Students who want to control the cost of their college education should consider enrolling in an online degree program. Online degree programs almost always tend to be substantially cheaper than their on-campus counterparts. Not only do they tend to be cheaper, but a lot of the time they’re the same exact curriculum as the on-campus program. If controlling the costs of a college education is a concern of yours, then this ranking of the top nonprofit online colleges and universities in New Hampshire should be helpful in your journey towards finding the right program for you. These colleges have been ordered based on their tuition rate per credit.
Ranking the Top New Hampshire Online College Options
#1. Southern New Hampshire University
Established in 1932, Southern New Hampshire University is located in both Manchester and Hooksett, New Hampshire. A private university, Southern New Hampshire’s motto is “The Greatest and the Best”. Founded by Gertrude Crockett Shapiro and Harry A.B. Shapiro, Southern New Hampshire University was originally a for-profit institution known as the New Hampshire School of Accounting and Secretarial Science. Operating with this name for almost thirty years, the school was renamed again to New Hampshire College of Accounting and Commerce in 1961. It was at that point in Southern New Hampshire University’s history that the school had officially been chartered by the state of New Hampshire. Now offering its first set of undergraduate degrees, Southern New Hampshire University had entered into a period of growth. Made a non-profit entity in 1968, the school was renamed to New Hampshire College the following year. Originally located in Manchester, New Hampshire College moved to Hooksett to allow for expansion. As the school continued to grow, it began occupying land in both towns. In 2001, New Hampshire College was renamed to Southern New Hampshire University to better communicate the diversity of academic programs being offered at the school. Now, Southern New Hampshire University enrolls over 73,000 when including online students.
Featured Programs
Home of the Penman, Southern New Hampshire University offers a very large catalog of academic programs to choose from. Students at Southern New Hampshire University can select from over 300 different programs across the school’s undergraduate and graduate offerings. A large quantity of these programs is also made available to students online. By dedicating resources to online education, Southern New Hampshire University has ranked among the top online colleges in New Hampshire. Southern New Hampshire University is a private institution and a top choice among New Hampshire online college options.
Accreditation: Southern New Hampshire University is accredited by the New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC).
Tuition: $320/credit
Click here for a list of Southern New Hampshire University‘s online programs.
#2. Granite State College
Established in 1972, Granite State College is a public college. Located in Concord, New Hampshire, Granite State College is a member of the University System of New Hampshire. Noticing a lack of higher education options for nontraditional students, Granite State College was founded as a public option for students who couldn’t attend a traditional university. Whether it was due to schedule constraints or money, Granite State College was created to offer flexible degree programs to its students. Offering night and weekend school, in the beginning, Granite State College committed itself to nontraditional programs of education. Proving to be very popular, Granite State College started opening satellite campuses across New Hampshire. When online education became more readily available, Granite State College was one of the first schools to begin implementing that into their curriculum. This dedication to nontraditional learning has allowed Granite State College to grow by serving an underserved portion of the overall pool of potential students. Now, Granite State College has grown to become an integral member of the University System of New Hampshire.
Students at Granite State College can choose from a wide selection of academic programs offered by the school. At the time of this writing, Granite State College offers its students dozens of different degree programs, including undergraduate and graduate programs. Most of these programs are also offered to students entirely online. By dedicating time and resources to online education, Granite State College has placed among our top online colleges in New Hampshire. Granite State College is a public institution.
Accreditation: Granite State College is accredited by the New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC).
Tuition: $355/credit
Click here for a list of Granite State College‘s online programs.
#3. Rivier University
A private Catholic university, Rivier University was first established in 1933. Located in Nashua, New Hampshire, Rivier University was founded by a group called the Sisters of the Presentation of Mary. At that time, Rivier University was located in Hudson, New Hampshire. The Sisters of the Presentation of Mary founded Rivier University as a women’s college. Wanting to provide women in the Hudson area with a quality education, The Sisters of the Presentation of Mary curated a curriculum with programs that would help women succeed in the workforce. In 1941, it was decided that Rivier University was to be relocated to Nashua, New Hampshire. They felt that the different location would allow the school to be able to grow more freely. And it did. At the new campus, Rivier University was able to expand enrollment and offer more academic programs than ever before. This led to the school becoming coeducational in 1991. By admitting men into the programs at the school, Rivier University was able to pull from an even larger pool of potential students. Eventually adding graduate programs to its academic offerings, the school was finally named Rivier University after having been called Rivier College up until that point. Now, Rivier University enrolls over 2,200 students.
Home of the Raiders, Rivier University offers a variety of different academic programs for students to enroll in. Currently, students at Rivier University can choose from over fifty programs, including undergraduate and graduate offerings. Rivier University offers many of these programs to students entirely online. This dedication to online learning has helped earn Rivier University its place among the top online colleges in New Hampshire. Rivier University is a private institution.
Accreditation: Rivier University is accredited by the New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC).
Tuition: $360/credit
Click here for a list of Rivier University‘s online programs.
#4. Franklin Pierce University
Located in Rindge, New Hampshire, Franklin Pierce University is a private university. Established in 1962, Franklin Pierce University originally opened its doors at Franklin Pierce College. The school’s name was chosen to honor President Franklin Pierce, the only President from New Hampshire. Operating out of a limited number of buildings dotted across downtown Rindge, Franklin Pierce College worked quickly to build additional academic buildings. However, the school’s growth was quickly outpacing the school’s ability to construct new buildings, as overcrowding remained an issue into the 1970s. Under new leadership, Franklin Pierce College began focusing on their current students and not on growing the student body. This allowed the school to really focus on the quality of the degree programs that they were offering. This decision paid off as it allowed Franklin Pierce College to get ahead of its growth problems by constructing more buildings for its students while sharpening the academic programs available at the school. During the 1980s, Franklin Pierce College also built a network of satellite campuses across the state to provide adult education services. In 2007, Franklin Pierce College was renamed to Franklin Pierce University after adding university programs to its academic catalog. Now, Franklin Pierce College enrolls almost 2,400 students.
