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30 Fully Funded Ph.D. Programs

These fully funded Ph.D. programs are in fields like business, computer science, education and nursing.

(Getty Images) |

Many Ph.D. programs are fully funded.

Students interested in graduate research in various fields, from public health and English to computer science and engineering, have numerous options for Ph.D. programs that offer full funding. These programs typically provide waived tuition and fees and an annual stipend. Some also offer health insurance and other benefits. Gaining admittance into these small cohorts can be highly competitive, and the programs can be time-consuming . Here are 30 fully funded Ph.D. programs at U.S. colleges and universities. Keep in mind this is not a comprehensive list – there are others out there.

• Ph.D. in anthropology at the University of Chicago

Anthropology Ph.D. students at the University of Chicago can receive funding for up to eight years of study, assuming they are in good standing at the university. During that time, they will receive a full-tuition scholarship plus health insurance and a living stipend – which equated to $33,000 for the 2022-2023 school year – and can apply for external fellowships.

Ph.D. in biological sciences in public health at Harvard University (MA)

Harvard University's T.H. Chan School of Public Health in Boston offers a Ph.D. in biological sciences in public health that aims to provide students with expertise in disease prevention and treatment. This program includes tuition, a stipend and health insurance for five years as long as the student maintains satisfactory academic progress. International students receive the same benefits. Current research in the school's laboratories involves diseases like AIDS, cancer, diabetes, kidney disease, malaria and tuberculosis.

(Dominick Reuter) |

• Ph.D. in business at Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Students enrolled in the Sloan School of Management at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology can study a range of fields like organization studies, accounting and information technology. Those pursuing a Ph.D. will receive a full-tuition scholarship plus a monthly stipend of $4,267, capped at $51,204. They will also receive medical insurance, new laptops at the beginning of their first and fourth years of study and $4,500 over five years for conference travel expenses.

(Tommy Lavergne | Rice University)

Ph.D. in business at Rice University (TX)

At the Rice University Jones Graduate School of Business in Texas, students enjoy full financial assistance upon admission to the Ph.D. program. Aiming to prepare students to teach in fields like accounting, finance, organizational behavior and strategic management, the program provides students with a research or teaching assistantship. Students receive a tuition waiver and a $40,000 annual stipend contingent on making satisfactory academic progress and maintaining full-time student status.

Office of Strategic Communication | University of Iowa

• Ph.D. in business at the University of Iowa

The University of Iowa's Tippie College of Business offers Ph.D. degrees in fields such as accounting, economics, business analytics and marketing. The college says it provides full funding to "virtually all admitted students." This includes tuition and fees, a minimum nine-month stipend of about $20,000 with annual adjustments and comprehensive health insurance covered at 90%. Some departments offer funding for research presentations at major conferences, summer fellowships and paid time off for independent research.

Ph.D. in chemical engineering at Cornell University (NY)

According to Cornell University 's website, all students admitted to the chemical engineering Ph.D. program at the New York school receive a full tuition waiver, health insurance and a stipend. This funding can come from a teaching assistantship, research assistantship or fellowship, and full stipends are granted for nine months with the likelihood of additional aid in the summer.

Chris Taggart | Columbia University

Ph.D. in clinical psychology at Columbia University (NY)

Students enrolled in Columbia University 's Ph.D. program in clinical psychology at the Teachers College in New York receive fully funded tuition and a $25,000 stipend annually for three years. The stipend also carries into a student's fourth year. These doctoral fellows "may be expected to serve" as graduate teaching or research assistants. Students typically complete the mentor-matched program, which includes a full-year internship, in five to seven years.

Ph.D. in computer science at Brown University (RI)

Brown University 's Ph.D. students in computer science have access to "full financial support while completing the degree," plus the option to take classes at nearby schools without incurring additional costs, according to the school's website. In fact, doctoral students in any program at the Rhode Island university are guaranteed five years of financial support, which includes tuition remission, a stipend, health services fees and a subsidy for health insurance.

Georgetown University |

Ph.D. in computer science at Georgetown University (DC)

Georgetown University 's Ph.D. program in computer science provides scholarships and assistantships that cover full tuition at the Washington, D.C., school and include a stipend and health insurance for the first five years. Once enrolled in the program, students must complete the Apprenticeship in Teaching Program and ultimately write and defend a full research dissertation in a seminar open to the public.

Ph.D. in computer science at Washington University in St. Louis

Ph.D. students in the computer science or computer engineering program at Washington University in St. Louis receive full tuition support and health insurance. According to the university's website: "As a doctoral candidate, you will also receive a generous stipend to cover living expenses and a new, high-end Apple laptop computer. This support is guaranteed as you continue to make satisfactory progress towards your degree." Doctoral students may also qualify for one of three fellowships.

Jeff Miller | UW-Madison

• Ph.D. in counseling psychology at the University of Wisconsin—Madison

Incoming Ph.D. students at the School of Education at the University of Wisconsin—Madison are guaranteed full funding for the duration of the time that they are expected on campus, according to the university's department of counseling psychology website. Doctoral students also receive a benefits package that includes health insurance. Funding may come from financial aid, fellowships, assistantships and/or traineeships.

Emory University |

Ph.D. in economics at Emory University (GA)

Students enrolled in the economics Ph.D. program at Emory University typically receive full funding, according to the Georgia university's website. The stipend provided to students is $36,376 per year for five years, starting in fall 2023, and the full tuition scholarship is worth $70,200 per year. Funding for admitted students also includes a $4,370 annual subsidy that covers 100% of a student's cost of health insurance. First-year students have no stipend-related work requirements.

• Ph.D. in education at New York University

New York University's Steinhardt School of Culture, Education, and Human Development offers more than 30 degree programs. Many can be pursued on campus or online. Ph.D. degrees are offered in areas like developmental psychology, educational leadership and childhood education. Full-time NYU Steinhardt Ph.D. students are eligible for a funding package that includes an annual stipend – $32,000 for the 2022-2023 academic year – tuition coverage for required coursework and student health insurance for five years.

L.A. Cicero, Stanford News Service |

Ph.D. in education at Stanford University (CA)

Stanford University's Graduate School of Education allows students numerous fellowship and assistantship opportunities at the California school, along with a "five-year funding guarantee that provides tuition aid, fellowship stipend, and assistantship salary, and covers the standard cost of attendance," the program website reads. At the Graduate School of Education, doctoral students can choose from a range of academic areas like curriculum studies and teacher education, and developmental and psychological sciences.

• Ph.D. in education at the University of Pennsylvania

The University of Pennsylvania Graduate School of Education provides full funding to Ph.D. students as part of a fellowship and research apprenticeship package. This funding includes a living stipend, health insurance and coverage of tuition and fees for up to four years if the student maintains full-time enrollment. Some students may also qualify for additional summer funding.

• Ph.D. in engineering at the University of Michigan—Ann Arbor

Doctoral students in engineering at the University of Michigan—Ann Arbor can choose from numerous areas of specialization under umbrella categories like aerospace engineering, biomedical engineering, macromolecular science and engineering, and robotics. All engineering doctoral students are guaranteed full funding, a monthly living stipend and health insurance. The exact amount can vary, according to the program's website, and funding comes from a range of sources, including graduate student instructor positions and fellowships.

Boston University Photography |

• Ph.D. in English at Boston University

Annually, doctoral students studying English at Boston University receive a stipend plus full tuition, fees and basic health insurance. This funding is guaranteed for at least five years, with two of those years typically free from teaching requirements. Funding can sometimes be extended up to seven years, according to the university's website, but it's not guaranteed. Students may also apply for various prizes, fellowships and short-term research and travel grants.

(Stephanie Diani) |

• Ph.D. in English at the University of California—Los Angeles

Applicants to the Ph.D. in English program at the University of California—Los Angeles are automatically considered for various funding options. A six-year funding package includes "a minimum of two years of full fellowship, four years of summer stipend support and up to four years of teaching assistantships," according to the school website. Beyond tuition, fees and health insurance are also covered.

Jeff Watts |

Ph.D. in international relations at American University (DC)

American University offers doctoral students in its international relations program who do not have external funding a renewable four-year Dean's Fellowship that is contingent on making satisfactory academic progress. The fellowship includes the cost of tuition, fees and a stipend that must be earned via a part-time role as a teaching or research assistant. Students also must "demonstrate competency in a modern foreign language" before graduating.

Jonathan Cohen | Binghamton University

• Ph.D. in management at Binghamton University—SUNY

All students admitted to the interdisciplinary management Ph.D. program at the Binghamton University—SUNY School of Management in New York receive a combination of a full-tuition scholarship and a teaching or research assistantship for each academic year, up to four years. This STEM-designated business doctoral degree prepares students for careers in academia and work in the public and private sectors, and has a student-faculty ratio of 1-to-1, according to the university's website.

Duke University Communications |

Ph.D. in materials science and engineering at Duke University (NC)

Doctoral students at Duke University in North Carolina studying materials science and engineering generally receive full tuition, a stipend and fee support for the first five years. Students also receive up to six years of health insurance if they are on the university's student medical insurance plan. The doctoral program aims to help students publish with a faculty adviser and develop research skills, with the opportunity to present research at professional conferences.

Homewood Photography | JHU

Ph.D. in nursing at Johns Hopkins University (MD)

The School of Nursing at Johns Hopkins University in Maryland provides most doctoral students with three fully funded years of study. Available financial aid includes graduate assistantships, targeted fellowships and nursing-specific funding. The university aims to "advance the theoretical foundation of nursing practice and healthcare delivery" with the degree, its website reads. "By graduation, most Hopkins nurse scholars have been awarded grants that continue their research and set them well on their way to a successful career."

• Ph.D. in nursing at the University of Virginia

All students admitted to the University of Virginia 's Ph.D. in Nursing program are eligible for four years of scholarship funding to cover tuition, insurance and fees, as well as annual stipends. To receive certain aid, students must work 10 hours per week as a graduate teaching assistant. With a heavy research focus, students can expect courses in qualitative, quantitative and historical research, and will have to submit a research proposal for peer review.

Ph.D. in nursing at Yale University (CT)

At Yale University in Connecticut, the School of Nursing offers full funding to its Ph.D. students. They receive a monthly stipend for four years in addition to paid tuition and health care. The program allows students to gain in-depth knowledge in a particular area of study. Every incoming Ph.D. student gets paired with a faculty adviser "whose area of expertise and active research most closely matches with the student’s scholarly interest," according to the school's website.

University of Minnesota |

• Ph.D. in psychology at the University of Minnesota—Twin Cities

Students admitted to the Ph.D. program to study psychology at the University of Minnesota—Twin Cities are guaranteed full funding for five years as long as they maintain satisfactory performance and degree progress. This funding includes full-time tuition, a nine-month stipend and subsidized health insurance. Funding comes from some combination of teaching assistantships, traineeships, research assistantships and fellowships. Students in the program can specialize in areas like cognitive and brain sciences, industrial-organizational psychology and social psychology.

Matt Cashore | University of Notre Dame

Ph.D. within the Romance languages and literatures department at the University of Notre Dame (IN)

University of Notre Dame doctoral students who focus on French and Francophone studies, Iberian and Latin American studies or Italian studies are guaranteed five years of funding. Funding includes a full scholarship, including tuition and fees, plus a stipend and health insurance. Anyone who completes the Ph.D. degree requirements at the Indiana university within five years will automatically receive a one-year postdoctoral fellowship via the university's 5+1 Program. Fellows will have a teaching load limited to one course per semester.

