2024 Best Accredited Online Colleges and Universities

Concordia University - Irvine (CUI) offers a selection of online programs that can provide the flexibility needed for working adults and students with other commitments to fit college into their busy schedules. The private Christian university offers online bachelor's degrees in Christian education leadership, Christian ministry, and organizational psychology. Graduate programs include master's degrees in a wide range of subjects, from counseling to theology. CUI also offers two doctorates in counselor education and leadership alongside graduate and undergraduate certificates. Online classes at CUI are held synchronously, meaning students meet with their class virtually on a set schedule, similar to how classes are held on campus. Students at CUI have access to online resources including career services, an academic advisor, writing assistance, and a veteran resource center.

Thomas Edison State University (TESU) is an online-only public school that serves more than 10,000 online students each year. TESU offers a variety of degree and certificate programs that can be completed entirely online at the associate, bachelor's, master's, and doctoral levels. Undergraduate students can study in more than 100 different fields including human services, criminal justice, data science and analytics, nursing, and organizational leadership. Graduate students can earn their master's in educational leadership, business administration, public service leadership, cybersecurity, and a wide range of other fields. The school also offers a Doctor of Business Administration, a Doctor of Nursing Practice, and graduate certificates. Graduates tend to have strong salary outcomes for their major, competing with some of the top universities in the country. TESU has an open admissions policy making it accessible for many students.

Private school University of Massachusetts Global (UMass Global) offers traditional online degrees and self-paced programs designed to meet the needs of working adults and other students who may not be able to come to campus. Students at UMass Global can choose from certificates and degrees from the associate to the doctoral levels in 16 different fields of study, from business to teaching and education. UMass Global serves more than 16,000 students online each year and offers two different options to help make education more accessible for students. Traditional online degrees at UMass Global are instructor-led and follow the regular class model. Students can also opt for self-paced programs that follow the competency-based education model, allowing them to move through each class based on how well they know the material. This can be a good option for students who already have work or life experience in their field and can test out of some classes. Salary data shows UMass Global alumni are top earners for their major across degree levels.

Fisher College is a small private school in Boston with a comprehensive range of online degrees and certificates at the associate, bachelor's, and master's levels. The college's online graduate programs include master's degrees in business administration, counseling, psychology, and criminal justice. Fisher's online bachelor's degree programs span across a variety of fields from communication and media studies to information technology. The college also offers online associate degrees in early childhood education, psychology, business, computer technology, criminal justice, general studies, and health information technology. Online students at Fisher can use resources and services like online databases through the library and an online job and internship database.

Since it was founded in 1971, Excelsior University has focused on serving adult learners by emphasizing flexible and affordable college options. Excelsior was an early adopter of online programs and today serves more than 25,000 students online. Online learning at Excelsior College is designed with the flexibility to cater to working adults who are seeking to earn a certificate, associate, bachelor’s, or master’s degree. The private university offers more than 35 programs in business, health sciences, liberal arts, nursing, and technology. Students have access to resources such as the online writing lab, library, tech support, and career services. Excelsior has an open admissions policy and serves 100% of its students online.

The American Public University System (APUS) is made up of two for-profit online schools, American Military University and American Public University. Together, the two schools serve more than 45,000 online students through 263 degrees and certificates. APUS focuses on offering affordable and accessible online degrees with features such as free textbooks and monthly start dates. The university system is well-known for its connections with the military, and offers support such as scholarships and grants to help service members and veterans get their degree. The university system works to remove barriers to education for online students through features such as free textbooks, free transfer credit evaluations, free applications, and monthly class start dates. APUS has an open admissions policy which increases accessibility for students with a range of different academic backgrounds.

Embry-Riddle Worldwide is the distance education branch of the Florida-based aerospace school, with more than 25 years of experience in distance education. Today's students can choose from online undergraduate and graduate degrees in fields such as aerospace engineering, space operations, airline management, cybersecurity, human resources, occupational safety, business administration, and sustainability. Embry-Riddle Worldwide uses tools such as virtual aerial robotics and crash labs to allow students to build UAS systems, test flight capabilities, and conduct flight accident investigations from their home.

Columbia Southern University (CSU) serves around 20,000 students each year, all enrolled completely online. CSU offers online programs from the certificate to doctorate levels in a wide range of majors, including business, criminal justice, emergency services, fire science, health, homeland security, information technology, and military studies. Online students at CSU have access to resources such as a virtual math and writing center, career services, academic advising, and student support specialists. The university serves 100% of its students online and has an open admissions policy.

Students at the University of Maryland Global Campus (UMGC) have access to more than 125 online degrees and certificates from the University of Maryland, a highly-regarded public university. UMGC offers certificates, bachelor's degrees, and master's programs in fields such as accounting, biotechnology, computer science, cybersecurity, finance, management, nursing, political science, and legal studies. The university also offers an associate degree in general studies and a few doctoral degrees. UMGC focuses on keeping costs low for students through free digital resources in place of textbooks, scholarships for both Maryland residents and out-of-state students, tuition discounts for military students, interest-free payment plans, and employer tuition assistance partnerships. The university has an open admissions policy and serves 80% of its student body or nearly 47,000 students online.

