2023 Best Online Colleges for Doctoral Programs

Benefits of Earning a Doctoral Degree

In general, the benefits of earning a doctorate are likely to vary from person to person. For those who value constant learning, personal growth, and career advancement, earning a doctorate may prove to be a worthwhile effort.

While many individuals may want to earn a doctorate to achieve their career goals and increase their earning potential, it's equally important to note that this degree can deliver other, non-career related benefits as well. For instance, given that doctoral degree holders are rare, they are typically recognized as experts or leaders in their field of study.

Furthermore, with doctoral programs being so difficult to complete, students may gain a set of practical and life skills — such as effective financial management, future career planning, and self-motivation — in addition to in-depth professional knowledge. Indeed, despite the difficulty involved with earning a doctorate, pursuing this degree can be an intrinsically valuable endeavor that leads to self development.

Cost of Online Doctoral Degrees

According to EducationData.org, the average cost for a graduate degree is $92,200 at public institutions and $127,100 at private institutions. Online students may pay less annually for their degree than their on-campus peers as they typically don't have relocation, transport, or on-campus living expenditures. However, distance learners may still have to pay fees in order to access online university resources, such as cloud servers. In most cases, online students may not qualify for tuition waivers and living stipends — common among on-campus PhD candidates. Instead, they must find other forms of financial assistance to help fund their education.

Financial Aid

Online doctoral students can apply for federal, state, and private forms of financial aid in the form of scholarships, fellowships, and grants. While it is possible to finance a doctoral degree using student loans, this is not advisable given that it can take several years to earn a PhD or professional doctorate. Online learners looking to apply for financial assistance should first complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, a form that helps determine how much aid a student is eligible for. They should also check with the financial aid departments of their prospective schools to explore university or departmental sources of funding.

Students already enrolled in a doctorate program may consider applying for the following scholarship opportunities:

Careers and Job Outlook

An online doctorate can open up career opportunities that may otherwise be unavailable to bachelor's and even master's degree holders. For instance, a JD is typically required to become a practicing attorney, and in some high-growth fields such as nursing, a professional doctorate may be essential to land high-level positions or advance one's career. Overall, the BLS projects that a doctoral degree comes with a favorable job outlook through 2030 in sectors such as education, healthcare, and law.

Aside from expanding job opportunities in specific areas, an online doctorate offers general career advantages as well. Students who successfully earn this degree typically gain considerable experience with skills that are relevant to government organizations, non-profits, and startups. In particular, their ability to interpret different kinds of data, translate complex problems for wide audiences, identify unique funding opportunities, and evaluate multiple sources of information can make graduates valuable assets for employers in these industries.