Ph.D. in social work at Bryn Mawr College (PA)

Students admitted to Bryn Mawr College 's Ph.D. program in social work receive full tuition waivers and "substantial stipends" toward living expenses. The Pennsylvania college's website says: "Consistent with our model, all Ph.D. students are funded equally, and do not compete for basic financial support during coursework." The program's cohorts typically include only three or four students each year. According to the college, it awarded the first Ph.D. degree in social work in the U.S. in 1920.

Vanderbilt University |

Ph.D. in special education at Vanderbilt University (TN)

Funding is guaranteed for all admitted doctoral students enrolled in the special education Ph.D. program at the Peabody College of Education and Human Development at Vanderbilt University in Tennessee. This includes full tuition, a "competitive" monthly stipend and health insurance for up to four years. Students may also be nominated for additional honor scholarships and fellowships. Areas of focus within the Ph.D. program include high-incidence disabilities and early childhood education.

Ph.D. in theatre and drama at Northwestern University (IL)

This interdisciplinary Ph.D. program at Northwestern University in Illinois combines coursework in humanities, social science and the visual arts. The program's students receive a five-year full-tuition scholarship plus an annual living stipend. Ph.D students enrolling at this program in fall 2022 will receive a living stipend of at least $36,960 during the 2023-2024 school year. Stipend amounts may change from year to year. Students can apply for subsidies to facilitate conference travel and summer language study.

(Photo by Sarah L. Voisin | The Washington Post via Getty Images)

• Ph.D. in women, gender and sexuality studies at University of Maryland

At the University of Maryland 's Harriet Tubman Department of Women, Gender and Sexuality Studies, Ph.D. students without a master's degree usually have five years of guaranteed funding. Those with a master's degree usually are funded four years, with awards stemming from a mix of departmental fellowships and graduate teaching assistantships. Since the program's establishment in 1999, the department has granted 36 Ph.Ds, according to UMD's website.

Learn more about paying for graduate school.

Finding a fully funded program isn't the only option to offset the costs of graduate school. See these seven strategies to pay for graduate school to learn more. Check out the latest Best Graduate Schools rankings to see the country's top business, medicine and law programs – and more. For additional grad school tips, follow U.S. News Education on Facebook , Twitter and LinkedIn .

Ph.D. programs that are fully funded

• Ph.D. in biological sciences in public health at Harvard University
• Ph.D. in business at Rice University
• Ph.D. in chemical engineering at Cornell University
• Ph.D. in clinical psychology at Columbia University
• Ph.D. in computer science at Brown University
• Ph.D. in computer science at Georgetown University
• Ph.D. in computer science at Washington University—St. Louis
• Ph.D. in economics at Emory University
• Ph.D. in education at Stanford University
• Ph.D. in international relations at American University
• Ph.D. in materials science and engineering at Duke University
• Ph.D. in nursing at Johns Hopkins University
• Ph.D. in nursing at Yale University
• Ph.D. within the romance languages and literatures department at the University of Notre Dame
• Ph.D. in social work at Bryn Mawr College
• Ph.D. in special education at Vanderbilt University
• Ph.D. in theatre and drama at Northwestern University

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Best Accredited Online Ph.D. Programs 2024

Erin Treder

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Rachel Miller

Updated January 2, 2024

Danika Miller

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Turn Your Dreams Into Reality

Take our quiz and we'll do the homework for you! Compare your school matches and apply to your top choice today.

A Ph.D., or doctor of philosophy, is the highest level of academic degree that you can attain. Consisting primarily of research, a Ph.D. prepares you for a career in academia or research in the field you study.

Students who choose to pursue a Ph.D. online will find it can be completed in less time. Online students also get the added benefit of being able to complete their work from the comfort of home. The overall cost may also be less compared to an in-person program.

We've compiled a list of the best accredited online Ph.D. programs to help you start your search.

Are Online Ph.D. Programs Worth It?

An online Ph.D. program is an ideal choice if you want to balance your career and family responsibilities along with your education.

While there are some preconceived notions that online programs aren't legitimate, as long as the program you choose is accredited, the degree is the same as one earned in person.

While the annual tuition cost to earn a Ph.D. online averages $12,394 for a public institution and $26,621 for a private university, doctoral graduates enjoy a lower unemployment rate and higher weekly salary than those with less education, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS)

Did You Know...

• According to the BLS , workers with a doctoral degree earned a median of $651 more per week than workers with a bachelor's degree in 2022.
• Doctorate-holders boast some of the lowest unemployment rates at 1%.
• In 2019, research found that 39.8% of graduate students were enrolled in online learning.
• The number of doctorates awarded between 2020 and 2021 dropped by 5.4%.
• Not all Ph.D.-holders end up working in academia.

Explore Our Featured Online Doctoral Programs

Top schools for online accredited ph.d. programs.

We use trusted sources like Peterson's Data and the National Center for Education Statistics to inform the data for these schools. AccreditedSchoolsOnline.org is an advertising-supported site. Featured or trusted partner programs and all school search, finder, or match results are for schools that compensate us. This compensation does not influence our school rankings, resource guides, or other editorially-independent information published on this site. from our partners appear among these rankings and are indicated as such.

Capitol Technology University

• Online + Campus

Cost per Credit: In-State | $950 Out-of-State | $950

Credits to Graduate: 60

Founded in 1927, Capitol Technology University features 40 doctoral programs, which you can complete online. Majors include aeronautical science, artificial intelligence, computer science, cybersecurity, military leadership, occupation risk management, and supply chain management. 

Programs require about 60 credits, but you can choose from a doctoral degree without any research requirements. Coursework focuses on doctoral research, proposal writing, and oral defense. Capitol also offers a dual master's and Ph.D. in technology combination program. 

Admission requirements vary, but generally you need a master's degree in a related major and five years of work experience.

Clemson University

• Clemson, SC

Cost per Credit: In-State | $515-$1,319 Out-of-State | $515-$1,319

Clemson's graduate catalog features 52 doctoral programs with the flexibility to study on campus, online, or in a hybrid format. Fields like digital history, entomology, genetics, or business administration offer on-campus programs for traditional doctoral students. You have the opportunity to study virtually in nine doctoral programs, including nursing, educational leadership, and parks, recreation and tourism management.

To obtain a doctoral degree, candidates must complete approximately 60 credits over a span of 3-5 years and successfully defend their dissertation.

Keiser University

• Fort Lauderdale, FL

Total Cost: In-State | $31,712 Out-of-State | $31,712

Keiser University, which was established in 1977, offers 19 flexible doctoral degrees. You can attend classes on the 100-acre main campus or study at one of 23 satellite campuses. Programs offer evening, online, and daytime courses. Keiser's “student first” policy lets you take 1-2 classes at a time, depending on your availability. It takes about 2-5 years to earn your doctoral degree.

To apply for a doctoral program, you need to submit your master's or doctoral transcripts, a resume, personal statement, and an application with a fee.

Mississippi State University

• Mississippi State, MS

Cost per Credit: In-State | $537 Out-of-State | $1,074-$1,468

Credits to Graduate: 60-65

The public research university MSU, which began admitting students in 1880 as an Agricultural and Mechanical College, now boasts 71 doctoral degrees, including 15 virtual programs. Ph.D. programs include engineering, computer science, agricultural sciences, mathematical sciences, and educational leadership. In addition to coursework, you'll need to complete a dissertation and defense on an independent research topic.

As a doctoral candidate, you can access ample research opportunities. The Mississippi Agricultural and Forestry Experiment Station runs 16 stations throughout the state. Applicants need a recommended 3.4 GPA for their master's-level coursework.

Nova Southeastern University

Cost per Credit: In-State | $969-$1,386 Out-of-State | $969-$1,386

Credits to Graduate: 51-64

Nova Southeastern University, the largest private research university in Florida, boasts 14 colleges and 11 campuses. NSU offers 37 doctoral programs, with 19 of them available online. Earn a doctoral degree online in subjects such as criminal justice, computer science, nursing, occupational therapy, physical therapy, and speech-language pathology. 

Departments such as the NSU Fischler College of Education and the School of Criminal Justice offer dissertation resources, including templates and mentor support. Each program sets distinct admission requirements, but you generally need a master's degree and a minimum 3.0 GPA.

Old Dominion University

• Norfolk, VA

Cost per Credit: In-State | $599 Out-of-State | $1,439

Credits to Graduate: 31-60 

Old Dominion University offers 10 online doctoral programs through its seven colleges and three schools. The program covers a range of subjects such as nursing, community college leadership, educational leadership, engineering management, English, instruction design and technology, and workforce and organizational development. 

Admission requirements vary across programs. For instance, the Ph.D. in business administration requires GMAT or GRE scores, while the Ph.D. in curriculum and instruction asks applicants to submit master's transcripts, an essay, and three references.

Saybrook University

• Pasadena, CA

Cost per Credit: In-State | $1,416-$1,590 Out-of-State | $1,416-$1,590

Credits to Graduate: 54-76

Offering hybrid online degrees since 1970, Saybrook University now delivers 11 online doctoral degrees. You can earn a doctoral degree completely online or in a hybrid format with a low-residency option.

Doctoral students can pursue studies in counseling, integrative social work, organizational systems, mind-body medicine, integrative and functional nutrition, psychology, and wellness. To get admitted, you need at least a master's degree. And you complete up to 76 credits over about 4-5 years.

Texas Tech University

• Lubbock, TX

Cost per Semester: In-State | $2,107-$6,877 Out-of-State | $2,107-$6,877

Credits to Graduate: 60-96

Created in 1923, Texas Tech's 13 colleges and schools offer 98 doctoral degrees. Texas Tech offers doctoral degrees in agricultural and applied economics, animal science, computer science, curriculum and instruction, and special education. 

Many of the doctoral programs, such as the Ph.D. in psychology and Ph.D. in wind science and engineering, offer STEM OPT Extension eligibility to extend your F-1 visa for up to two years. Programs require about 60 credits on average and a dissertation. Depending on the program, you may need to submit GRE scores to apply.

How We Rank Schools

Accredited Schools Online uses a custom ranking system to evaluate schools on their quality, affordability, and reputation.

We rank schools using factors like graduation rate, admission rate, tuition costs, financial aid, and program offerings. All our ranked schools hold institutional accreditation .

For this page, we created a directory of online accredited Ph.D. programs that meet our criteria. The list is organized alphabetically rather than ranked.

Learn more about how we create school rankings on our methodology page .

Does Accreditation Matter for Online Ph.D. Programs?

A college is accredited after being recognized by an independent institution that verifies the school's courses and programs meet set quality standards.

The school you choose must be accredited in order for your Ph.D. to be recognized by employers , earn professional licensures, and qualify you for federal financial aid.

Legitimate accreditors are recognized by the U.S. Department of Education and/or the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA).

How Much Does an Online Ph.D. Cost?

In general, you can expect to pay around $13,000-$30,000 per year in tuition and fees for your online Ph.D.

Several factors affect how much your Ph.D. program will cost, including:

• Whether the program is fully funded
• Whether your school is public or private
• Whether you're an in-state or out-of-state student
• How long your program lasts (most Ph.D. programs take 5-7 years to complete)
• How much financial aid you get

While many in-person and online doctoral programs in the U.S. are fully funded, these tend to be highly competitive.

One way to save money on your online Ph.D. is to attend a program that offers in-state tuition to residents. Make sure you submit the FAFSA each year so you can secure federal financial aid .

You may also need to budget for occasional travel to and from campus and research sites, especially as you work on your dissertation.

