The Best Free Online Ph.D. Programs of 2025

Earning a Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) online can unlock doors to new career paths and leadership positions, increase earning potential, and lower unemployment. However, paying for a doctoral degree program after earning, in most cases, a bachelor’s degree and a master’s degree may be a barrier for some students.

Because online Ph.D. programs focus on educating leaders and innovators within a given field, many financial support options exist to help students afford doctoral degrees. This article highlights some of the most financially supportive Ph.D. programs in the U.S., including those that may offer students a path to earning a doctorate degree for free.

It also includes expert guidance from Blanca Villagomez, a program coordinator and counselor at UC-Irvine, on choosing the Ph.D. program that’s right for you.

What You Should Know About Free Ph.D. Programs

Attending a Ph.D. program for free typically means that a student receives enough financial support from the institution and other sources to fully cover the cost of their doctoral degree, not that the school doesn’t charge tuition and fees for attendance. Students should carefully research any colleges that claim to offer online doctoral programs without charging tuition, as this is not common among legitimate post-secondary institutions.

The most common types of funding for online Ph.D. programs include fellowships, assistantships, grants, and scholarships.

Find a fully-funded Ph.D. program

As you research online doctoral degree programs, you may encounter the phrase “fully funded.” This is how schools typically advertise free doctoral programs, as it means that students receive funding that completely covers their cost of attendance.

In fully-funded doctoral programs, students often receive either an assistantship or a fellowship.

Doctoral students who receive an assistantship are employed by their university, often as teaching assistants (TAs) for undergraduate classes or research assistants (RAs) to faculty or researchers. Arrangements vary by online doctoral program, and students may either receive funds that they can use to pay for tuition and other expenses or have their tuition waived in exchange for their employment. In addition to maintaining academic standards, doctoral degree students must fulfill their work obligations to keep their assistantship.

Meanwhile, fellowships are awards given to students in doctoral programs to continue pursuing an academic focus or interest. Schools and outside organizations can offer fellowships for doctorate programs, which are similar to research grants. Fellowships operate more like research grants in that students are expected to use this financial support to help them further their research goals, but there aren’t specific work expectations like there are for assistantships.

In both cases, doctoral degree students may also receive benefits like health insurance, a stipend for living expenses, and tuition waivers. However, it’s important to note that fully-funded Ph.D. programs tend to be highly competitive with limited availability. Students should inquire early about the eligibility criteria for available fellowships and assistantships to ensure they submit a strong application.

Seek out scholarships and grants

Scholarships and grants can also help students cover the cost of online doctoral programs. These types of funding are considered gift aid because they don’t have to be repaid and often don’t have requirements like assistantships or fellowships. Scholarships and grants are often awarded based on financial need, although some may be awarded to students in doctorate programs based on academic or professional merit.

Students can obtain scholarships and grants for doctoral degree programs through their institution or outside sources, such as professional organizations, private non-profits and endowments, federal and state governments, and community and religious groups.

In order to obtain need-based aid, students must typically submit the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). Students should consult with their school’s financial aid office to learn more about available scholarship and grant opportunities.

Here are a few examples to give you an idea of exactly how these awards work for online doctoral programs:

CAPCSD Ph.D. Scholarships

Every year, the Council of Academic Programs in Communication Sciences and Disorders awards $20,000 to students enrolled in a Ph.D. program for communication sciences and disorders. Applicants must submit a curriculum vitae, a summary of their research dissertation plan, and a letter of support from their research advisor signed by the program director.

Russell Sage Foundation Dissertation Research Grants

This award of up to $10,000 is for students in doctoral programs who are researching topics related to the Russell Sage Foundation’s mission of improving social and living conditions in the United States. These funds must be used specifically for dissertation research expenses, such as study participant incentives, laboratory costs, and travel.

NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Program

The National Science Foundation, which is an agency of the U.S. federal government, offers this award to STEM students who intend to enroll or are currently enrolled in a master’s or doctoral program. The fellowship provides three years of financial support, including a cost-of-education allowance of $16,000 to the institution and an annual stipend of $37,000.

ISC2 Graduate Scholarships

This program offers awards of $1,000 to $5,000 to students pursuing a master’s degree or doctoral degree related to cybersecurity. On-campus students as well as those earning their doctoral degree online are eligible to apply.

Avoid non-accredited degree mills

When prioritizing free or low-cost Ph.D. programs, it’s important to also be mindful of the quality and legitimacy of the institutions you’re considering.

Make sure that any private college you’re considering is a nonprofit organization. Many private for-profit organizations that offer online doctoral programs, especially those claiming “free” doctoral degree programs, are actually degree mills. This means they operate like a postsecondary institution even though they don’t have the proper accreditation to award legitimate doctoral degrees.

Degree mills focus more on generating revenue than providing high-quality education. They often attract users by advertising free tuition, only to charge an assortment of other fees (exam fees, graduation fees, etc.). They also often lack qualified faculty, effective curriculums, and sufficient support staff.

Says Villagomez, “Attending a non-accredited college or degree mill can negatively impact a student’s post-graduate opportunities, including employment and professional licensure, as many employers don’t recognize degrees from these types of schools.”

There are a few ways to determine whether a doctoral program is legitimate. Look up the doctoral program online for information about accreditation and non-profit or for-profit status. You can independently verify this information using the U.S. Department of Education’s Database of Accredited Postsecondary Institutions and Programs (DAPIP). Look for the names of regional accrediting organizations. Colleges approved by one of these organizations are held to strict standards for academic quality, ensuring that students will be prepared to enter their chosen field upon graduation.

An additional clue is the URL of the school’s website. Ensure that the school’s domain name ends in “.edu,” as this signifies it is a recognized educational institution. Other suffixes, such as “.org” or “.com,” indicate that the school is likely for-profit and may lack accreditation.