Georgia Tech charges a flat $4,755 for each six-month term in its online computer science master's, which carries an AI specialization.
| Program | Total tuition | Per credit | Credits |
|---|
| Purdue University Online, AI and machine learning | About $28,000 | $933.33 | 30 |
| University of Oklahoma, AI | $30,450 | $1,015 | 30 |
| Northeastern University, applied AI online | $30,500 | Not published | Not published |
| DePaul University, AI | $31,500 | $625 | 48 |
| DePaul University, executive AI | $17,019 | $549 | 31 |
Premium pricing buys access to research faculty, larger lab budgets and the option to switch to campus. Some employers also treat a named research university as a signal during hiring, though a published paper or shipped project usually moves a resume further.
Price is not the only difference at the top of the list. Some programs cap enrolment, which means a longer wait for a start date, and others build in a paid residency that adds travel and time away from paid work.
Ask about both before you commit.
Which fees sit outside the tuition price?
Mandatory fees outside tuition are the easiest cost to miss, and they range from nothing to more than $1,000 a year at some schools.
Houston Christian University charges a BookPass fee of $24 per credit on top of its $545 per credit tuition. Eastern University adds $455 per semester, and Amberton University folds a $125 graduation evaluation fee into its estimates.
Concordia University St. Paul states that there is no application fee and no other mandatory fee beyond textbooks and course supplies.
Plan for a short list of other line items: technology fees charged per course, e-books and software licences, exam proctoring where a program requires an in-person or remote proctored final, and travel for any residency or on-campus requirement.
| Fee outside tuition | Who charges it | Typical amount |
|---|
| Course materials or book pass | Houston Christian University | $24 per credit |
| Per semester student fee | Eastern University | $455 per semester |
| Graduation evaluation fee | Amberton University | $125 |
| Technology or course fees | Most online programs | $25 to $200 per course |
| Exam proctoring | Programs with a proctored final | $50 to $200 per attempt |
Ask admissions for the all-in figure in writing, including the fee schedule for your specific term. A published tuition number on its own is rarely the amount that leaves your account.
Fees also follow the delivery model. Fully online programs rarely charge campus fees, while hybrid programs may add a per-term technology or lab fee that a published tuition figure does not show. Compare like with like when you put two programs side by side.
Ask each school for the fee schedule that applies to your term rather than the one on the marketing page.
Fees change with course mix, so a student taking three lab-heavy courses can pay a different total from a classmate on the same program. The published figure is a starting point, not a quote.
How does the 2026-27 aid picture change what you pay?
Federal graduate borrowing still covers most of the sticker price, with a $20,500 annual limit for 2026-27 graduate students.
That limit applies to the Direct Unsubsidized and Direct Grad PLUS loans, and the Federal Student Aid rate and fee table sets the borrowing terms, and the borrowing lifetime cap sits at $257,500.
Graduate PLUS borrowing ended for students taking their first disbursement on or after July 1, 2026, so students who need more than the $20,500 limit now look at private lenders or parent borrowing instead.
Employer tuition assistance often changes the equation for mid-career students, because many large employers offer a flat annual payment toward graduate study. Residency reciprocity matters too: some public systems waive out-of-state rates for students who already live in the state.
A few schools also publish a scholarship or discount for alumni, employees and members of professional associations. These are usually applied automatically and they rarely appear in the headline price that search results show. Ask about every discount you qualify for.
For the return side of the calculation, our guide to whether an online data science master's is worth it covers how to weigh cost against salary outcomes.
If a full degree is not on the table yet, the best data analyst courses cost far less and cover the same tooling.
How long does an online AI master's take, and does pace change the price?
Most online AI master's programs take 15 to 24 months, and the format decides how the bill arrives rather than how much you pay.
Course-based programs usually run 12 to 16 months with fixed start terms, while self-paced degrees stretch across two to four years.
The University of the Cumberlands publishes a part-time pace of 15 to 20 months at about ten hours a week, and Eastern University lists a two to four year window for the same reason.
Per-term pricing changes the math. Georgia Tech's online computer science master's charges one flat rate for each six-month term, so a student who slows down pays another $4,755 without adding new tuition per course.
Per-credit schools charge the same per credit no matter how long the degree takes.
Longer timelines also carry an opportunity cost that never appears on a tuition invoice. One extra year of not earning the salary a degree would unlock can outweigh the savings from a cheaper program.
Deferring also changes the number. Some programs let you pause between terms and keep your rate, which spreads the bill without adding a term fee, while others charge again for every term you start. Ask how long a pause is allowed.
One more question belongs in the same email: what happens to your rate and your progress if you drop out.
Some schools keep the rate for a full academic year after a withdrawal, and a few count every term you start toward the tuition cap. Knowing the rule before you need it protects the money you already spent.
What are the next steps to compare online AI master's costs?
A useful comparison takes five numbers from each program: total tuition, cost per credit, required fees, credit count and the time to finish.
Build one sheet with those columns and fill in the published numbers yourself.
Most people asking about a master in artificial intelligence online cost want a single figure, but the honest answer is a range that depends on transfer credits, start term and how quickly you finish.
Then send the same three questions to every admissions office: what is the all-in cost for my term, how many credits do I still need, and what happens to the price if you transfer credits in.
You will also want to check how the program compares with online universities built for IT degrees, since several of them now carry AI specializations.
Finally, compare the price against the alternative that costs the least: a certificate. Northeastern's graduate certificate in AI applications was listed at $5,250 fully online, which is a sensible first step when you are not yet certain a full master's pays off.
If the budget does not work, there are three moves. Transfer in credits, start with a certificate and continue later, or choose a program with a lower per-credit rate and a shorter finish line. Any one of them can save thousands of dollars.
Fazlur Rahman