What's the Difference Between a Ph.D. and a Doctorate?

While a Ph.D. and a doctoral degree, or doctorate, both signify the same level of education completed, their uses are different.

Doctorate is the broader term — a Ph.D. is a type of doctorate. Specifically, a Ph.D. is an academic degree that prepares you for a career in research or teaching in your field of study (such as science, English, or economics).

Besides a Ph.D., other types of doctorates include a doctor of medicine (MD), a doctor of education (Ed.D.), and a doctor of psychology (Psy.D.). These degrees are typically used in either an academic or professional setting.

Online Ph.D. Programs That Don't Require a Dissertation

A dissertation is a final written project culminating in a student's original research at the end of their Ph.D. program. A dissertation is typically presented and defended by its author. It's typically required for degrees with an academic or research focus.

Not all Ph.D. programs require a dissertation. For example, some Ph.D. programs in humanities, education, business administration, and criminal justice require simple or no dissertations for a quicker completion time .

What Jobs Can You Get After Earning an Online Ph.D.?

Once you finish your online doctoral program, you can explore a variety of career paths both within and outside academia.

Many Ph.D. graduates, especially those who studied the humanities, go on to become professors. Other popular roles include administrator, scientist, and psychologist.

Graduates of online Ph.D. programs earn a relatively high average base salary of $105,000 a year, according to Payscale .

Frequently Asked Questions About Online Ph.D. Programs

• Collapse All

What is the quickest Ph.D. to get?

The quickest Ph.D. to earn are those that award professional degrees and don't require extensive research projects or dissertations at completion. These Ph.D. programs can include accounting, business, education, and media.

To finish your degree faster, you can also look for accelerated programs that quicken the pace of a program and shorten the time it takes to complete.

Are online doctoral programs legit?

If the online doctoral program is accredited, it is legitimate. Accreditation ensures that the program meets the rigorous educational standards of other comparative doctoral programs.

With accreditation, employers and other institutions of higher learning will recognize your degree. As more universities turn toward online programs to serve a more diverse student population, there are a growing number of legitimate, accredited online Ph.D. programs.

How long are online Ph.D. programs?

Online Ph.D. programs, like any other doctoral program, can vary in length but typically take 5-7 years to complete. A doctoral degree balances coursework with research. Usually, students must meet a certain number of course requirements before they can start original research.

While coursework may take only a year or two, writing a dissertation that meets the program requirements varies from candidate to candidate.

Can I earn my Ph.D. entirely online?

Yes, many accredited colleges and universities offer 100% online Ph.D. programs. That said, some programs may require on-campus experiences, such as library research and a dissertation defense.

What do employers think of online doctoral programs?

It takes a high level of discipline and persistence to obtain a graduate degree, no matter the context. Most employers will recognize and value the hard work it takes to get a Ph.D., whether you completed your doctorate online or in person.

Make sure you research potential programs. If you're attending an accredited, well-regarded school, employers will value your online Ph.D. just as much as a traditional one.

Note: The insights on this page — excluding school descriptions — were reviewed by an independent third party compensated for their time by Accredited Schools Online. Page last reviewed November 20, 2023.

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Online Doctoral Degrees

Didn't find what you were looking for.

An online doctoral degree can help you gain advanced knowledge and specialized expertise to further your career. Earning an online doctoral degree from an institution within the Purdue University system provides you access to a world-class education, with the flexibility and convenience of anytime, anywhere learning. Prepare to perform at the highest levels of your profession with an online doctorate from a prestigious institution within the Purdue University system.

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Doctoral Degree Programs

Purdue University West Lafayette is a Top 10 public university with online and hybrid programs.

The PhD program in educational leadership develops leaders for the schools of Indiana and the nation. The West Lafayette program offers preparation in educational leadership for PK-12 schools and school districts.

• Total Credits:  90
• Aug 19, 2024

Gain an understanding of the administrative, political, financial, legal and sociocultural aspects of higher education and prepare to become a change agent in institutions of postsecondary education.

The Doctor of Technology will help you apply heightened technical and conceptual understandings of technology, research and development as you work to develop strategies to advance within your career.

• Jan 13, 2025
• May 5, 2025

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Most Affordable Online Ph.D. Programs in 2024

• Online Degrees
• 10 min read

Pursuing a Ph.D. can be a costly endeavor, but it doesn’t have to break the bank.

We’ve ranked the 20 most affordable online Ph.D. programs based on a methodology weighing three key factors.

The Top 20 Most Affordable Online PhD Programs in 2024

Rankings analysis and insights, guide to affordable online phd programs, top paying phd degrees, common questions about affordable online phd programs, can i earn a ph.d. online for free.

Ranking Methodology

• Annual Tuition Costs: This accounts for 50% of the ranking score. We looked at the total annual tuition cost for a full-time course load. Lower tuition receives a higher score.
• Cost Per Credit Hour: 30% of the ranking score is based on the cost per credit hour. A lower cost per credit equals a higher score.
• Flexibility and Accessibility: The remaining 20% of the score focuses on program flexibility and accessibility. Programs that are 100% online with multiple start dates per year and no residency requirements receive the highest marks.

Using this ranking methodology, here are the top 20 most affordable online Ph.D. programs for 2024.

North Carolina A&T State University – Doctor of Philosophy in Leadership Studies

Doctor of Philosophy in Leadership Studies

• $4,194 – $15,480 annual tuition
• 60 credits, 100% online

With in-state tuition of just $233 per credit hour, NC A&T tops the list as the #1 most affordable online PhD program. This flexible 60 credit program has no residency requirements and focuses on leadership theory and research methods.

Columbia Southern University – Doctor of Business Administration

Doctor of Business Administration

• $8,845 annual tuition
• 61 credits, 100% online

At $435 per credit hour, CSU offers one of the cheapest online business doctorates. This 100% online, 61 credit DBA has a dissertation requirement but no residency.

William Howard Taft University – Doctor of Education

Doctor of Education

• $6,480 annual tuition

Taft’s EdD only costs $360 per credit and has no additional fees. The 60 credit degree is fully online with a choice of concentrations.

American College of Education – EdD in Leadership

EdD in Leadership

• $6,528 annual tuition
• 64 credits, 100% online

For $306 per credit hour, ACE offers an affordable leadership-focused doctorate in education completely online. Students complete a dissertation.

Indiana State University – Doctor of Nursing Practice

Doctor of Nursing Practice

• $8,103 – $10,527 annual tuition
• 37 credits, 100% online

With tuition of $438 per credit, ISU’s 37 credit DNP is a top choice for an affordable nursing doctorate. The program is 100% online with no residencies.

Texas Tech University – EdD in Agricultural Education

EdD in Agricultural Education

• $8,779 annual in-state tuition
• 72 credits, hybrid

Texas residents pay only $488 per credit for this 72 credit education doctorate with an agricultural focus from TTU. It is mostly online with minimal campus visits.

Post University – Doctor of Nursing Practice

• $13,860 annual tuition
• 42 credits, 100% online

Post offers its 42 credit DNP for only $770 per credit hour. The program is entirely online in an accelerated 28-month timeline.

Liberty University – Doctor of Education in Community Care & Counseling

Doctor of Education in Community Care & Counseling

• $13,566 annual tuition
• 57 credits, 100% online

Liberty’s CCC EdD costs just $595 per credit with discounts for full-time students. The 57 credit program is 100% online.

University of Wyoming – EdD in Higher Education Administration

EdD in Higher Education Administration

• $6,460 – $19,340 annual tuition
• 75 credits, mostly online

UW’s education doctorate costs only $359 per credit for in-state students. It is mostly online with one initial campus visit.

Missouri State University – Doctor of Nursing Practice

• $14,700 annual tuition
• 29 credits, 100% online

MSU’s DNP runs $14,700 in flat annual tuition, making it one of the most affordable nursing doctorates. The 29 credit program is completely online.

Abraham Lincoln University – Juris Doctor

Juris Doctor (JD)

• $11,375 annual tuition
• 140 credits, 100% online

ALU offers an ABA-approved law doctorate for only $325 per quarter unit. The 140 unit JD is 100% online with flexibility.

Arizona State University – Doctor of Education in Leadership & Innovation

Doctor of Education in Leadership & Innovation

• $10,170 annual tuition
• 90 credits, 100% online

ASU’s EdD is $565 per credit but offers grants and scholarships to lower costs further. The 90 credit program is online in a supportive cohort model.

University of Massachusetts – Doctor of Nursing Practice

• $14,850 annual tuition
• 36 credits, online after MSN

UMass’ 36 credit DNP is $825 per credit hour for a total cost under $15,000 a year. It is online after completing an MSN degree.

New Mexico State University – PhD in Curriculum & Instruction

PhD in Curriculum & Instruction

• $17,551 annual tuition
• 66+ credits, mostly online

NMSU’s C&I doctorate is $444 per credit for all students. It is mostly online with some summer campus sessions required.

Pacific College of Health and Science – Doctor of Acupuncture

Doctor of Acupuncture

• $9,988 annual tuition
• Varies, 100% online

At $454 per credit, this DAOM completion degree is one of the most affordable doctorates in acupuncture. The program is 100% online.

Colorado Technical University – PhD in Computer Science

PhD in Computer Science

• $13,393 annual tuition
• 100 credits, online with residency

CTU offers a flexible 100 credit PhD in computer science for $598 per credit hour. Online with occasional on-campus research.

Indiana University – Doctor of Public Health

Doctor of Public Health

• $10,350 – $22,500 annual tuition
• 45 credits, mostly online

IU’s online DrPH costs between $690-$1500 per credit depending on residency. It includes some face-to-face meetings over two years.

Hampton University – PhD in Nursing

PhD in Nursing

• $9,382 – $10,425 annual tuition
• 54-60 credits, 100% online

Hampton’s online nursing PhD ranges from $695-$750 per credit. The flexible 54-60 credit program has no residency requirements.

Auburn University – PhD in Polymer & Fiber Engineering

PhD in Polymer & Fiber Engineering

• $17,082 annual tuition
• 30-36 credits, mostly online

Auburn’s engineering Ph.D. is $949 per credit. The program is mostly online, with potential campus visits for exams and defense.

Liberty University – PhD in Public Policy

Ph.D. in Public Policy

• $11,900 annual tuition

Liberty’s 60 credit public policy Ph.D. costs $595 per credit. The online program incorporates Christian doctrine.

• Public and state colleges tend to offer the most affordable options, with lower in-state tuition rates. Private universities are typically more expensive for online doctoral programs.
• Certain fields like nursing, education, business, and public policy have numerous affordable online options, likely due to high demand. Fields like law, medicine, and hard sciences have fewer cheap online programs available.
• Total credit requirements range widely from 30 credits up to over 90 credits, impacting overall program cost. Shorter programs with no dissertation requirement are sometimes cheaper.
• Annual tuition costs of $10,000-15,000 are quite common even for affordable online PhDs. Programs under $10,000 are rare, making financial aid and support crucial.
• 100% online programs with no residency provide the most cost savings on travel and lodging. Programs with some on-campus elements have higher overall costs.
• Part-time and flexible pacing options can lower per credit tuition rates at some schools, ideal for working professionals.
• Even affordable programs often have extra fees for technology, resources, and graduation costs that add to the total price.
• Ranking strictly by annual tuition cost provides just one data point. Cost per credit and program flexibility also influence value.

In summary, public universities tend to offer the most affordable online Ph.D. options, especially in high-demand fields like nursing and education. But additional financial support is still key, even with cheaper programs. Flexibility, required credits, and fees also impact total costs.