Students at Franklin Pierce University are given access to a large selection of academic programs to enroll in. At this time, students at Franklin Pierce University can choose from dozens of academic programs, including both undergraduate and graduate options. Franklin Pierce University also offers many of these undergraduate programs to students entirely online. Because of their dedication to online learning, Franklin Pierce University has placed among the top online colleges in New Hampshire. Franklin Pierce University is a private institution and a top choice among New Hampshire online college options.
Accreditation: Franklin Pierce University is accredited by the New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC).
Tuition: $400/credit
Click here for a list of Franklin Pierce University‘s online programs.
#5. New England College
With the motto “We work hard to achieve greater heights”, New England College is a private university. Established in 1946, New England College was founded in response to the end of World War II. At the close of the war, many people who served in the war effort were returning home and were interested in taking advantage of the GI Bill. Hoping to provide these brave men and women with the opportunity for a higher education, New England College was opened. Operating from its original campus for nearly thirty years, New England College purchased an additional campus in 1970. This campus was located in West Sussex, England and acted as a destination for New England College students who were wanting to study abroad. This campus was eventually closed in 1998. Over the years, New England College worked to build out its curriculum to enroll more and more students from across the state. Now, New England College is widely regarded as one of the top schools in the state. Currently located in Henniker, New Hampshire, New England College enrolls over 2,700 students known as the Pilgrims. From humble beginnings, New England College is now an integral part of higher education in New Hampshire.
New England College offers students a large selection of academic programs to choose from. At this time, students at New England College can pick from almost forty bachelor’s degrees, a dozen master’s degrees, and one doctoral program. A selection of these programs is made available to students entirely online. With this dedication to online learning, New England College has ranked among the top online colleges in New Hampshire. New England College is a private institution.
Accreditation: New England College is accredited by the New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC).
Tuition: $680/credit
Click here for a list of New England College‘s online programs.
#6. University of New Hampshire
With the motto “Science, Arts, Industry”, the University of New Hampshire is a public research university. With campuses located in Durham, Concord, and Manchester, the University of New Hampshire is also the flagship of the University System of New Hampshire. Established in 1866, the University of New Hampshire was originally known as the New Hampshire College of Agriculture and Mechanic Arts. The school was established through the Morrill Act which designated federal funding for the school. At the time, New Hampshire College of Agriculture and Mechanic Arts was closely affiliated with the nearby Dartmouth College. The first campus was located in Hanover, New Hampshire but was soon relocated to Durham, New Hampshire in 1891. At this new location, the New Hampshire College of Agriculture and Mechanical Arts was able to grow and build out a larger campus. Over the coming years, the New Hampshire College of Agriculture and Mechanic Arts worked to expand its academic offerings, beginning to offer graduate programs as early as 1893. In 1923, the New Hampshire College of Agriculture and Mechanic Arts was officially renamed to the University of New Hampshire. Today, the University of New Hampshire enrolls over 15,300 students.
Students at the University of New Hampshire can select from a large catalog of academic programs offered at the school. At this time, the Universtiy of New Hampshire is offering over 100 different undergraduate programs as well as a number of graduate programs to choose from. Many of these programs are also made available online. Through the dedication of resources to online education, the University of New Hampshire has earned its place among the top online colleges in New Hampshire. University of New Hampshire is a public institution.
Accreditation: University of New Hampshire is accredited by the New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC).
Tuition: $715/credit
Click here for a list of University of New Hampshire‘s online programs.
#7. Plymouth State University
Located in Plymouth, New Hampshire, Plymouth State University is a public university. Established in 1871, Plymouth State University was originally known as Plymouth Normal School. At the time of its founding, Plymouth Normal School was created as part of a larger effort by the New Hampshire government to create a series of teacher training facilities across the state. As one of those facilities, Plymouth Normal School worked to create qualified teachers. Over time, the curriculum at Plymouth Normal School expanded to offer students bachelor’s in education degrees. With the addition of these degree programs, Plymouth Normal School was renamed to Plymouth State Teachers College. Wanting to continue to expand on its academic offerings, Plymouth State Teachers College soon began to offer students a series of undergraduate degree programs. Now no longer solely a teachers college, the school was renamed to Plymouth State College to better communicate the variety of academic offerings at the school. Soon after this, Plymouth State College added graduate programs to its catalog of programs and was renamed one final time to Plymouth State University in 2003. It was around this time that Plymouth State University was also made part of the University System of New Hampshire.
Enrolling over 6,300 students, Plymouth State University currently maintains a sizable catalog of academic programs for its students. Students at Plymouth State University are able to choose from around 100 different undergraduate and graduate programs offered at the school. Many of these programs also are offered to students online. In taking time and dedicating resources to online learning, Plymouth State University has placed among our top online colleges in New Hampshire. Plymouth State University is a public institution.
Accreditation: Plymouth State University is accredited by the New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC).
Tuition: $845/credit
Click here for a list of Plymouth State University‘s online programs.
Other rankings:
Largest Nonprofit Online Universities
Top Scholarships for Online Students
Affordable Nonprofit Online Colleges
