An online degree from a top online college or university offers a number of advantages over a traditional on-campus college degree. One of the biggest advantages of an online education is affordability. Because of the lower overhead costs involved in providing online degrees, online colleges and universities are often able to offer online degree programs at a substantially lower price than traditional brick-and-mortar schools. When a school doesn’t have to pay for classroom space or spend money publishing teaching materials, they are able to pass these savings on to their students.

Because affordability is such a key reason why students choose to pursue their college degree online, we’ve put together a list of the 25 reputable, accredited online colleges and universities with the lowest tuition rates for 2011. It’s important to note that affordable, low tuition doesn’t necessarily mean low quality. Several of the schools on this list of cheap online colleges, Western Governors University Online, Liberty University Online, and Virginia College Online also made it onto our of the overall top 25 online colleges and universities.

Here’s our list of the twenty-five most affordable online schools of 2011:

#1. Liberty University Online

#2. Ivy Bridge College

#3. Western Governors University

#4. Virginia College Online

#5. Walden University

#6. Capella University

#7. National American University

#8. California InterContinental University

#9. Portland State – Starting at $146.25 per undergraduate credit hour.

#10. California Coast University – Starting at $150 per undergraduate credit hour and $230 per graduate credit hour.

#11. Oregon State University – Starting at $160 per undergraduate credit hour and $386 per graduate credit hour.

#12. Baker College – Starting at $205 per undergraduate credit hour and $360 per graduate credit hour.

#13. Kendall College – Starting at $210 per undergraduate credit hour.

#14. Grantham University – Starting at $265 dollars per undergraduate credit hour and $265 per graduate credit hour.

#15. Indiana State University – Starting at $272 per undergraduate hour and $272 per graduate credit hour.

#16. Sullivan University Online – Starting at $275 per undergraduate credit hour and $460 per graduate credit hour.

#17. University of Wisconsin – Superior – Starting at $275 per undergraduate credit hour and $515 per graduate credit hour.

#18. Anna Maria College – Starting at $284 per undergraduate credit hour and $575 per graduate credit hour.

#19. University of Nebraska – Starting at $284.25 per undergraduate credit hour and $356 per graduate credit hour.

#20. Assumption College – Starting at $285 per undergraduate credit hour.

#21. Southern New Hampshire University – Starting at $302 per undergraduate credit hour and $591 per graduate credit hour.

#22. UMass Online – Starting at $304 per undergraduate credit hour and $340 per graduate credit hour.

#23. University of Minnesota – Crookston – Starting at $305 per undergraduate credit hour.

#24. American Sentinel University – Starting at $320 per undergraduate credit hour and $385 per graduate credit hour.

#25. Northwestern College Online – Starting at $320 per undergraduate credit hour and $320 per graduate credit hour.

To read about more affordable online colleges, browse through our entire list of accredited online colleges and universities.

Tags: cheap online colleges, affordable online schools, inexpensive online universities