Pursuing a PhD can be expensive, but online programs can provide a more affordable option for advancing your education and career. This guide covers key factors to consider when researching cheap online doctoral programs.

What to Look For in Affordable Online PhDs

• Low Tuition Costs – Compare annual and per credit tuition rates. In-state public schools tend to be cheaper.
• Limited Fees – Watch out for extra fees that can increase the overall cost.
• 100% Online – Fully online programs eliminate travel and on-campus costs.
• Flexibility – Look for self-paced options with multiple start dates per year.
• Financial Aid – Ask about scholarships, grants, assistantships, and other aid opportunities.
• No Residency – Programs without residency requirements maximize cost savings.

Most Affordable Online Ph.D. Fields

Certain subjects tend to have lower-cost online doctoral options:

• Public Policy/Administration
• Engineering
• Computer Science

Ways to Save on Online PhDs

If tuition is still high, here are some tips to reduce costs:

• Apply for financial aid through the school and external scholarships
• Use employer education benefits or tuition reimbursement
• Attend part-time to qualify for lower per-credit rates
• Find paid research or teaching assistant roles
• Take advantage of in-state tuition if moving is an option

A Ph.D. can lead to high-paying jobs in academia, research, or specialized industries.

These degrees offer high salaries because they require a high level of skill and knowledge. They also lead to careers in in-demand fields.

• Early Career Salary: $103,000
• Mid-Career Salary: $144,000
• Initial Salary: $118,000
• Pay at mid-career level: $145,000
• Early Career Salary: $83,400
• Mid-Career Salary: $146,000
• Early Career Salary: $96,100
• Early Career Salary: $93,700
• Mid-Career Salary: $135,000
• Pay in Your Early Years: $88,100
• Pay at mid-career level: $133,000
• Salary for an Early Career: $105,000
• Pay at mid-career level: $131,000
• Early Career Salary: $93,600
• Mid-career salary: $137,000
• Early Career Salary: $75,400
• Mid-Career Salary: $141,000
• Early Career Salary: $73,600
• Mid-Career Salary: $138,000

Pursuing an online PhD program can provide flexibility and convenience for working professionals and parents.

However, earning a doctoral degree remotely also raises many questions about cost, financial aid, legitimacy, and more.

The section below answers some of the most frequently asked questions about affordable online PhD options .

What are some of the cheapest online doctorate programs?

While tuition costs vary, some particularly affordable options include:

• North Carolina A&T State University’s online Doctor of Philosophy program charges just $233 per credit hour for in-state students.
• Columbia Southern University offers doctoral programs starting at $435 per credit hour, including textbooks and eBooks.
• Many schools provide financial assistance, which can lower out-of-pocket costs for online learners. Checking a program’s aid opportunities is advisable.

Can I get financial aid for an online PhD program?

Yes, financial aid, including scholarships, grants, work-study, and loans, is often available for online doctoral students–some of which are known as “ fully funded online PhD programs “. Steps to take:

• Complete the FAFSA if the program/school accepts it.
• Research scholarships and grants specifically for online learners.
• Ask about aid directly through the school or program.
• Explore employer education benefits and professional development funds.

Are online PhD programs seen as legitimate credentials?

Absolutely. Top schools like Stanford, Columbia, and MIT now offer online doctorates. Be sure to verify:

• The program has valid accreditation .
• The school is non-profit and regionally accredited.
• Past graduates found career success after earning their degrees .

A small number of schools provide full funding for select on-campus Ph.D. students. But free online options besides the GI Bill for veterans are very limited. Realistically, expect to pay some tuition costs unless you secure a full scholarship or grant.

Affordable online Ph.D. programs do exist but require diligent research. Seeking aid and evaluating total costs are key steps for remote doctoral students.

Finding an affordable online Ph.D. is possible with research and utilizing all financial aid opportunities available. Being flexible about the school and program can also help you find the best value.

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Here is the list of doctorate degrees available in various universities worldwide:

12 Best PhD Gifts for Doctoral Students (in 2024)

by Derek Miller 6 min read

If you just try searching "PhD Graduation Gifts" on Amazon, you'll get a page full of mugs, shirts and keychains. They deserve better. I’ve been through grad school, got my PhD, and have a good idea of what they would truly appreciate as a thank-you gift. Here’s my hand-picked list below. 

This list is a compilation of my favorites from around the internet. Some are our own Genius Lab Gear inventions and some we’re just jealous we didn’t think of first! Some external links in this page are from affiliates, which means that any purchase of the items after clicking the link will result in a small monetary referral fee paid back to Genius Lab Gear at no cost to you. We appreciate your support which allows us to continue inventing and testing the best tools for scientists on the planet!

1. Academia Word Magnets

Academia is chock full of inside jokes, mannerisms, and cringeworthy habits that grad students and professors love to laugh about. These word magnets are designed specifically to let academics rant about their hardships, relish their big wins, and have a good laugh. These are perfect for the office refrigerator or the magnetic whiteboard, where colleagues can leave passive-aggressive phrases for lab mates to find later.  Get them on our site here  and bundle them with  other field-specific sets  based on the graduate's field of study.

2. The Pocket Scientist pocket ruler and equation reference

Whether they're climbing the academic latter or heading out to the "real world", they can carry this credit card-sized ruler and scientific reference every day. We even laser-engraved the backside full of basic science equations and physical constants.  See the product page  for a full list of features we've packed in!

Available from  our website  or  from Amazon .

The Pocket Scientist at Genius Lab Gear

The Pocket Scientist on Amazon

How to use The Pocket Scientist – Full Feature Guide

P.S. We also have versions specifically for  Chemists ,  Physicists  and  Engineers  if those are a better fit for the person you have in mind!

3. Rocketbook Matrix cloud-connected reusable paper notebook

PhD students do a lot of work both on paper and with software. Rocketbook finally solved the problem of merging your hand-written notes into your favorite digital services. You simply use their app to take a photo of your pages of notes and the QR code and marked symbols on each page trigger the app to send the digitized page to any of the 9 pre-set digital destinations you choose. This includes OneNote, Evernote, Google Drive, Dropbox, and even specific emails. Want a shortcut to send notes via email straight to your colleague or boss? This is what you’re looking for.

The Rocketbook Matrix is my personal favorite because it's designed for more technical scientific work. It's got 30 pages of graphing paper and one regular lined page for taking notes, plus a built-in ruler on the inside cover. Did I mention they are reusable? Use their " Pilot Frixion " pens and then wipe the page with a damp cloth after uploading your notes to use it all over again (and win one for the environment!). 

Usually, the best price is  on Amazon .

4. Wireless Laser Pointer and PowerPoint Presenter

Laser pointers are one thing you never think about until the moment you don’t have one that works. I personally  own this one  because it’s got everything you need, from the pen clip to volume buttons and slide control buttons. DinoFire has several tiers with different features, but you can’t go wrong with any of them. 

5. rOtring or Staedtler Mechanical Pencil

Mechanical pencils are an essential daily tool for researchers in STEM on the job and in the classroom. But in the new digital age, they often find themselves using touchscreens as well. 

That’s why my new favorite is the rOtring 800 Retractable Mechanical Pencil, (0.5 mm) . This one turns from a pencil to a stylus on the fly, and also ensures the tip isn’t poking holes in your pocket all day like most other models. This is truly the top-end mechanical pencil and will make a special gift. 

Check price on Amazon

Staedtler is another brand much-loved by scientists and engineers. This model is cheaper and will last a long time, but just isn’t convertible to a stylus. You can’t go wrong with either one.

6. Oh, the Places You'll Go! By Dr. Seuss

This might seem like it’s only for kids, but Dr. Seuss’ whimsical wisdom is often applied to the biggest moments of our lives. As a graduation gift, it’s perfect. The timeless message focuses on the success that lies within, as your graduate readies for a new phase in life. Plus, it’s a small book they can keep forever to pass the wisdom on to their kids.

7. Funny Coloring Book for PhD Students and Graduates

These adult coloring books are a hit in many fields, and this one is meant specifically for those who know the struggle of getting a PhD . It’s snarky, fun, and an amazing creative outlet. The satisfaction of just coloring inside the lines versus writing a 300-page thesis is a welcome relief.

8. Scientist Quote Desktop Canvas

We're super proud of our  little series of famous scientist quotes on canvas prints . These are 5"x7" and sit up easily on their own or can be mounted to a wall. This one sits next to me as I write, and helps me keep a sense of humility as I explore the unknown! 

9. Modern Lab Coat Pocket Protector

This is how your PhD grad will know they’ve finally made it. The venerable Pocket Protector became a cultural icon in the 1960's and 1970's, but somewhere along the way the newer generation of STEM researchers forgot about them. Scientists need these back in their labs to stay organized, stay efficient, protect their lab coats, and finish their experiments without being late to lunch. So we researched and tested every type ever made to methodically solve each problem and come up with this refreshed design . Available in spruce green, sapphire blue, and faded pink - the top 3 colors voted on by our fans! You can even get it from our Amazon page if that's easier.

10. PhD Graduation Diploma Frame

They will definitely want to show off their hard work by displaying their newly minted Ph.D. diploma. This frame fits both 8.5”x11” and 11”x14” diplomas, which covers most institutions, and is the highest-rated frame on Amazon with many color choices. If they picked up a Masters degree along the way, you could grab the 2-pack so they can hang them both in their next office. 

11. Amazon.com Gift Card in a Graduation Style Gift Box

If you want them to make their own decision on a graduation gift, the easiest way is to just grab an Amazon gift card in this graduation-themed gift box . Pick any custom amount and they’ll usually get it to you within 2 days.

12. PhD Graduation Gift Bundle

If you can't decide by now, I can still help! Consider this decision made. I put together a  PhD Graduation Gift Bundle  just to make it easy for you. It includes PhD Self-Care and Academia-themed Word Magnets from above, plus a few fun science stickers. You'll save over 20% by bundling them together, so consider this decision made!

• PhD Self-Care Word Magnets
• Academia Word Magnets
• Science Basics Word Magnets
• Starter Word Magnets (144 tiles of connector words)
• Marie Curie sticker
• Science is for Everyone sticker
• Einstein quote sticker

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS (FAQS):

What is the best graduation gift for doctoral students.

Getting a bachelor's degree is one thing, but getting a PhD takes a lot of hard work and dedication. PhD students deserve the best gifts and if you're looking for one, you should check out the following.

• The Pocket Scientist pocket ruler and equation reference
• Rocketbook Matrix Cloud-connected Reusable Paper Notebook
• Wireless Laser Pointer and Powerpoint presenter
• Rotring or Staedtler Mechanical Pencil
• Oh, the Places You'll Go! By Dr. Seuss
• Funny Coloring Book for PhD Students and Graduates
• Scientist Quote Desktop Canvas
• Modern Pocket Protector for lab coats
• PhD Graduation Diploma Frame
• Amazon.com Gift Card in a graduation style Gift Box
• PhD Graduation Gift Bundle

Gifts Lists by Major

Scientist Gifts

Astrophysics Gifts

Biology Gifts

Biochemistry Gifts

Chemistry Gifts

Ecology Gifts

Geology Gifts

Genetics Gifts

Immunology Gifts

Mathematics Gifts

Marine Biology Gifts

Neuroscience Gifts

Microbiology Gifts

Pharmacy Student Gifts

Physics Teacher Gifts

Physicist Gifts

Chemistry Teacher Gifts

Professor and PhD Advisor Gifts

Graduate and PhD Student Gifts

Women in Science Gifts

Science Teacher Gifts

Biology Teacher Gifts

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How to Buy a New Mattress Without a Ph.D. in Chemistry

By Patricia Marx

Before we can talk about buying a new mattress, you’ll need a Ph.D. in chemistry and another in mechanical engineering. How else to make sense of the latest concepts in mattress technology—for instance, hyperelastic polymer, buckling column gel, phase-change molecule fabrics, ballistocardiograph sensors, ice fabric, and 3-D-matrix layers? A master’s degree in marketing and bullshit will also come in handy.

