.

There is no single reliable salary for "online associate-degree graduates." Pay varies by occupation, location, experience, and qualifications. For context, the Bureau of Labor Statistics' 2024 median annual wage for registered nurses was $93,600, but that figure includes nurses at different career stages and education levels. It is not a starting salary or a return promised by an associate nursing program.

For a useful return-on-investment comparison, identify a realistic entry occupation first. Then compare its published occupational wages and entry requirements with your likely net education cost, including books, fees, and any additional training or licensure. A lower-cost transfer degree may be worthwhile for a bachelor's goal even when it does not provide a direct route to a higher-paying job after two years.

Shortlist programs by verified materials cost, total price, and fit for your intended outcome. These checks help you avoid the common mistakes of relying on a low per-credit price, assuming every online class is fully remote, or treating a transfer or licensure pathway as guaranteed.

Before you commit, request documentation you can compare across schools:

1. Get the degree map and current materials list for every required course; ask which OER, access codes, software, and supplies are mandatory.
2. Request a personalized tuition-and-fee estimate based on residency, enrollment pace, and an evaluation of prior credits.
3. Confirm institutional accreditation, any relevant program approval, and whether required labs, meetings, placements, or exams occur in person.
4. If you plan to transfer or seek licensure, verify course applicability or eligibility with the receiving institution or appropriate state authority.

Be cautious if a school cannot explain a mandatory materials fee, document where its credits apply, or clearly describe in-person requirements. Choose the lowest credible total cost for your goal, not simply the smallest advertised textbook bill.

• Types of student financial aid | USAGov https://www.usa.gov/student-aid
• Fast Facts: Tuition costs of colleges and universities (76) | ed.gov https://nces.ed.gov/fastfacts/display.asp
• A multi-institutional study of the impact of open textbook... - PMC https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7115070/
• [PDF] Open Educational Resources (OER) in Texas Higher Education, 2019 https://reportcenter.highered.texas.gov/reports/reports-and-studies-non-fiscal/oer-texas/
• Understanding College Costs | studentaid.gov https://studentaid.gov/resources/prepare-for-college/students/choosing-schools/consider-costs
• DAPIP | Homepage - Office of Postsecondary Education (OPE) https://ope.ed.gov/dapip/
• Textbooks | Kishwaukee College https://kish.edu/student-experience/kish-store/textbooks/
• Open education resources and perceptions of financial value | sciencedirect.com https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1096751617303500
• Study finds open educational resources are cost-effective - THE FEED https://feed.georgetown.edu/access-affordability/study-finds-open-educational-resources-are-cost-effective/
• Requirements | NYU Rory Meyers College of Nursing https://nursing.nyu.edu/current-students/clinical-affairs/requirements