Colorado State University Global (CSU Global), the online branch of the Colorado State University System, serves more than 12,500 students online each year. CSU Global offers online certificates, bachelor's, and master's degrees in fields such as cybersecurity, marketing, project management, accounting and finance, criminal justice, machine learning, data analytics, and healthcare administration. CSU Global might be a good online option for out-of-state students, who don't have to pay extra tuition costs or student fees. The university strives for transparency in cost by mapping out tuition charges clearly for students and offering a tuition guarantee, meaning the cost won't increase each year.

Concordia University Chicago (CUC) is a private Lutheran school offering online certificates, bachelor's degrees, master's programs, and doctoral degrees. The school primarily offers certificates and graduate programs in education, exercise science, cybersecurity, business administration, and leadership. Students can also choose accelerated bachelor's degrees in areas such as healthcare management or human resources to earn their degree in a shorter period of time. Instead of taking multiple classes per quarter or semester, students at CUC only focus on one class at a time in eight-week periods. The university offers financial aid opportunities and scholarships to students to help offset the cost of tuition.

Champlain College is a small private school in Vermont offering more than 60 online degrees and certificates in four career-focused fields: business, cybersecurity, healthcare, and information technology. The college offers six terms per year and does not charge application fees, allowing students to fast-track the enrollment process. Students at Champlain can log into class and complete assignments whenever it's convenient for them rather than logging in at a set time. Classes are kept small and focus on discussion forums to help students interact with their classmates and get support from their instructors. The college also offers an online library where students can access digital resources and chat with research librarians. Champlain has a 62% acceptance rate.

With more than 136,000 online students, Western Governors University (WGU) is one of the largest online schools and universities in the country. The university is known for its competency-based education model, where students study course material on their own time and take exams at their convenience to pass onto the next class. This model allows students who have already learned class material through previous education or work experience to advance to the next class. The university also offers a flat-rate tuition, meaning students pay the same amount per semester no matter how many classes they take. This makes it possible for students to save money by fast-tracking their degree when they have extra time to spend on classes.

WGU offers online certificates, bachelor's programs and master's degrees in four high-demand fields: business, information technology, healthcare and nursing, and education. WGU is a private nonprofit school with an open admissions policy.

Waldorf University is a small for-profit school in Forest City, Iowa. The university offers online and in-person programs and serves nearly 2,500 online students each year. About 80% of Waldorf students are enrolled online. The school offers associate and bachelor's degrees in a wide range of subjects such as business, communications, cybersecurity, emergency management, healthcare management, human resources, and safety. Graduate students can earn their master's online in business, education, healthcare management, and leadership. The university offers free textbooks and scholarships for online students to help lower the cost of college.

Bellevue University, a private school in Nebraska, offers online degrees at the associate through doctoral level. Students can earn their undergraduate degree in more than 40 majors including such as business administration, behavioral science, computer information systems, and nursing. Online master's degrees include data science, cybersecurity, counseling, healthcare administration, strategic finance. BU also offers two doctorates in business administration and human capital management. Student resources include career and financial counselors, student coaches, and virtual tutoring. The college has an open admissions policy and primarily serves online students with over 90% of the student body, or a total of 10,503 students, enrolled online.

Private Lutheran school Concordia University in Saint Paul serves more than 2,800 online students each year. Students at CSP Global, the university's online branch, can choose from more than 40 online degrees and certificates at every level, from associate degrees in early childhood education to a doctorate in kinesiology. CSP Global uses an accelerated format where students take eight-week long online classes, and courses are held asynchronously, so students can log in and listen to lectures on their own time.

Columbia College is a private school with a large network of campus locations throughout the country. Based in Columbia, Missouri, the school features flexible online and evening programs in addition to traditional degrees at the certificate, associate, bachelor's, and master's levels. CC offers programs in a broad range of majors such as accounting and finance, business and management, computer and mathematics, general studies, humanities, marketing, nursing and health, environmental science, and the social sciences. The college also focuses on serving military students, veterans, and families and offers benefits such as reduced military tuition, military scholarships, student organizations, and virtual veteran services. Online students at CC can also access important resources such as mental health support, scholarships, and free textbooks. CC serves 58% of its student body online with roughly 5,800 online students enrolled.

Southern New Hampshire University (SNHU) is highly popular for distance learners, with 106,375 online students enrolled across the country. The private university has more than 200 online degrees to choose from in everything from engineering to psychology. Online students at SNHU can access resources such as 24/7 drop-in tutoring, academic coaching, workshops, career services, an online wellness center, and a number of online clubs and communities to connect with peers. The university also works to keep tuition rates low, offers free applications, and partners with hundreds of major employers in the U.S. to allow employees to use their employer-funded tuition benefits.