You will have plenty of time to pursue your degree in mattress studies because you no longer have to get out of bed to buy a new bed. No more lolling on a mattress in a showroom, as if you’re in a Marina Abramović installation. More than a hundred online merchants will deliver a mattress to you, rolled up like a Drake’s Yodel in a box the size of a doghouse that a cocker spaniel would feel cramped in. I could not sample every e-commerce mattress. Some companies require a customer to live with the purchase for at least a month before sending it back, and where was I supposed to store an extra mattress, let alone a dormitory’s worth of them? I did obtain, and later un-obtain, a couple of mattresses online. Who’d have thought that I, someone who spent years fastidiously fingering duvet covers to find the right softness, would be throwing caution to the wind and ordering a mattress on my computer? Welcome, mattresses, to the weird new disrupter world, where your neighbors include prescription eyeglasses, used clothes, and pets.

While I waited for my mattresses to be delivered, I hit some mattress stores. Aside from variations in size and upholstery, all mattresses look alike. Are they?

Let’s start with the basic types: innerspring coil, foam, hybrid (foam and innerspring), and adjustable air. Within each category are subcategories. There seem to be more kinds of foam mattresses than there are craft beers from Brooklyn, but don’t be fooled by proprietary terms like “Ambien-injected kosher crypto-foam.” There are actually only two types of foam: polyurethane, of which memory foam is a subset, and latex.

You’re just getting started making decisions, however. What level of firmness do you like? Do you sleep on your side, back, or stomach? When your bedmate tosses and turns, how much does it disturb you (on the Richter scale)? Do you want your mattress all-natural, or will a soupçon of nature do? Do any of the following materials alarm you: soy, hemp, horsehair, mohair, coconut fibre, green tea, polylactide derived from sugarcane? Are you for or against heat-conductive copper flecks? Is the amount of “edge support” that your mattress provides a matter of life and death? How much extra are you willing to pay for latex foam that is flash-frozen before it is baked, or will mere baking suffice?

“Which mattress should I get?” I asked Alex, a Saatva “sleep guide” who works in the company’s New York showroom. “It depends on your palate,” he said, like a waiter who’d been asked whether he recommends the chicken piccata or the trout amandine. Saatva is an e-commerce company, the parent of Loom & Leaf and Zenhaven, two other big names in direct-to-consumer bedding. Merchandise in the showroom is available for experiencing but not for purchasing. The lighting is subdued, the color scheme neutral; here and there, beige artificial trees are not growing. I surveyed the thirteen beds positioned throughout the space. Of the mattresses you can buy online, Saatva was named by Good Housekeeping “Best Overall.” ($1,695. Note: All prices here are for a queen, which is what forty-seven per cent of Americans sleep on.)

Dobrin Mitev, a former senior manager of affiliate and strategic partnerships for Casper, advised me to beware of ratings. He left his job last year because, he said, “I could no longer get behind the mattress industry.” Third-party review sites, he said, generally earn commissions based on how many consumer purchases are made through their links. At Casper, he said, “I was in charge of giving out a pretty penny to affiliates.” This might be why every mattress seems to have received an award for something, even if it’s Canadian Mattress That Tries Hardest or Best Mattress to Have Insomnia On.

Another thing: what is best for me is not necessarily best for you. Mike Magnuson, the founder and C.E.O. of a consumer site called GoodBed, put it this way: “If you were shopping for pants, you wouldn’t say to your friend, ‘Tell me what pants you’re wearing, and I’ll order the same ones.’ You wouldn’t think to look on the Internet for the best pants of 2022.” Take a look at Reddit, where people who care way too much about mattresses file wildly contradictory reports. One poster writes that he is “16 months and five mattresses into this journey”; another is “now googling Canadian coop cotton growers who work with family owned textile mills in Massachusetts.”

Before there were mattress reviews, there were mattresses. The earliest known example, discovered in South Africa’s Border Cave in 2020, is more than two hundred thousand years old. It’s made from sheaves of grass, about a foot thick, placed atop a layer of ash that was used, scientists believe, to provide insulation and to discourage bugs from crawling upward. “It would have been like sleeping on a rather compressed haystack,” Lyn Wadley, an archeologist at the University of Witwatersrand, who directed the excavation, said. Given the mattress’s age, would it be covered under the terms of the lifetime warranties offered today by such companies as Puffy, WinkBeds, DreamCloud, and Awara? (The average warranty covers ten to twenty years.) “As long as the two-hundred-thousand-year-old mattress was still being used by its original purchaser, then yes!” Magnuson said. Nevertheless, mattress people tell you to replace your mattress every eight years, and they’re not biased—no sirree.

By most accounts, the first water bed was created around 1600 B.C., when ancient Persians filled goatskins with water. Then, in 1833, along came Dr. Arnot’s Hydrostatic Bed for Invalids, devised by a Scottish physician to prevent bedsores. Not until 1968, though, did the water bed become the lay of the land: Charles Hall, a San Francisco grad student, introduced his water-filled vinyl “Pleasure Pit” at an art exhibition called “The Happy Happening.” Soon, Hugh Hefner reportedly got one (encased in Tasmanian-possum pelt), as did Tommy Smothers and a member of the Jefferson Airplane. A nudist colony owned two. “We called regular innerspring beds ‘dead beds’ and threw them off balconies from our hotel rooms at waterbed conventions,” Dennis Boyd, a water-bed impresario, recounted on his Web site, The Bedroom Store. Water beds peaked in the mid-eighties, capturing around twelve to fifteen per cent of the mattress market. By then, the anti-establishment had become the establishment and developed backaches, and nobody had time for sex. Nowadays, water beds are used by dairy cows, including a hundred and sixty-five belonging to Queen Elizabeth , as an aid in milk production. (Entrepreneurs: Nobody is selling bovine dust ruffles yet.)

Back at Saatva, I’m sprawled on the Classic, the brand’s signature model. It is composed of two layers of innerspring—the bottom is a system of interconnected coils that provide support, and the top has individually encased coils that contour to your body. Above the coils is a thin slab of memory foam, for “enhanced lower-back support and durability.” Covering it all, like icing on a cake, is a marshmallowy top of cotton quilting. The Saatva Classic mattress comes in three levels of firmness (firmest: sleeping on an airport bench; plushest: sinking in quicksand).

The innerspring mattress is the most old-fashioned type (it was invented in 1871, in Berlin) and the most popular. According to one bed blog, thirty-two per cent of Americans own one, and it has the highest satisfaction rate (sixty-three per cent, as opposed to eight per cent for foam types). I could complicate matters further by discussing the effect of coil gauge on mattress comfort (higher gauge equals thinner wire equals softer mattress), but what is this? Spring semester of coil college?

Have you ever lain awake at night, thinking, Well, I suppose I must chop off my arm now, because there is nowhere to put it if I remain on my side? If the answer is yes, your mattress is too firm, a common buying mistake. The mattress best suited to you is the one that keeps your spine in its natural S curve and relieves pressure points (shoulder and hips) by allowing you to sink into the surface just the right amount. In general, firmer mattresses are better for back and stomach sleepers and for people weighing more than two hundred and thirty pounds; softer mattresses are recommended for side sleepers and hummingbirds.

Memory foam is the biggest thing in bedding since those African sheaves of grass. It was invented, in 1966, by Charles Yost, an engineer who’d been contracted by NASA to come up with a material to cushion astronauts’ seats during liftoff and mitigate the stress caused by g-force. Memory foam is polyurethane foam (polyol plus diisocyanate, both derived from petroleum) with additives that make it denser and more elastic. This means that it is slower to change shape under pressure yet quicker to spring back to its original shape. It should really be called short-term-memory foam. When warmed by your body, it conforms to your contours, giving you a sense of being hugged. Some people feel trapped. Some people like feeling trapped. Because of memory foam’s high density, it absorbs movement, reducing the chance that when your partner rolls over a ripple will be detectable on your side of the bed.

Memory foam’s density also means that it tends to feel hotter than a spring mattress, which is airier. To compensate, memory foam is sometimes infused with gel, in capsules or swirls. Does that work? Not really, according to Michael Hickner, a professor of materials science and engineering at Penn State. “I think a lot of it is marketing and small design tweaks,” he told me. But the main problem he has with foam mattresses is that they “do not biodegrade for all intents and purposes.”

The type of foam the planet is rooting for you to buy is natural latex. Made from liquid extruded from rubber trees, it’s whipped until frothy and then baked. The resulting material can be both biodegradable and recyclable. No trees are harmed in the process; for them, it’s like giving blood. Latex is denser and heavier than urethane foam, in addition to being more durable, and often cooler. It has more air flow because of small perforations, which resemble the peg holes of a cribbage board. Latex foam is more expensive. It is also bouncier, which puts it on many Best Mattresses for Sex lists.

As with finding a person to sleep with, choosing what you want to sleep on is now largely done online. This was made possible because foam mattresses, unlike the old-fashioned battleships of steel and batting, can be compressed, jammed into a box, and delivered by UPS to your bedroom. Even hybrid mattresses—foam plus microcoils—are squishable and shippable. (Saatva is unusual in that it hand-delivers your purchase unfurled.)

After you coax your new mattress out of the box, it will expand in a leisurely fashion, like a slo-mo popcorn kernel; the process will take between four and forty-eight hours. It might smell funny, like new carpet or melted permanent markers, but don’t worry. The fumes, an effect of off-gassing (the emission of minute amounts of volatile organic compounds), will go away in a few days. You’ll likely have somewhere between a hundred days and a year to try the bed out, and if it’s not up to snuff you can return it for a refund.

The first of the new mattress disrupters, a Tennessee startup called BedInABox, appeared in 2006. The C.E.O. and founder, Bill Bradley, had been inspired by Magniflex, an Italian bed-maker that, since 1986, had been offering compressed, vacuum-sealed mattresses stuffed into duffelbags. Like Popsicle, Taser, and Zoom, the brand name BedInABox became synonymous with the category of product. But the hegemony of traditional retailers with a physical presence wasn’t threatened until Casper arrived, in 2014, with just one mattress style, and launched a social-media campaign that made tugging a foam rectangle out of a box look like the most fun anyone could ever have. In 2010, by some accounts, less than one per cent of mattress purchases in the United States were online; in 2018, the slice was forty-five per cent; and since the start of the pandemic it’s certainly grown even larger. Virtual buying has a lot to recommend it: the mattresses are generally cheaper, owing to lower operating costs and more competition; there’s a lot more product to choose from; and the return policies tend to be more generous.

