Liberty University
Salary Score
Bachelor's
54
Master's
29
Doctoral
16
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FAQsLiberty University (LU) is a private, nonprofit, Evangelical Christian university in Lynchburg, Virginia. It primarily serves online students, with 73% of undergraduate students enrolled in distance education programs. Students can choose from over 150 online bachelor's degrees, with the most popular ones including Business Administration, Psychology, and Religious Studies. Liberty is one of the largest schools for students over 25 years old and one of the largest schools in the country by enrollment.
Rankings by Salary Score and Affordability
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#1
2023 Best Online Religious Studies Degrees
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#1
2023 Most Affordable Online Master of Divinity Degrees
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#2
2023 Most Affordable Online Colleges for a PhD in Psychology
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#2
2023 Most Affordable Online Master's Degree in Christian Counseling
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#3
2023 Most Affordable Online Colleges for Art Degrees
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#3
2023 Best Online Political Science Degrees
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#3
2023 Most Affordable Online Master's Degrees in Theology
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#4
2023 Most Affordable Online Schools for Fashion Degrees
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#5
2023 Most Affordable Online Master's Degrees in Forensic Psychology
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#5
2023 Most Affordable Online Master's Degrees in Religious Studies
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#5
2023 Most Affordable Online Master's Degrees in Counseling
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#6
2023 Most Affordable Online Master's Degrees in Public Administration
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#6
2023 Most Affordable Online Degrees in Music
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#6
2023 Most Affordable Online MFA Programs
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#6
2023 Most Affordable Online Graphic Design Degrees
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#6
2023 Best Online Forensic Science Degrees
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#7
2023 Most Affordable Online Master's in Marriage & Family Therapy
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#9
2023 Most Affordable Online Healthcare Informatics Degrees
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#9
2023 Most Affordable Bachelor's in Engineering Online
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#10
2023 Most Affordable Online Doctoral Degrees
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#10
2023 Most Affordable Online Master's in Taxation Degrees
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#11
2023 Best Online Colleges in Virginia
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#27
2023 Best Online Liberal Studies Degrees
Salary Score for Online Degrees at Liberty University
Certificate Degrees
Theological and Ministerial Studies | Not Reported | $33,926 | 76 |
Associate's Degrees
Psychology, General | $26,230 | $26,854 | 89 |
Criminal Justice and Corrections | $27,334 | $38,721 | 85 |
Business/Commerce, General | $24,334 | $36,357 | 82 |
Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies, Other | $17,151 | $31,636 | 41 |
Accounting and Related Services | $23,000 | $27,697 | 26 |
Legal Support Services | $22,584 | $26,971 | 22 |
Health and Medical Administrative Services | $24,044 | $22,104 | 11 |
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods | $24,166 | $15,626 | 7 |
Bachelor's Degrees
Religion/Religious Studies | $33,334 | $35,680 | 91 |
Criminal Justice and Corrections | $25,941 | $40,903 | 83 |
Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities | $25,500 | $38,737 | 78 |
Management Information Systems and Services | $31,000 | $59,556 | 76 |
Air Transportation | $20,832 | $49,846 | 76 |
Political Science and Government | $25,649 | $38,561 | 75 |
Radio, Television, and Digital Communication | $23,250 | $32,441 | 67 |
Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies, Other | $21,831 | $38,738 | 62 |
Business Administration, Management and Operations | $26,914 | $43,497 | 57 |
Pastoral Counseling and Specialized Ministries | $25,250 | $27,163 | 57 |
Business/Commerce, General | Not Reported | $44,576 | 55 |
Communication and Media Studies | $25,000 | $33,014 | 54 |
Psychology, General | $29,166 | $29,061 | 53 |
Health and Physical Education/Fitness | $24,050 | $27,880 | 45 |
Music | $27,000 | $24,848 | 45 |
Social Work | $27,000 | $31,302 | 44 |
Design and Applied Arts | $24,750 | $32,506 | 42 |
History | $23,332 | $28,363 | 41 |
Computer and Information Sciences, General | $27,403 | $52,657 | 40 |
Accounting and Related Services | $25,832 | $45,519 | 38 |
Teaching English or French as a Second or Foreign Language | $21,122 | $22,495 | 35 |
Bible/Biblical Studies | Not Reported | $25,622 | 35 |
Legal Support Services | $33,010 | $32,253 | 34 |
Mathematics | Not Reported | $40,001 | 32 |
English Language and Literature, General | $24,250 | $24,772 | 26 |
Religious/Sacred Music | $27,000 | $25,962 | 26 |
Multi-/Interdisciplinary Studies, General | $29,332 | $24,858 | 15 |
Special Education and Teaching | $27,786 | $33,713 | 13 |
Human Development, Family Studies, and Related Services | $24,250 | $24,623 | 13 |
Industrial Engineering | Not Reported | $60,079 | 9 |
Apparel and Textiles | $23,250 | $25,234 | 7 |
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods | $28,018 | $25,346 | 1 |
Master's Degrees
Intelligence, Command Control and Information Operations | $31,147 | $84,316 | 81 |
Religious/Sacred Music | $40,998 | $40,701 | 76 |
