Online degree at a public American University? (SAT, universities, tuition)

[Javier77]

I am from Barcelona, Spain and I'd love to have a psychology degree. I checked the Open University of the UK and costs around 20,000 dollars for a 6 years degree on psychology ( that is the long way, you can make the whole thing in 4 years if you study full time, but people who study online tend to work half time). You don´t need to pass any sort of test nor show any certificate from highschool in order to get started, you just pay your tuition and start the course like everybody else.

So the Open University of the UK seemed like the best option for me, but then I thought "what the hell, why not an American university?", afterall American universities are the most prestigious in the world, and I am much more used to American English rather than British English. And I am nailing several MOOCS at Coursera, and love them.

So I did some research and was puzzled at how complicated and confusing the whole thing was.

If I understood it correctly, you need to pass a test and show a certificate of highschool completion in order to be accepted. And that sucks, because I didn´t finish highschool. And the more I checked the more confused I got about the terminology and credits and specifications and rules and programs and blaa blaaa.

So basicaly, I'd like to know if there is something similar to the Open University of the UK but in America?

Of course it should be public (meaning cheap), where you can do the whole thing online from wherever in the world you are, and most important, where you just have to pay your tuition and get started, no questions asked, just smooth sailing. Obviously I don´t expect some Ivy League stuff, I don´t care at all about elitism, just the most affordable option.


Well, I would not mind if it was a university from Canada, of course, I guess the level is similar.

Thanks.

[L210]

You need the equivalent of a high school diploma or GED to attend any accredited, American college. While there are some private, non-profit and for-profit colleges that don't require an entrance or placement exam, many public and private, non-profit colleges do. The 4-year colleges usually require the SAT or ACT while the 2-year colleges usually require the Accuplacer or Compass. If English is your second language, you will have to take another test to prove proficiency.

If you are not a resident of a state, public universities aren't going to be much cheaper than private ones unless they have special discounted tuition rates for online students. Some schools also charge international students more.

[L210]

I should clarify something just in case you aren't familiar with how tuition works at American, public schools. Public colleges tend to only offer discounted tuition rates to the residents of the state in which they are located. This is because these colleges are being subsidized by the taxes paid by residents of that state. Public colleges have in-state or resident tuition rates and out-of-state or non-resident tuition rates. The out-of-state or non-resident tuition rates are closer to what you would find at many private colleges. However, like I said in a previous post, some public colleges will offer online students in-state or discounted tuition rates.

Let's take me for example. I'm a resident of Texas. I would pay about $4,000 to $6,000 per semester at University of Texas at Austin. Someone who is not a Texas resident would pay $16,000 to $18,000 per semester.

[Javier77]

Thanks, L210.


I guess I am gonna have to stick with Open University of the UK, much more easy in terms of paperwork. It's a pity, I would have loved an American experience.

[Rubi3]

I graduated high school, but, it was several years before going to college and I was surprised to learn if a person is age 23, there is no requirement for a high school diploma. That may no longer be true, but, that's how it was back then.

[citylove101]

I'm not sure they will have the courses you want, but New York State's public colleges -- the State Universty of New York system (SUNY) -- does have a degree-granting program aimed specifically at international students, where all coursework can be taken from anywhere. Check out the admissions requirements, costs, course offerings etc, on this link and you may find something that works for you. They even have some on-site centers I see in Europe (But alas, none are in Spain).

International Students | Admissions | SUNY Empire State College

The SUNY system doesn't have the cachet of the top state schools in the U.S., like the flagships in North Carolina, California, Michigan, or Virginia. But it's not like it's some disreputable diploma mill either. SUNY schools offer a reputable and affordable education. You don't have to hang your head and mumble when you tell folks you graduated from a SUNY school.

[ck.mecha]

Heres how you do it in the US if you have no high school diploma.

1) Find a community college. These 2 year colleges have much more lenient entry requirements. You may have to take their own entry test but it is fairly basic. Im certain you will be able to find one that has courses fully online. Take all the "core" classes at this school at a ridiculously low tuition rate. Core meaning classes in math, science, English, writing, etc.

2) Transfer those courses to a Public non-profit university. Once you have 30 credit hours from a community college to transfer to a university the university doesn't care anything about your high school education or lack of it. Go ahead and finish your Bachelors degree here, a 4 year degree but shortened because of the credits you received at the community college.

3) Either get accepted to the university's masters program or find a third school that you would like to go to. This additional 2 years will get you a master's degree that will be recognized the world over and they really cant even tell the difference between someone who took physical classes and someone who took online classes; its the exact same curriculum.

I will say this; if you would consider moving and going to physical class you will save a lot of money. Tuition is generally more expensive for online classes for some reason. ($20k for a masters program is cheap though, I think you will spend much more than that at ANY US college for even a 4 year degree, I spent $25k on my from a cheaper school) Also, don't even consider the for-profit schools that say they will accept you without a high school diploma. These are considered diploma mills and no legitimate hiring office will take them seriously.