Wilmington University is a private university in Delaware where more than half of students are enrolled online. The university serves around 8,300 online students each year through 170 different programs in business analytics, education, finance, graphic design, environmental science, information technology, marketing, nursing, and other popular majors. Students can earn their associate, bachelor's, master's, or doctorate through Wilmington's online programs, or pursue an undergraduate or graduate certificate. Wilmington also has an Online Student Association to help students connect with their peers and faculty, participate in clubs and virtual activities, and learn about student resources. The university's open admissions policy makes it accessible for a wide range of students.

As one of the early adopters of online learning, Park University has spent the last 25 years refining its online programs. Today Park offers certificates, associate, bachelor's, and master's degrees online in more than 60 different fields of study, from art history to construction management. Most full-time students take two courses at a time over eight weeks, and can access course materials when it’s convenient for them, but learning is not self-paced — students need to meet assignment deadlines. Park offers support services for online learners such as remote tutoring, access to research databases, mentoring, and job-search help. The private university offers an open admissions policy and serves more than 6,800 online students each year.

Students at Lamar University can choose from online bachelor's degrees in popular majors such as marketing, business administration, communications, and computer science. The university also offers online master's programs and certificates in education, nursing and health science, business, public administration, and criminal justice. Online programs at Lamar feature multiple start dates throughout the year and last eight weeks long, making it easier for students to accelerate their programs. Lamar serves more than half of its student body online, with around 8,300 online students enrolled each year, and has an open admissions policy.

The University of Phoenix is a for-profit school with 94,000 online students and more than 100 online degree programs, making it one of the largest online schools in the country. The university serves students from the certificate to the doctoral level in high-demand fields such as business, technology, education, healthcare, criminal justice, behavioral science, psychology, and liberal arts. The University of Phoenix offers a tuition guarantee and scholarships for online students to help lower the cost of college. Students can also save money on their degree by taking a prior learning assessment to turn relevant work and life experience into college credits. The University of Phoenix is popular in part due to partnerships with hundreds of employers who offer tuition benefits.

Walsh College is a small private business school in Michigan that has been offering online classes since 1998. Today the school serves just under 1,000 online students each year, with 54% of its student body enrolled in distance education. Students can earn their bachelor's or master's degree in business fields such as accounting, finance, data analytics, applied management, or information technology. Walsh also offers a Doctor of Business Administration and some graduate certificates. Walsh emphasizes flexible online classes, and the majority of faculty are working business professionals that teach classes that align with their work background and experience. Online students at Walsh have access to resources such as mentoring and career services, and can connect with the Walsh alumni network to explore career opportunities.

Trident University is a for-profit online school affiliated with the American Intercontinental University System. The university offers 25 different online degrees with 49 different concentrations from the associate to the doctoral level, alongside 11 graduate certificates. Students can choose from programs in popular subjects such as business administration, leadership, computer science, homeland security, and information technology management. The university strives to support military service members, veterans, and their families through scholarships, military transfer credits, and a military support center.

Upper Iowa University (UIU) offers a variety of distance learning options for students who aren't able to attend class on campus, including online degrees that run like campus classes, self-paced online options, and mail correspondence classes. Students at UIU usually take two classes at a time which run in eight-week sessions. The university offers online degrees from the certificate to the master's level in business, communication, public administration, computer science, healthcare, education, and other popular fields of study. Resources such as free tutoring and digital library services are available to students learning remotely. Nearly 2,400 students enroll online at UIU, making up 56% of the student body.

University of Mount Olive is a small private Christian college with roots in the Baptist church. Mount Olive offers 13 online bachelor's programs and five master's degrees in business administration, education, counseling, psychology, communications, christian studies, and other fields of study. The university also offers two associate degrees in general studies and pre-nursing as well as two teacher certification programs for students who already have a bachelor's degree. Mount Olive serves around 1,500 online students per year, making up 57% of the student body.

Franklin University, a private school in Ohio, serves more than 4,000 online students each year through programs from the associate to the doctoral levels. Students can choose from degrees in 15 different popular fields of study such as business, psychology, marketing and communications, nursing, and information technology. Franklin focuses on serving working adults and has an average student age of 34 years old. The university offers multiple start dates throughout the year with a variety of class formats and lengths, and provides detailed information on class requirements and commitments up front so students can plan their upcoming months accordingly. Franklin has an open admissions policy, so all qualified students are accepted to their programs.

For-profit school Capella University offers a range of online bachelor's, master's and doctoral programs in business, counseling, education, health sciences, information technology, nursing, psychology, public health, and social work. Originally founded as a graduate school, today Capella serves more than 36,000 graduate students and 16,000 undergraduates across the country through online degree programs. The university is designed to accommodate working adults and offers two different types of programs to provide more flexibility. GuidedPath follows the traditional university model where students pay for each course and classes follow a set schedule, while FlexPath allows students to pay a flat fee and take as many classes as they want per quarter while completing coursework at their own pace. Capella has an open-enrollment policy, making it an accessible option for many online students.