Music | $34,027 | $32,194 | 74 |
Criminal Justice and Corrections | $34,027 | $56,829 | 65 |
Communication and Media Studies | $33,342 | $51,522 | 63 |
Law | Not Reported | $44,810 | 57 |
Theological and Ministerial Studies | $34,166 | $45,612 | 51 |
Religious Education | $51,748 | $37,007 | 50 |
Student Counseling and Personnel Services | $42,335 | $43,706 | 47 |
Accounting and Related Services | $27,333 | $58,981 | 44 |
Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies, Other | $34,166 | $49,192 | 37 |
Educational Administration and Supervision | $34,166 | $50,018 | 33 |
Business Administration, Management and Operations | $34,166 | $60,423 | 32 |
Management Information Systems and Services | Not Reported | $65,974 | 28 |
Marketing | $35,773 | $49,356 | 28 |
Biology, General | $29,708 | $27,823 | 27 |
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas | $31,747 | $44,133 | 27 |
Health and Physical Education/Fitness | $30,000 | $37,702 | 25 |
Mental and Social Health Services and Allied Professions | $33,619 | $38,005 | 24 |
History | $34,120 | $31,010 | 23 |
Public Policy Analysis | $32,700 | $50,253 | 22 |
Health and Medical Administrative Services | $35,065 | $51,869 | 22 |
Public Health | $34,357 | $42,549 | 21 |
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing | $34,165 | $80,385 | 19 |
Curriculum and Instruction | Not Reported | $43,101 | 18 |
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods | $34,166 | $40,478 | 18 |
Education, General | $36,892 | $42,274 | 16 |
Human Services, General | Not Reported | $37,916 | 16 |
Radio, Television, and Digital Communication | $27,333 | $36,829 | 16 |
Legal Research and Advanced Professional Studies | $29,659 | $48,048 | 15 |
Special Education and Teaching | $34,934 | $42,765 | 15 |
Clinical, Counseling and Applied Psychology | $54,666 | $36,983 | 15 |
Educational/Instructional Media Design | $37,986 | $44,731 | 11 |
Doctoral Degrees
Business Administration, Management and Operations | Not Reported | $116,860 | 72 |
Curriculum and Instruction | Not Reported | $55,507 | 18 |
Educational Administration and Supervision | Not Reported | $58,240 | 10 |
FAQs About Liberty University
Can You Attend Liberty University Online?
Yes, LU is one of the largest online colleges in the country, offering over 600 degrees and certificates online, including associate, bachelor's, master's, and doctoral degrees. Most of Liberty's online classes are offered asynchronously, so students can complete assignments when it's convenient and don't have to log in at a certain time.
Is a Liberty University Degree Respected?
Thanks to the rapid growth of online programs from reputable universities, today's online degrees are widely respected as long as they're from an accredited school. Liberty University is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) to award associate, baccalaureate, master’s and doctorate degrees, and certificates.
Accreditation is the best way to make sure an online degree is legitimate, and it's what sets respected online schools apart from diploma mills that exist to make money rather than educate students. If a school is accredited, it means an approved agency has reviewed the university, including its faculty and programs, to make sure it can provide students with a quality education.
Every college on OnlineU is accredited by an agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.
What Is Liberty University Known For?
LU is known for being an Evangelical Christian school and was founded by televangelist Jerry Falwell in 1971. Today, it is one of the largest schools in the country by enrollment and serves some of the most adult learners thanks to its expansion into online programs.
The university also focuses on keeping costs low for students. It hasn't increased tuition in seven years and offers a 15% discount for small business owners. The most popular degrees at Liberty include Business, Psychology, Religious Studies, and Criminal Justice, according to federal data from the U.S. Department of Education.
Is Liberty University Liberal or Conservative?
LU is known for being a conservative university. Since it was founded as an Evangelical Christian school, students are expected to follow a strict honor code, called The Liberty Way. The honor code is conservative in regulating relationships between unmarried students and has guidelines for what music, movies, and video games are permitted on and off campus.
Students are also "prohibited from statements and behaviors that are associated with LGBT lifestyle." It's not clear how many of these rules and regulations extend to online students, but Liberty is likely not a good option for LGBTQ students.
Liberty University is a drug, smoke, and alcohol-free school, and students are prohibited from using or possessing drugs, alcohol, or tobacco on and off campus. This rule does not apply to online students enrolled in LU Online. The university also has a dress code, although online students only need to follow it when on campus.
What Are the Career Outcomes and Top Employers for Liberty University?
At OnlineU, we use labor market data from the analytics company Lightcast to look at alumni outcomes for every college. Lightcast relies on job postings, profiles, and other data sources to give a monthly update of where graduates end up. Lightcast data shows that the most common job categories for LU bachelor's graduates are in management, business and financial operations, and office and administrative support. Many graduates go on to become business owners, office assistants, sales representatives, and general managers. Major employers for Liberty graduates include the U.S. Military, Liberty University, Chick-fil-A, and Amazon. Salary data from the U.S. Department of Education shows bachelor's graduates earn a median of $38,758 in their first year out of college. For graduate students, the most popular jobs include chief executives, middle school teachers, general and operations managers, and clergy.