But can you reliably pick the right mattress sight unseen? Not automatically. However, if you try out some models in an actual store or two, you should do fine. I headed to the Third Avenue outpost of Tempur-Pedic, to find out what all-foam mattresses feel like. Tempur-Pedic gets credit for popularizing foam, but the original was produced, in 1991, by the Swedish company Fagerdala, which used the technology developed by nasa for the astronaut seats. (Those engineers had named the treated polyurethane Temper, for its temperature-regulating properties.) Fagerdala sold the North American distribution rights to Robert Trussell, a horse breeder in Kentucky, who, with a friend, created Tempurpedic, Inc. Today, the brand is part of Tempur-Sealy International, which, along with Serta Simmons Bedding L.L.C., is estimated to account for 45.4 per cent of mattress sales.

The showroom contained thirteen sheetless beds, some flanked by monitors projecting calming images of nature. I faked sleeping on three models, and I’ll be damned if I could tell them apart. “This one is up to eight degrees cooler,” an associate named Amir said, of the LuxeAdapt—or was that the Luxe breeze? As I auditioned the Luxe breeze (twenty per cent more pressure relief), Amir said, “No other foam comes close to Tempur-Pedic’s foam.”

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I asked what makes it so special. “I can’t tell you,” Amir said. “It’s a trade secret.” Manufacturers often boast of a “proprietary formula,” which could be as meaningful as adding a dash of salt. Whatever the Tempur-Pedic secret, the beds I sampled were extremely comfortable. Tempur-Pedic mattresses, like real maple syrup, are generally regarded as superb but pricey ($2,399-$5,399).

Dobrin Mitev believes that price does reflect quality. “At least at Casper, the more expensive models had a more complex structure,” he said. “More layers, and each layer had a different function.” Comparing mattresses to wine, he recommended selecting from the middle price range. “You don’t want to buy the cheapest,” he said, but in the mid-range “there is not that much difference.”

If the middle range is still a financial stretch, you could try the Zinus Green Tea Cooling Swirl Memory Foam Hybrid ($379 from Amazon), Denver Mattress Doctor’s Choice Plush ($799.99), NovaForm Comfort Grande ($599.99 from Costco), Allswell Bed in a Box Hybrid ($349 from Walmart), or Hesstun Medium Firm Innerspring ($549 from IKEA ).

How bad could a cheapie be? Time to visit Mattress Firm, a repository of mattresses in a wide range of brands and prices—at the high end, Intellibed ($5,799) and Tempur-Pedic ($5,099); at the low end, Sleepy’s innerspring ($199) and Tulo’s memory foam ($259). At my local branch, I found fifteen or so beds shoved close together under ceiling lights, creating a warehouse vibe. I was immediately greeted by Moncef, a cheerful man whose nametag identified him as a Sleep Expert. When I confessed that I wasn’t sure which type of mattress I wanted, he said, “Perfect! You’re a mystery shopper.” He added that he had a scientific method for determining my ideal mattress. It involved asking me a lot of questions and looking at a chart. From Moncef, I learned that although a plush mattress helps you fall asleep faster, a supportive mattress helps you stay asleep longer.

After flopping around on many expensive mattresses, I asked to see some, ahem, budget choices. Those were displayed in the basement. I spread out on a Beautyrest that felt like a slice of Wonder Bread. After twenty minutes, I told Moncef that I needed more time to make a decision. “Did I mention we’re having a sale?” he said.

Did I mention that it’s almost impossible to buy a mattress that is not on sale? March through May is the best time to buy, according to Bob Vila’s Web site, because new product usually arrives in June. But everything is negotiable. Chris Regan, who manages the mattress-testing program at Consumer Reports , estimated that mattresses have a markup of forty to fifty per cent. Haggling usually works, unless you are dealing with a company with fixed prices, such as a warehouse club.

Regan recommends shopping in an area where there are lots of mattress stores. “When you head out of a place and say, ‘I kind of like this one, but I’m going down the street,’ the salesperson will likely offer you a better deal,” he said. If a price reduction is a no-go, try for free sheets or pillows. There are online tricks, too: leave your item in the shopping cart—there’s a good chance you’ll receive an e-mail with a discount code within a day or two.

At Hästens, if you have to ask, you can’t afford it. The company’s most preposterously priced mattress, a king-size Grand Vividus, costs $539,000 (bed frame included). When Drake bought one, in 2020, it was merely $400,000. For non-Grammy winners, there’s a waiting list. Handcrafted by a team of artisans in Sweden, each mattress takes up to six hundred hours to assemble and stitch and is wrapped in checked cotton ticking. If you buy one, even the company’s humblest ($19,575), a pair of “sleep doctors” will come to your house twice a year for twenty-five years to flip, rotate, and massage your mattress.

No, these mattresses are not stuffed with caviar or antimatter or five hundred and thirty-nine thousand dollars in unmarked bills. In addition to steel (for the springs), wool, cotton, and flax, they are made from more than a dozen layers of hand-teased South American horsetail hair. Horsehair fibres are hollow, a Hästens executive explained, which means that they enhance the mattress’s ventilation system. (Horses sleep standing up; make of that what you will.) Although the mattresses have a warranty of twenty-five years, the executive clarified, “We won’t replace it if your dog rips it apart.”

Not long ago, joined by the person with whom I share an old but good-enough-for-now mattress, I tried out a few Hästens models during a private sleep consultation. This was arranged by a Hästens employee, Kristel Kalm (real name), a lanky former tennis pro from Sweden. She’d offered to send a car for us, but we made the three-block journey on foot. In borrowed goose-down Hästens booties ($200), we chilled on a king-size 2000T mattress ($61,780). The lights were dim and candles burned, mimicking the ambience of a séance or a facial. I wish I could tell you that Hästens mattresses are uncomfortable, because then you wouldn’t even think of spending the equivalent of a year’s college tuition on a bed. But they are extremely comfortable, somehow simultaneously dense and pliant. Oh, well, sleep is as good as college for your brain.

The first of my online purchases to arrive was a Layla Hybrid, a flippable number composed of more layers than a lasagna—the one in the middle has individually wrapped coils for support, and on either side of this are foam layers for comfort, with one side firmer than the other. Many mattresses nowadays are not flippable. You like firm or you like plush; why would someone want two options? I’d asked this question of Alex, my sleep guide at Saatva. “Our numbers suggest there’s an age group that enjoys firm, but, when they reach their sixties or seventies, they get arthritis and need something softer,” he whispered discreetly. I wanted to try Layla because the outer layers are infused with copper, which supposedly makes it cooler. If you shop for mattresses, you will reach the conclusion that the greatest problem facing Americans today is not climate change or gun violence but “sleeping hot.”

I dragged the duffelbag inside my apartment and watched a few online videos about how to set up a Layla mattress. In one, a spokesman says to use the duffelbag’s shoulder straps to carry it up the stairs. If you’re a mule. I could barely slide the bag across my floor. Every video shows the unpacker expressing delight at the complimentary extra-large T-shirt that says “Wake Up!” After maneuvering the Hybrid out of the bag, I nervously used the enclosed Layla cutting blade to remove the outer plastic casing. Trying to puzzle out which direction the unbound mattress would spiral so that it wouldn’t smash into the table, I understood how chimps taking I.Q. tests feel. Before I could get at the inner shrink-wrap casing, my Layla started to expand, and within a minute or two it was fully grown. I peeled off the last of the plastic to reveal a honeycomb-patterned charcoal-gray mattress cover, made from polyester, viscose, rayon, and Lycra spandex. Don’t even think of trying to get it back in the duffel. ($1,699, reduced to $1,499.)

For a few nights, I slept on the Hybrid. The soft side was too soft for me, and the other side was spongy but didn’t make me feel like I needed a forklift to get out of bed. You can also go for the extra topper with copper-infused memory foam ($349), which provides cushioning, or, as the Layla Web site says, it’s “like adding an extra layer of clouds to a bed already made of cotton candy.” I consulted with Michael Hickner again to ask about the claims made by Layla and other companies that copper’s thermal conductivity allows it to pull heat away from your body.

“I’d like to see independent scientific data to support that,” he said. “Once companies figured out they can make money selling mattress snake oil to the public, they turned what used to be a boring thing you bought once every twenty years into a designer wellness solution that could change your life.” Still, if you want a soft, comfortable mattress, Layla does the trick. If you want a surface that is truly cooling, try sleeping on a glacier.

Next to arrive was the Avocado Green, rated No. 1 by Consumer Reports . It is so organic, carbon-negative, and eco-chummy that when global warming finally gets us you can rest assured that it was not because of anything you slept on. Its vegan option, which replaces wool with cotton, is PETA -approved. Gwyneth Paltrow partnered with Avocado on the Goop x Avocado mattress—no, let’s call it a sleep system—which starts at $24,000 and is available on demand. I chose my model during a visit to Avocado’s Experience Center, at 135 Fifth Avenue. While I waited for the couple chilling out on the Eco Organic model to move on, I asked a sales associate named Desi (long hair, leggings) if customers ever fall asleep. “All the time,” she said. “The longest was four and a half hours. He was so embarrassed that he bought the mattress.” I ordered the Avocado Green in king and opted for in-home delivery, recommended for beds that are royalty. For $249—cheaper than back surgery—you get setup and free removal of your old mattress. Mine was ready to go in less time than it takes for a sleeping pill to kick in. The Avocado Green has a luxe-feeling surface, both firmer and bouncier than the Layla. And I cannot agree with the online reviewer who observed that the Avocado Green had a faint odor of sheep.

In truth, the more mattresses I slept on, the more I couldn’t tell them apart. The Avocado innerspring and latex, topped with wool sheared from Himalayan Gaddi goats that, according to the brand’s Web site, “graze on organic pastures [where] a frigid mountain stream runs downhill and peaks over 20,000 feet loom high above,” was also great ($2,299). So was the DUX 6006, which has as many as forty-two hundred interconnected coils and a removable top pad for extra cushioning, if that’s your thing ($10,430). Ditto the Sleep Number 360 p6 Smart Bed, which contains two air-filled bladders, so that the inflation and deflation of each side can be adjusted on their own, to accommodate the preferences of you and your bedmate ($3,099). And, for anyone who needs biometrics regarding each second of her slumber, the SleepIQ Technology found in every Sleep Number mattress is designed for you. (I’m more “Don’t ask, don’t tell” about my nocturnal heart and breathing rates.) The Casper Nova Hybrid ($2,295) is awfully cozy, and I also like the Casper Original, both the all-foam ($1,295) and the hybrid foam with springs ($1,695).

Staring at the ceiling in Bloomingdale’s, listening to the Four Seasons sing “Oh, what a night” over the sound system, I wanted to answer “Both” to the salesperson’s question: Which is more comfortable? Some of this confusion is deliberate. Jerry Epperson, an investment banker who specializes in the furniture and mattress fields, told me, “We’re an industry where five companies do sixty to seventy per cent of the manufacturing.” He named them: Tempur-Pedic, Sealy, Serta, Simmons, and Sleep Number. A manufacturer often sells the same product to various retailers, each of which may differentiate it in a trivial way—changing the color or the quilting pattern, making it a smidgen thicker or thinner. The retailer then slaps on a proprietary name, deeming the mattress an exclusive. Mattress people call this practice “the name game.” This makes it difficult to ask Mattress Firm to honor its guarantee to “beat any competitor’s price by 10% or your purchase is free.”

Ever notice how similar many of the logos and ad slogans of mattress companies are? Compare, for instance, the clean sans-serif lowercase fonts of Nectar, Layla, Purple, and Saatva. Is this intentional? “Absolutely,” Dobrin Mitev said. “It’s competitor mimicry.”

