Accredited online statistics courses are a great way to fulfill requirements, pick up credits, and level up your education. The convenience of not having to leave home to do so, while getting full college credit, is a big one.
I’ve researched the top courses that deliver exactly that and listed them in this article.
Here’s what else we’ll cover:
- Accredited online statistics courses from top colleges
- Recommended free/cheap options
- What to expect from studying statistics online
Ready to learn more about what’s out there? Let’s go.
Contents show
Best Accredited Online Statistics Course Listings
Here’s a quick overview of all the recommended courses…
| Course | Credits | Institution | Level | Prerequisites | Length | Hours | Cost |
| Introductory Statistics | 4 | Cornell SCE | Undergraduate | Introductory Algebra | 3 weeks | Self-paced | $1,620/credit |
| Introduction To Statistics | 3 | UC San Diego Extension | Undergraduate | None | 10 weeks | Self-paced | $695 |
| Statistics I | 3 | University Of Phoenix | Undergraduate | None | 5 weeks | Self-paced | $1,194 |
| Introduction To Statistics | 3 | University Of New England | Undergraduate | None | 16 weeks | Self-paced | $1,140 |
| Statistics – MATH 1005 | 4 | University Of New England | Upper-Level Undergraduate | None | 16 weeks | Self-paced | $1,510 |
| Statistics – MAT-261E | 3 | Massachusetts College Of Pharmacy And Health Sciences | Undergraduate | None | 16 weeks | Self-paced | $460/credit |
1. Introductory Statistics – STSCI 2100 (Cornell SCE)
Cornell SCE offers a great introduction to statistics.
The course covers data gathering methods, exploration and display, probability, statistical inference methods through contingency tables, and linear regression.
Students will learn to use statistical software and simulation tools to discover accurate results.
This course offers pre-recorded content, and students may access it at any time while they study at their own pace.
Many instructors also offer online office hours besides interaction with other students and the instructor via the Canvas online learning system.
There are 4 college credits available at a cost of $1,620 per credit.
Details:
- Name: Introductory Statistics – STSCI 2100
- Institution: School of Continuing Education and Summer Sessions (Cornell SCE)
- Level: Undergraduate
- Credits: 4 credits
- Prerequisites: Introductory algebra
- Length: 3 weeks
- Hours: Self-paced
- Website: sce.cornell.edu/stsci-2100
- Price: $1,620 per credit
2. Introduction to Statistics – CSE-41069 (UC San Diego Extension)
In this introduction to statistics, students will get in touch with the concepts and techniques of elementary statistics as applied to a wide variety of disciplines. The course emphasizes problem-solving, statistical thinking, and interpretation of results.
It covers:
- Descriptive statistics
- Basic probability
- Probability distributions
- Analysis of Variance (ANOVA)
- Sampling distributions
- Confidence intervals
- One and two-sample hypothesis testing
- Categorical data analysis
- Correlation
- Regression
There are 3 college credits available for this course at a total cost of $695. No prereqs required.
Details:
- Name: Introduction to Statistics – CSE-41069
- Institution: UC San Diego Extension
- Level: Undergraduate
- Credits: 3 credits
- Prerequisites: None
- Length: 10 weeks
- Hours: Self-paced
- Website: extension.ucsd.edu/introduction-to-statistics
- Price: $695
3. Statistics I – MTH/217 (University of Phoenix)
In this University of Phoenix’s statistics course, students collect, analyze, and interpret data and then consider the role of statistical analysis and terminology.
It covers three basic skills and outcomes:
- Describe data, how to gather it, and how it is measured
- Identify data patterns using measures of central tendency
- Evaluate inferential tests for a given set of data
They have a flexible plan with upcoming start dates almost every month. Up to 3 college-level credits are available at a cost of $1,194.
Details:
- Name: Statistics I – MTH/217
- Institution: University of Phoenix
- Level: undergraduate
- Credits: 3 credit hours
- Prerequisites: there are no prerequisites
- Length: 5 weeks
- Hours: self-paced
- Website: phoenix.edu/mth217
- Price: $1,194
4. Introduction to Statistics – MATH 1030 (University of New England)
This University of New England course gives students a broad introduction to descriptive and inferential statistics. The emphasis is on the practical use of statistics in collecting, organizing, analyzing, and interpreting data.
After the course, the students must:
- Recognize standard terms used in statistics
- Organize data using tables and graphical representation
- Compute measures of central tendency and variation
- Apply basic rules of probability
- Analyze scatterplots and regression models
- Utilize properties of The Normal Distribution
- Determine confidence intervals
- Formulate a hypothesis and test a hypothesis
It is a lecture-only course, and the exams are all taken online.
Classes begin every two to three weeks. The students have to be registered for it by noon EST the Monday before class starts. This is a 3 credit online college statistics course.
No prereqs are required.
Details:
- Name: Introduction to Statistics – MATH 1030
- Institution: University of New England
- Level: Undergraduate
- Credits: 3 credits
- Prerequisites: None
- Length: 16 weeks
- Hours: self-paced
- Website: online.une.edu/introduction-to-statistics
- Price: $1,140
5. Statistics – MATH 1005 (University of New England)
Different than the previous, this UNE’s course is not an introduction. The University designed it to offer the same primary subject and content areas as a traditional statistics course. Still, it differs because it emphasizes the application.
Students will explore data sets and challenges from several disciplines, including health professions, education, sports science, and business, making the course relevant to their specific needs and interests.
After the course, students will:
- Describe the terminology used in Descriptive and Inferential statistics
- Present data summarizations by constructing charts and graphs
- Estimate measures of central tendency and position
- Construct confidence intervals
- Apply the methods of hypothesis testing for one sample and two samples
- Identify distribution types
- Recognize normal distributions
- Determine evidence of bias through identifying outliers and violations of assumptions
- Perform ANOVA and ANCOVA tests
- Perform single and multiple correlations and regression analysis between variables
- Conduct chi-square tests
University doesn’t offer lab components, and the exams are all taken online.