How Difficult Is It To Get Into Liberty University?
Liberty University has a 99% acceptance rate, which means it is relatively easy to get in as long as you submit the required documentation during the admissions process.
What Are the Admission Requirements for Liberty University?
For most online bachelor's programs at Liberty University, students need a high school diploma, a GED, or the equivalent, and at least a 2.0 GPA.
Prospective students can apply online or over the phone with an admissions counselor. They'll need to submit a High School Self-Certification form, official high school transcripts, and any official transcripts from previous college experience.
Once they submit their paperwork and application, students will apply for financial aid, review tuition assistance programs, and assess other funding options, like a payment plan.
Ashley
Reviewed: 9/22/2023
Degree: Counseling
I am deeply troubled by the pure lack of communication that I have experienced with this entire process trying to get into my Master's program. Literally NO ONE has contacted me at all outside of an occasional email once I keep calling in repeatedly. I have been trying to get through just the admissions process alone for WEEKS. I have finally been accepted. I call in today to find out about getting my degree audit done for my transfer of credits only to find out there is yet another step that NO... Read More
SMS
Reviewed: 8/24/2023
Degree: Visual Communications
I am already an instructor at a college and I went back to get additonal education to further my career. I wanted to go to a Christian college since I was a Christian and I wanted a bibical education along with my Master's. First and foremost, the verbiage used in the online materials doesn't match the assignments. When I would reach out to my professor, I would either not get a response or the response I would get wouldn't answer my question. When I reached out to the college for additional support,... Read More
Realist
Reviewed: 8/8/2023
Degree:
Here's the honest truth. The professors are all good people. However, the Ph.D. online programs are designed to keep you in and keep you paying. They are the money makers for the University because most people in these programs are self-paid. Therefore, if you enroll, expect to take more than 3 classes to finish your dissertation once you get to that phase of the program. Expect to re-take courses and pay for each re-take. Advancing through the dissertation phases is a hard task and not at all like... Read More
1indisbelief
Reviewed: 7/31/2023
Degree: Criminal Justice
The instructors for the courses are hit and miss with some being very helpful and others not being helpful at all. The coursework was rigorous, but the nightmare occurs with the dissertation process. Chairs and readers will drop you with little notice or no notice at all. You will spend a whole semester waiting for a dissertation proposal to be reviewed, when the manual says two weeks, and have to repeat the course because the proposal was not reviewed. Despite approval from your chair and reader,... Read More
Madias Loper Sr
Reviewed: 7/24/2023
Degree: Ministry
I attended Liberty University for one week and this was my first experience back in College for more than 13 years. Liberty University is not a Degree Mill, however the sale department is strong and the Office of Disability and Services did not respond to my medical issues after several phone calls and also emails. I am using VA Benefits to complete the degree and I owe a bill after one week of over 2000.00 for 3 graduate classes that i had to withdraw from for medical reasons. They are about the... Read More
Shane
Reviewed: 7/14/2023
Degree: English
Let me begin by prefacing that I have my undergrad from another institution and I completed it entirely online. So, when I applied to the MA online program at Liberty I was expecting a similar experience. In some ways it was and not so in others. First, let me explain that like any online program one should expect a lot of self-teaching. Liberty and other online programs provide all of the information you need with the assigned readings and links to other various sources but ultimately no one is... Read More
Sonya B
Reviewed: 7/7/2023
Degree: Counseling
I liked Liberty University at first. They pull you in with the Christian school environment and Christ Centered classes. Each professor is different in my Doctoral program for Counseling. My first class group counseling was wonderful and I passed with a grade of A. My current class has a professor that immediately referred me for misconduct to my paper not cited correctly on APA. She referred me to Academic misconduct and I had to appeal the decision. The crazy thing is all she had to do was just... Read More
Ang H
Reviewed: 6/29/2023
Degree: Writing
I find this school to be a joke. They try too hard to apply the Bible to the lectures that sometimes is not even relevant and you get points deducted if you can't relate. The professors I had graded me upon their agreement or disagreement to my thoughts on the discussion questions, which does not seem fair just because we had different views and opinions on the topic. Also, when reaching out with questions, it was hard to reach the professors and it cuts down on my time to get the help I want to... Read More
Cindy
Reviewed: 6/15/2023
Degree:
Check each and every course for prerequisites before you commit. They advertise 60-hour doctoral degrees for under $40K but it is not what it appears to be... too good to be true. In my scenario, I needed to take 7 more classes as prerequisites (38% more classes than advertised to complete the degree - giving the University an extra $14K in tuition revenue). I had the appropriate bachelor's and master's going into the program, yet still needed more. They don't tell you about these extra requirements... Read More
Jordan
Reviewed: 6/15/2023
Degree: Physics
Sadly Liberty University Online is subpar of what I would consider quality education. Liberty University Online is practically a self study school where you will receive practically zero instruction and will never be able to see any lectures or even any pre recorded videos other than their stupid YouTube videos they will link. And their professors are some of the worst I've ever seen. They are super unclear with their instructions and their formatting even if you do exactly what the Liberty site... Read More