Amid all the shadiness and hyped marketing, how to choose? Before you resort to the “eeny, meeny, miny, moe” method, let me offer a few tips: Whether you buy online or in person, sample enough mattresses to figure out whether you prefer memory foam, latex, innerspring, adjustable air-filled, or some combination. Don’t buy any mattress that doesn’t come with a trial period. Keep the mattress pristine during this time. (Many people spring for a waterproof mattress protector.) Read the fine print on the return policy to avoid surprises. Some policies allow only exchanges. That’s not for you. In my experience, Costco and Amazon make it so easy to return that you’ll hope you don’t like what you ordered. A warning about warranties: many of them are prorated; many offer repairs, not refunds or replacements; and the criteria for determining what is covered can be stringent. (Technically, sagging means a dip of at least an inch and a half. I’m not sure even an elephant house guest would cause that.) You know that mattress tag? Removing it can void the warranty.

Some advice from the mattresscenti: Seth Basham, an analyst at Wedbush Securities who covers the mattress industry, believes in reading online customer reviews. Mitev puts greater stock in the bigger, long-established companies than in the small upstarts with no track record. In contrast, many grassroots sites advise staying away from big brands like Sealy, Simmons, Stearns & Foster, and Serta (often referred to as the “S brands”), because they allegedly use poorer-quality materials. Brent Larson, a rep from the testing organization Element Materials Technology, suggests consulting Consumer Reports , which, as a nonprofit, purchases its own samples from the companies it evaluates and restricts which findings can be used in advertising.

What mattress does Chris Regan, who oversees mattress testing at Consumer Reports , sleep on? “A ten-year-old Sealy,” he said. “Is it time for me to get a new mattress? Yes. Am I going to? Probably not.” He added that the car he drives, an old Jeep, “is one of our lowest rated.” It gets him where he wants to go. ♦

An earlier version of this story misstated the job title of a former Casper employee and misspelled the name of a Hästens mattress.

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Can You Really Buy A PhD Online?

Much attention has been paid in the UK to the petition aiming to ban the advertising and provision of essay mill services . This says that you can buy a PhD for £6,750 , a figure which has been floating around the media for some time.

But, is it really possible to buy a PhD online and for a price similar to this?

The answer, unfortunately, is yes.

You can definitely buy PhD level writing. And a student who is familiar with how the essay industry works can find a better value PhD thesis than that offered by a typical essay mill.

How Do You Go About Buying A PhD?

You can, of course, buy a fake PhD certificate, or use your “ life experience ” to get a qualification from a fake university . But such qualifications are unlikely to stand up to external scrutiny.

You might try and make connections directly with a writer and work with them.

But I suspect most people will see the type of advertising for PhD mills that appears when you search on Google. It’s hard to avoid it, as even a prospective student looking for advice about which university to study a PhD at will be hit with ads of this type.

The advertising for PhD writing services is nowhere near as advanced as for essay mills but many of the same marketing techniques are in use. You see guarantees , discounts , promises of fast turnaround times and the old favourite of “ 0% plagiarism “. But, with my marketing hat on, I think you can also tell that these services don’t really understand the prospective PhD market – although I’m not about to provide free consultancy for here to help them improve.

The less developed market for PhD writing services is also reflected in the cost per click prices charged by Google (the amount each advertiser pays every time someone clicks on the link). Advertising for PhD mills is generally cheap .

There are some high value keywords. For instance, Google in the UK suggests that advertisers bid between £11.22 and £20.49 per click for the search term “ phd thesis ” to get at the top of the first screen (the only position that really counts).

But many terms go for much less. A search term like “ buy phd online ” only requires a cost per click between £1.15 and £4.92. These costs are usually far lower than the equivalent terms for essays, coursework and assignments.

How Much Does A PhD Thesis Cost?

The web market for buying PhD level work is nowhere near as advanced as equivalent essay mills for undergraduate level. Many of the essay mills I checked advertise they will write PhDs, but do not have any detail or pricing information available on their website.

I did find a site which sold PhD by chapters. A 75,000 word PhD thesis would cost around £6,000 , not far from the headline figure used at the start of this post. However, the site also advertised having coupons available and I suspect I could have easily have pushed that price below £5,000 had I asked for a discount in the online chat.

There are much more developed PhD mills out there. Some show understanding of the contract cheating PhD level market.

One PhD mill, for example, splits its services to match the stages of the PhD journey where a student might want to hire support.

This includes everything from help with the initial application and proposal , through to chapter writing , to tutorials and mentoring for the final viva . It also claims to offer a premium service of publishable level work , produced in collaboration with an academic expert. For that level of service, enough to build the credentials for an academic job, the 75,000 word thesis would work out at £22,500 .

As my research investigating academic writers has shown , many essay mills find low priced writers and just act as an intermediary. Such budget price writers do exist at PhD level , even if they are harder to find. Presumably, some writers relish the intellectual challenge of completing advanced research as opposed to just writing basic essays.

And, you can buy a custom written PhD thesis much cheaper.

A report in the Indian media has shown that an original PhD thesis can be purchased in India for 50,000 Indian rupees (about £540) , with payment in installments possible. The source claims that PhD writing offers like this one are not uncommon and that academics will moonlight as PhD writers. I also understand that similar services can often be found advertising in newspapers in India.

PhD writing requests also occasionally appear on the major freelancing sites.

A (live at the time of writing) request for a PhD thesis on English Literature, from a buyer in Pakistan, saw 7 people, mostly from India, offering to complete this in six weeks at rates between £750 and £1,500 (with an average of £1114) for 75,000 words . 4 of the 7 bidders were from India. At face value, fulfilling the request in that time does not seem realistic for anyone, but this may be enough to secure a successful PhD completion in Pakistan.

What About Buying A PhD Literature Review?

Just as one of the PhD mills advertises its approach of completing a PhD thesis in collaborative stages, a student using a freelance site may also outsource their PhD thesis chapter by chapter . This may be because they feel able to complete part of the thesis themselves, but need help with some sections, or they may use it as an opportunity to audition a writer to work with throughout the process.

Here is another freelance site example, taking bids, with 40 people from around the world offering to complete a 3,500 word literature review for a PhD thesis .

The person making the request states that they are in the UK (this information is mostly reliable as the requester is verified). They are also pricing in pounds, which is not common for people outside the UK.

They have proposed a budget between £20 and £250, with offers received between £20 and £500. The mean (average) offer is at £165 (which would be about £47 per 1000 words – when I looked at essay pricing, I found lots of people willing to work for £7.50 for 1000 words ). Perhaps a better measure is the mode, where 17 offers are at £150 (or £43 per 1000 words ).

This is a prolific group of bidders, with 4884 successfully completed jobs between them, with most coming from Kenya, Pakistan and India, but also including offers from the United Kingdom, United States, Australia and Canada.

Just looking at the bidder profiles is interesting. I even found a graduate from a university I used to work at (but not someone I knew), using his MBA as a credential, completing assignments for students and even preparing fake reference letters for them (for which the going rate is around £20 per fake reference).

It just goes to show that there are many ways to get a PhD if you’re creative about it.

Should We Focus On The PhD Contract Cheating Market

The area is very much understudied. Although I’ve provided other examples in previous academic papers and talks the amount of data available is small, so it is difficult to study this systematically .

It does appear that PhDs are easier to achieve in some countries than others . We need employers to understand that not all qualifications are equal.

I’ve often discussed how an MBA is often just seen as a stepping stone to a higher level leadership job . So, people will contract cheat here. In some places, it appears that a PhD is also considered like this.

The good news is that, if academic integrity processes are suitably robust, simply buying a PhD level thesis in the UK should not be enough for its holder to be awarded a PhD title .

The student still has a spoken viva exam to get through.

Yes, students can train for this viva (and, as I’ve shown, there are services offering to prepare them), but here examiners need to have the confidence to fail the candidate if they do not have the in-depth knowledge and understanding that is required.

It all comes down to the academic integrity of the supervisory team and examiners , along with the institutional process this sits within. And getting the right student, with the motivation and ability to complete a PhD is important too. PhD students most certainly have a role to play in preserving academic integrity .

3 thoughts on “Can You Really Buy A PhD Online?”

Pingback: Buy An PhD – Essay Mills And Contract Cheating Pricing (Infographic) | Thomas Lancaster

Pfft rip off for that money do it yourself

My work focuses on buying masters and doctorates in economics and development. These should be the freshest prices. Dont forget, because they are black market contracts, you may not always get what you expect.

https://twitter.com/BryaneBryane/status/1581278479353462784?s=20&t=ZOk-8So5re18uovZ-nUh2A

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Top 15 Best PhD Graduation Gifts in 2024

I found the very best PhD graduation gifts. Below, I’ll discuss each. This article includes specific PhD graduation gift recommendations. I did my best to include a little bit about why new doctors appreciate each, and I link to where you can find them.

Note that The Grad Cafe is supported by our audience, I regularly use affiliate links throughout. That means I could get a small commission when you order something on this list. Thanks for your support!

Ready to discuss PhD graduation gifts? Read on.

Table of Contents

You Can’t Go Wrong With…

If you’re at a loss thinking about what to buy a Ph.D. graduate as a present, you can’t go wrong with cash, checks, and gift cards.

There’s no denying that PhDs can be incredibly expensive. Just look at the data from EducationData.org , which states that federal graduate student borrowers have $91,148 average loan balances. It doesn’t matter if they earned their degree in person or online — debt is debt. Cutting a check for any amount can help a PhD graduate buy what they need (or want). They can also choose to pay the amount toward their debt.

Of course, giving cash or a check isn’t everyone’s idea of a good present. In that case, you can always give a gift card .

Amazon Gift Cards come in nice packaging, like this graduation gift box.

Amazon allows you to choose your gift card amount,  starting from $25 and going all the way up to $2,000. You can also send your gift card digitally if you’d rather skip the box altogether.

On Amazon, you can also choose gift cards from specific brands. For example, if you’d like to give the gift of tech, you can opt for an Apple gift card between $25-$500. And if you’re looking for PhD graduation gifts for her , try a Sephora gift card  between $25-$250.

Buy a Graduation-Themed Amazon Gift Card

Buy an Apple Gift Card

Buy a Sephora Gift Card

15 Best PhD Graduation Gifts [2024]

Check out these unique, fun gift ideas for a doctoral graduate near and dear to your heart!

1. A Care Package – CRAVEBOX Gourmet Specialty Snack Box

Care packages are an excellent yet practical way to show you care. The CRAVEBOX Gourmet Specialty Snack Box is a 50-piece collection of gourmet snack samplers.

Why a PhD Graduate Would Like It:

Unless your recipient is a picky eater, they’re bound to like something in this package. After all, who wouldn’t want to try new types of snacks? They might even find their new favorite snack in this box!

Of course, you may want to ask about food sensitivities and preferences before choosing a box like this.

Buy the CRAVEBOX Gourmet Specialty Snack Box

2. Presentation Clicker and Pointer – Logitech R500s

The Logitech R500s is a presentation pointer and clicker that works from a 65ft range(20m). It has a red laser and customizable buttons. The R500s connects via a USB dongle/receiver, but it’s also universally compatible, including with Bluetooth.

PhD graduates, especially ones going into an academic or research-based career , will have to give a lot of presentations. A good clicker like this can make their presentations go more smoothly.

Buy the Logitech R500s

3. RocketBook Smart Reusable Notebook Set

The RocketBook has been around for a while, but it’s still a pretty cool product all around. RocketBooks are essentially notebooks with special pages that let you scan and digitally convert notes. They come in various sizes and have reusable pages if you use the Pilot Frixion pen. That’s a win for the planet!

