Online IT Degree Programs by State

Online IT Degree Programs by State

The state pages above group every online IT degree program on this site by the state where its school is based, and each one adds what IT jobs pay in that state. 151 programs sit in 36 states and the District of Columbia, offered by 118 schools, and each program is a degree you can earn mostly or entirely online. The state tells you where the school is located and which state’s rules it operates under. It doesn’t mean you have to live there.

You’ll find associate, bachelor’s and master’s degrees in each list, and the same school can appear with several programs. If you’d rather start from a type of degree than a place, the main rankings are organized that way: online IT bachelor’s degrees, master’s degrees and associate degrees. Use this page when location is the thing you already know, whether that’s your own state or a state where a particular university is based.

Some states have many online IT programs and others have one or two, and that mostly reflects how many large public universities and online-focused colleges a state has. A state with a single program isn’t a worse option. It might hold one of the best-priced programs in the country. A few states have no school running a fully online IT program in our rankings, and their pages list the programs at schools in the nearest states and the online programs that charge every student the same rate.

Why a School’s Home State Matters for Online IT Degree Programs

It’s reasonable to assume that online means location doesn’t matter. For the lessons themselves, that’s true. For three practical things, it isn’t, and it’s worth knowing what they are before you apply.

The first is price. Public universities are funded by their state, and many give residents a lower tuition rate. Some extend that rate to online students and some don’t. The second is authorization, which decides whether a school is allowed to enroll you at all. The third is in-person requirements, which are less common online but still exist. Each one depends on where the school is based and where you live.

Residency-Based Online Tuition

Public universities set tuition by residency, and online programs follow one of three models. Some charge a single online rate that’s the same for everyone, so your state doesn’t matter. Some keep the in-state and out-of-state split and apply it to online courses, so a student who lives in the school’s state pays less. And some charge a separate online rate that’s lower than out-of-state tuition but higher than in-state.

The gap can be large, which is why we show the rate type on each program card. A school in your own state that charges residents the in-state rate can be much cheaper than a better-known program in another state that charges you out-of-state tuition. On the other hand, a school with a flat online rate can beat the in-state price at your local university.

Residency rules also have conditions. States define a resident by how long you’ve lived there and, sometimes, by where you pay taxes and hold a driver’s license. Moving to a state solely to study usually doesn’t qualify you. Military families and some veterans get special treatment under federal rules, so ask the school if that applies to you. For a price comparison that already accounts for these models, see the cheapest online IT degrees ranking, and read how we handle residency in the methodology.

State Authorization and NC-SARA for Online IT Students

A college can’t simply enroll students in any state it chooses. Each state regulates the schools that operate in it, and offering online courses to students who live in a state can count as operating there. That used to mean a school needed approval from every state where it had students.

NC-SARA, the National Council for State Authorization Reciprocity Agreements, simplified this. States join the agreement voluntarily, and an institution approved in its home state can then enroll online students in other participating states without applying to each one. Most states take part, and the schools in them are expected to meet common standards for operating online.

What this means for you, in general terms: if your state participates and the school is a participant, you’re covered. If either isn’t, the school may still enroll you, but it needs its own approval from your state, and some schools decline to enroll students in states where they lack it. Ask the admissions office whether the school is authorized to serve students in your state before you apply, especially if you live in a state that doesn’t take part in the agreement. Authorization covers the legal right to enroll you and nothing else. It says nothing about the quality of the program, its accreditation or what you’ll pay.

Some programs also have rules for professional licenses, which matter in fields such as teaching or nursing. IT isn’t a licensed field, so those rules mostly don’t apply to the degrees on this site.

Campus Visits and Proctored Exams in Online IT Programs

Most online IT programs never ask you to travel. A minority do, and the usual reasons are an orientation, a proctored exam, a lab intensive or a capstone presentation. These visits are short, often a few days, but they cost travel money and time off work, so they belong in your budget.

Many schools solve the exam problem by allowing remote proctoring through a webcam service or by accepting a local testing center. Others require their own campus. That’s where a school’s home state matters. If the school is a short drive away, a visit is an inconvenience, and if it’s across the country, a visit can add a real cost.

Where we know a program has an in-person requirement, it’s on the program card. When it isn’t there, ask. If you hold certifications, remember that those exams happen at testing centers anyway: CompTIA A+ and Network+ are typically taken at a Pearson VUE center or online with a proctor, so you’ll have a testing center in reach whichever program you choose.

How to Choose an Online IT Degree by State

Start with your own state and the states next to it. Look at programs in your state first, because in-state pricing, transfer agreements with community colleges and any campus visit are all easier close to home. Then widen the search to schools with flat online rates, which can make location irrelevant to price.

Check each of these before you apply. Does the school charge you a residency-based rate or a flat one? Is it authorized to enroll students in your state? Does the program require any in-person time, and where? Do your community college credits transfer? A program that passes all four is worth a closer look, whatever state it’s in.

Next, compare by what you want to do afterward. IT jobs pay differently by occupation, not by the state where your school sits. For example, BLS reports a median of $99,130 for network and computer systems administrators and $129,180 for information security analysts, as of May 2025. Look at the careers and salaries sections to see which occupations your degree could lead to, and choose a school that matches. If you’re not sure the degree is worth the cost, read is an IT degree worth it before you commit.

Everything on this page was last checked in October 20, 2026. Programs change their tuition, delivery format and campus requirements, so confirm the details with the school before you apply.