Best Online IT Degree Programs in 2027

The best online IT degree is the one that matches your starting point and your budget. With no degree yet, a bachelor's in information technology opens the most jobs. With a bachelor's already, a master's adds management and architecture roles. These rankings sort programs by level and by goal, so you compare like with like instead of reading one mixed list that puts an associate degree beside a master's.

For most people who finish one, yes. Network administrators earn a median of $99,130 and information security analysts earn $129,180, in Bureau of Labor Statistics wage data. But worth depends on the price you pay. A bachelor's that costs $30,480 pays back far faster than one that costs $229,800, even when the job at the end is the same.

It depends on the level. Online associate programs on these lists have a median total tuition of $21,269, master's programs $23,115, and bachelor's programs $59,280. Public schools usually cost less than private ones, and the spread inside each level is wide, so compare totals and ask each school about fees before you decide.

Full time, an associate degree takes about two years and a bachelor's about four. A master's is usually 30 credits, which many people finish in under two years. Transfer credits shorten the path, and many programs use short terms, so one course ends and the next starts within weeks, which keeps momentum up.

No. ABET accreditation is optional, and many good IT programs hold only regional accreditation. ABET matters when a specific employer or career path asks for it. Of the programs across these rankings, 12 carry it, so you can open that list when it applies to you and skip it when it does not.