PhD graduates will likely write a lot  of notes in their lifetime. The RocketBook blends old-school handwritten notes with technology, allowing easily scannable and text-convertible notes with the app’s OCR (optical character recognition) feature. Some may find this gift a novelty, but it’s a great way to help the environment!

Buy the RocketBook Smart Reusable Notebook Set

4. Boogie Board Basics Reusable Writing Pad

The Boogie Board is a reusable writing pad for quick notes and reminders at work or home. You can use anything to write on it, as long as it has a dull pointy end. This board is good for 50,000 resets (board clears) — endless use!

This is one of the coolest gift ideas for PhD graduates because it reduces desk clutter and wasted paper.

Buy the Boogie Board Basics Reusable Writing Pad

5 . Mechanical Pencil + Stylus: rOtring 800+

This rOtring mechanical pencil and stylus hybrid lets you switch seamlessly from paper to screen. It’s a well-designed writing instrument that prevents writing fatigue thanks to its hexagonal barrel.

This mechanical pen and stylus combo is one of the best PhD graduation gifts for students . For many, pencils are the writing instrument of choice. rOtring is a known and reliable pencil brand, so there’s no doubt it will provide an enjoyable writing experience — and it’s a breeze to use!

Buy the rOtring 800+ Mechanical Pencil and Stylus

6. Hobonichi Techo 5-Year Diary

The Hobonichi Techo is a well-known planner/diary loved for its sheer quality and flexibility. The Hobonichi Techo 5-Year Diary allows the user to plan and organize up to five years of their lives.

The Hobonichi Techo 5-Year Diary offers PhD graduates an easy way to keep track of their appointments and events — especially if they prefer pen and paper to phone apps.

Buy the Hobonichi Techo 5-Year Diary

7. HidrateSpark PRO Smart Steel Water Bottle

The HidrateSpark PRO Smart Steel Water Bottle keeps you hydrated with its reminder glow. You can even track your water intake through its free app and customize the bottle’s glow lights and light patterns. The best part? It keeps drinks cold for up to 24 hours!

The HidrateSpark PRO bottle makes a great gift for a PhD graduate, especially if they are so busy that they forget to take care of themselves. Dehydration is no joke!

Buy the HidrateSpark PRO Smart Steel Water Bottle

8. Leather Briefcase and Laptop Bag by KomalC

This leather briefcase and laptop bag uses buffalo leather and durable YKK zippers to ensure years and years of use. It fits laptops without being too bulky while still having plenty of room for files, folders, and notebooks.

This KomalC leather briefcase is a high-quality bag a PhD graduate can take with them anywhere. It’s roomy and protects their laptops and important items without being too bulky or uncomfortable.

Buy the Leather Briefcase and Laptop Bag by KomalC

9. Custom Engraved Steel Business Card Case

This beautiful two-tone business card case holds up to 15 business cards. It comes with free personalization, allowing three text lines with up to 25 characters for each line.

PhD graduates often carry business cards. So why not have a nice, engraved case to keep them all in great condition until it’s time to hand them out?

Buy the Custom Engraved Steel Business Card Case

10. Mechanical Retro Style Flip Clock

This retro-style flip clock has a minimalistic design while still displaying the time down to the minute. It has a durable stainless steel frame and ABS plastic cards to ensure longevity. However, it has delicate inner mechanisms, so it’s not the best gift for someone with cats or young children.

This gift is a great conversation starter for your PhD recipient!

Buy the Mechanical Retro Style Flip Clock

11. Sonic Bomb Alarm Clock with Bed Shaker

This alarm clock was made for those who sleep through just about any other alarm. It comes with a shaker that users can put underneath their pillow (or anywhere else where it would make a racket) so the vibrations will wake them up when the alarm rings.

This Sonic Bomb Alarm Clock with Bed Shaker is one of the best PhD graduation gifts for students who sleep like the dead. This alarm clock might help the recipient avoid tardiness, though their sleeping partner might not appreciate it so much!

Buy the Sonic Bomb Alarm Clock with Bed Shaker

12. FlexiSpot Laptop Desk Riser

This laptop desk riser is 27×19 inches — a relatively large desk surface when raised. It has five adjustment settings from 1.8 to 15.9 inches. This Flexispot product allows the user to turn any surface into a standing desk. Make sure you also check the Best Desks for Students .

Sitting all day while working is detrimental to your health. This laptop desk riser is an excellent choice for PhD graduates who spend way too much time at their workstations. And if they don’t want to stand, even the slight elevation of gaze reduces neck strain and back pain.

Buy the FlexiSpot Laptop Desk Riser .

*You can also add the FlexiSpot Anti-Fatigue Mat .

13. FlexiSpot EN1 Electric Height Adjustable Standing Desk

The En1 electric height adjustable desk has a 55×28 inch table top for a spacious work area. It runs quietly while adjusting height smoothly. Users can set the table’s height between 28-47.6 inches. It supports up to 154 lbs, which accommodates even the heaviest workloads.

The EN1 makes is a great PhD graduation gift for the same reason a laptop riser would — it helps your PhD graduate to stand more often, minimizing stress and back pain. This fully electric desk is also quite convenient, without requiring manual adjustments. What better way to kick off your graduate’s high-paying PhD job  than a fabulous new desk?

Buy the FlexiSpot EN1 Electric Height Adjustable Standing Desk

14. Sony WH-1000XM4 Noise Canceling Headphones

The Sony WH-1000XM4 headphones are legendary for great audio quality, comfort, and portability (they fold up to a smaller profile when not in use). It offers ANC (active noise cancellation) and even has built-in Alexa voice control.

If you want to give the gift of peace and focus, this pair of headphones is an incredible choice. While this one’s pricey, you can find other ANC headphones that are more affordable. The XM4s also have a newer version, the XM5 (but these don’t fold up into a smaller profile).

Buy the Sony WH-1000XM4 Noise Canceling Headphones

15. Microsoft Surface Go 3

The Microsoft Surface Go 3 is a tablet that can replace a laptop. It runs on Windows, has a touch screen and decent battery life, and works with a stylus. You can also charge it with a power bank if you run out of juice.

The Microsoft Surface Go 3 is an excellent and pragmatic PhD graduation gift for students because of its productivity capabilities, including responding to emails and word processing. And, of course, it also works well for entertainment purposes. Save this for a loved one — it’s pricy!

Buy the Microsoft Surface Go 3

How Much Should You Spend on PhD Graduation Gifts?

The cost of your PhD gift depends on your relationship with the graduate. It can be anywhere from $10-$300, or maybe even more if you wish — but never spend more than you can afford. Here’s a general guide for how much you might want to spend:

• Acquaintances : <$30
• Friends : $25-$50
• Closest friends and relatives: $50-$100
• Significant others, children, and close loved ones: $100-$300+

Avoid superfluously expensive gifts for people you aren’t close with — that’ll just make them uncomfortable!

Finishing a doctorate is no easy feat — even the online PhDs  take endless hours to complete. Bottom line? Graduating with a PhD is a cause for celebration! And what better way to celebrate your new PhD-holder loved one than with a thoughtful present ?

PhD graduation gifts don’t have to be expensive or luxurious. They can be something as simple as a mug or a shirt with a witty PhD-related message. Doctorate graduation gifts can even be sentimental, like an engraved business card case.

If someone you know recently achieved a PhD (or even an MBA ), this list of the best graduation gifts for PhD students might offer some gift inspiration.

It can be challenging to come up with ideas for PhD graduation gifts, but there’s always a fantastic option out there waiting for you. But remember: if you can’t come up with any ideas that feel right, everyone loves cash or gift cards!

Do you have any other PhD graduation gift suggestions? Leave them in a comment below!

Frequently Asked Questions

What do you give a phd graduate.

The perfect PhD graduation gifts for doctoral graduates depend on your preference — unless the recipient specifically requests something. Cash, checks, and gift cards are popular options but may seem impersonal. Instead, you might give the graduate something pragmatic, like food, or something heartfelt, like a craft. Of course, the 15 suggestions on this list are also great PhD gifts.

What Are Good PhD Graduation Gifts for a University Graduate?

It truly depends — you can give something generic like a mug or shirt with a witty PhD-related saying or something more aligned with your recipient’s interest if you know them well.

What Is the Going Rate for PhD Graduation Gifts?

It really depends on your relationship with the recipient. Gifts can cost anywhere from $10-$300 and sometimes even more. If you’re more an acquaintance than a loved one, choose something on the lower price end to avoid making the recipient uncomfortable.

Is it OK to Give a Check as a PhD Graduation Gift?

Absolutely! Although some people may find checks or cash impersonal, a PhD graduate could probably use the money. After all, they can put it toward student loans or buy something they really need.

Related Reading:

• Top 12 Best Laptops for Graduate Students
• Top 10 Best Jobs for MBA Graduates

5 Ways To Work While Studying And Get Ahead Of The Competition

• How To Prep Your Resume For Success 
• 5 Tips For An Amazing Video Interview

Chriselle Sy

Chriselle has been a passionate professional content writer for over 10 years. She writes educational content for The Grad Cafe, Productivity Spot, The College Monk, and other digital publications.  When she isn't busy writing, she spends her time streaming video games and learning new skills.

• Chriselle Sy https://blog.thegradcafe.com/author/chriselle-sy/ Graduate Certificate vs Degree: What’s the Difference? [2024 Guide]
• Chriselle Sy https://blog.thegradcafe.com/author/chriselle-sy/ The 18 Best Scholarships for Black Students in 2024-2025
• Chriselle Sy https://blog.thegradcafe.com/author/chriselle-sy/ The 25 Best Gifts for Nursing Students in 2024
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At EssayPro, our writing team consists of highly skilled and knowledgeable Ph.D. graduates who are dedicated to delivering top academic services for students.

• 24/7 availability of over 100 writers We have a large pool of writers, ensuring that there's always someone available to take on your "write my dissertation for me" project. Find an expert that matches your specific needs and requirements.
• Expert dissertation help from Ph.D. holders Dissertations require a high level of expertise and attention to detail. That's why we've assembled a team of Ph.D. graduates with the necessary skills and experience to provide cheap dissertation writing services without compromising quality.
• Close collaboration with writers Our writers will work closely with you to ensure that your dissertation writing experience is as seamless as possible. Simply reach out to our support team to request writing assistance.
• Access to scientific resources and analytical tools Our writers have access to various scientific databases and analytical tools, such as SPSS or Stata, allowing them to handle any type of research-related task with ease.

What makes our dissertation service different?

• Round-the-clock support At EssayPro, you have the assurance of being constantly connected with your assigned writer. This is because we understand that last-minute changes and new requirements may arise and require immediate attention. You can rest easy knowing that your writer is always accessible.
• Confidentiality guaranteed Clients trust our dissertation writing services and choose to return because they know that the information shared between us will be kept confidential. We never share any information with third parties, and all client information is stored securely. Your collaboration with us will always remain private.
• Ensuring originality Many "do my dissertation" services use generic templates, resell pre-written essays, or even do both. At EssayPro, we go above and beyond that by providing custom-written content that is original and free of duplicated material. Our writers start from scratch, avoiding the use of any templates or pre-made work. Additionally, we run every written paper through various plagiarism detection tools to ensure that our work meets high standards of originality.
• Committed to punctuality Meeting deadlines is a top priority at EssayPro. Our goal is to provide you with online dissertation help as quickly as possible while ensuring that it arrives before the required date. You can count on us to write a dissertation for you promptly and efficiently, allowing you to focus on other priorities.

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