Classes used to begin every two to three weeks. The students have to be registered for it by noon EST the Monday before class starts.
4 credits are available.
Details:
- Name: Statistics – MATH 1005
- Institution: University of New England
- Level: upper-level undergraduate
- Credits: 4 credits
- Prerequisites: None
- Length: 16 weeks
- Hours: Self-paced
- Website: online.une.edu/online-statistics
- Price: $1,510
6. Statistics – MAT-261E (Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences)
MCPHS offers an introductory course to descriptive and interferential statistical principles.
The course provides students with the assistance of an instructor and 24/7 online tutoring.
Students will learn summary statistics, regression, normal distribution, hypothesis testing, and estimation of parameters.
You’ll get 3 credits at a cost of $460 each.
Details:
- Name: Statistics – MAT-261E
- Institution: Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences
- Credits: 3 credit hours
- Prerequisites: None
- Length: 16 weeks
- Hours: Self-paced
- Website: https://www.mcphs.edu/academics/school-of-professional-studies/prerequisites/statistics
- Price: $460/credit hour (new students are eligible to receive a 50% reduction in the cost of tuition for one course)
The following courses, although not “officially” accredited, are still good options for students looking to take structured calculus courses to help in the preparation for exams and further education.
1. Introduction to Probability (HarvardX/edX)
Harvard offers a few free statistics courses through edX. Among them, Introduction to Probability is a great option.
It is self-paced. An average student should conclude it in approximately ten weeks, studying 5 to 10 hours/day.
Classes teach students:
- to think about uncertainty and randomness
- to make good predictions
- story approach to understanding random variables
- probability distributions in statistics and data science
- ways for finding the expected value of a random quantity
- to use conditional probability to approach complicated problems
It is a free version of Harvard’s Introduction to Probability offered through the edX platform. Students can add a Verified Certificate for $139.
Check out the video below for a primer on this course…
Details:
- Name: Introduction to Probability
- Institution: HarvardX/edX
- Level: Undergraduate
- Credits: eligible for a certificate
- Prerequisites: None
- Length: 10 weeks
- Hours: self-paced
- Website: edx.org/introduction-to-probability
- Price: free
2. Statistical Reasoning I – 140.611.81 (JHSPH OpenCourseWare)
John Hopkins School of Public Health offers the great Statistical Reasoning in Public Health through its OpenCourseWare.
The course presents a general overview of biostatistical methods and concepts in the public health sciences, emphasizing interpretation rather than calculations or mathematical details.
The course develops the ability to read the scientific literature and critically evaluate study designs and data analysis methods. It introduces concepts of statistical inference, including hypothesis testing, p-values, and confidence intervals.
Topics include:
- Means and proportions comparisons.
- An overview of a few methods in survival analysis.
- The normal distribution.
- Logistic regression.
- Regression and correlation.
- Concepts of study design.
- Confounding.
Details:
- Name: Statistical Reasoning I – 140.611.81
- Institution: JHSPH OpenCourseWare
- Level: Undergraduate
- Hours: Self-paced
- Website: ocw.jhsph.edu/StatisticalReasoning1
- Price: Free
3. Fundamentals of Statistics (MITx/edX)
MIT offers a free, instructor-paced, and entirely online course through edX.
This course is part of the MITx Micro Masters Program in Statistics and Data Science. Completing this course and three others from MITx, with similar pace and level, and then taking a virtually-proctored exam, students will earn a MicroMasters. This academic credential will demonstrate proficiency in data science.
The course cover what follows:
- Perform dimension reduction using principal component analysis (PCA)
- Construct estimators utilizing the method of moments and maximum likelihood
- Choose between different models using the goodness of fit test
- Quantify uncertainty using confidence intervals and hypothesis testing
- Make predictions using linear, nonlinear, and generalized linear models
It is an advanced-level course.
Check out the video below for an intro to this course…
Details:
- Name: Fundamentals of Statistics
- Institution: MITx/edX
- Prerequisites: 6.431x or equivalent; College-level single and multi-variable calculus; Vectors and matrices
- Length: 18 weeks
- Hours: Instructor-paced on a schedule
- Website: .edx.org/fundamentals-of-statistics
- Price: Free. Certificate available for a fee
Related Questions
What are the most important things to look for in an online statistics course?
Stats can be tricky. But learning it online can be just as effective as taking a class in person. To get the best out of an online course you’ll want to look for the following qualities:
- Structure: how well are the course goals defined and the curriculum laid out?
- Time commitment: does the course give you a rough estimate of how much time you’ll need to commit to it each week?
- Cost: does it fit your budget?
- Instruction: is the teaching professor suitably qualified and delivering the classes in an easy-to-understand format?
- Prerequisites: what level of knowledge should you have before starting the course?
- Support: once signed up, how much support is available to you to help meet your goals?
- Assessment: how is your knowledge and progress assessed?
Many of these questions are answered in the introductory table at the beginning of this article.
Anything else should be researched via your own criteria and the contact you make with course providers.
What study tips can I use for statistics?
Stats is best studied with worked examples and plenty of practice problems.
The video below provides lots of useful tips on performing well in the subject…
If you found this article useful, you might find the following interesting:
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Julian Farret
Writer | Lawyer | PhD Student at @DerechoUCA and @UFPel
I spend most of my time washing dishes, changing diapers, playing doll/ball/house/doctor/cooking with my daughter, and making my son sleep. I write and read about education, philosophy, law, religion, finance, and real estate when there is some time left. And I usually don’t sleep!
