Your Guide to the Largest Online Universities
Updated: June 19, 2024
Published: November 28, 2018
There’s so many online colleges out there, how can you choose? This handy guide to the largest online universities can help.
Online education is very popular and now it’s easier than ever to study online. Did you know that there are 27,959 online degrees from accredited online schools and colleges?
There are tons of online universities to choose from, which can make it difficult to decide which is best for you. That’s why we found the largest online universities that are worth looking at if you want to earn a degree from the comfort of your own home.
Source: Pixabay
You might be wondering if the largest actually means the best. There are a few reasons why larger online universities can be better:
- You have more options. You will usually have a bigger variety of majors and classes to choose from.
- They are more organized and have systems in place. And this includes student resources.
- There are more students enrolled, which means you can connect and communicate with more people.
Considering the huge amount of online options to earn a degree, we understand that it can complicate things. When there are too many options to choose from, the decision is often harder to make. So here’s a list of some of the largest online universities and what each has to offer.
1. University of Phoenix
The university of Phoenix is the largest private university in North America. They believe in education for working adults — so that you don’t need to choose between the two!
Source: Pexels
| Number of online students | 165,743 |
| Year founded | 1976 |
| Accreditation | Higher Learning Commission |
| Number of degrees available | 131 online degree programs (Certificate, Associates, Bachelors, Masters, Doctorate, and Postgraduate) |
| Most popular degrees | Office Management and Supervision, Behavioral Sciences, and Medical Office Assistant/Specialist |
| Tuition fees | $11,330 undergraduate per year$16,713 graduate per year |
| Term length | 4 years |
| Scholarships available | 8 |
| Student origins | 159,935 in US896 outside of US |
| Part-time vs full-time students | 100% full-time |
| Retention and Graduation | 31% full-time student retention rate16% graduation rate |
| Student to Faculty Ratio | 38 to 1 |
2. Liberty University
The US’s second-largest private non-profit university. It is also the largest Christian university in the world. It was listed as the #1 “Best for Vets” school by the Military Times.
| Number of online students | 75,044 |
| Year founded | 1971 |
| Accreditations | Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges |
| Number of degrees available | 349 online degree programs (Bachelors, Masters, Doctorate, and Postgraduate) |
| Most popular degrees | Business, Management, Marketing, and Related Support Services |
| Tuition fees | $17,122 undergraduate per year$8,723 graduate per year |
| Term length | 4+ years |
| Scholarships available | 9 |
| Student origins | 65,082 in US1,218 outside of US |
| Part-time vs full-time students | 41% part-time, 59% full-time |
| Retention and Graduation | 83% full-time and 39% part-time retention rate47% graduation rate |
| Student to Faculty Ratio | 18 to 1 |
3. University of the People
Here at University of the People, our mission is to offer affordable, quality, online education. Take it from our students: 97% said they would recommend UoPeople to a friend and 92% of our graduates are currently employed. The numbers speak for themselves!
| Number of online students | 2,138 |
| Year founded | 2009 |
| Accreditation | Distance Education Accrediting Commission & International Bachelorette |
| Number of degrees available | 8 |
| Most popular majors | Computer Science, Business Administration, Health Science, Masters in Education, MBACourses vary from Associates, Bachelor and Masters |
| Tuition fees | Free! |
| Term length | 4 years |
| Scholarships Available | 9 |
| Student origins | 47% US, 53% rest of the world with students from over 200 countries around the world |
| Part-time vs full-time students | 81% part-time and 19% full-time undergraduates71% part-time and 29% full-time graduates |
| Retention and Graduation | 86% full-time and part-time retention rate |
| Student to Faculty Ratio | 14 to 1 |
4. Southern New Hampshire University
SNHU is know for starting the “Degree in Three” program for business students to complete their degree in 3 years without summer courses. They are also beginning an initiative to expand higher education access to refugees from Rwanda, Kenya, Lebanon, and more.
| Number of online students | 80,000 |
| Year founded | 1932 |
| Accreditation | New England Commission of Higher Education |
| Number of degrees available | 223 online degree programs (Certificate, Associates, Bachelors, Masters, Doctorate, and Postgraduate) |
| Most popular degrees | Business Administration and Management, Psychology, Accounting |
| Tuition fees | $31,136 undergraduate per year$18,810 graduate per year |
| Term length | 4 years |
| Scholarships available | 28 |
| Student origins | 53,308 in US387 outside of US |
| Part-time vs full-time students | 72% part-time and 28% full-time undergraduates80% part-time and 20% full-time graduates |
| Retention and Graduation | 53% full-time and 38% part-time retention rate58% graduation rate |
| Student to Faculty Ratio | 28 to 1 |
5. UMass Online
UMass is the leader in distance education for over 25 years. It is the third-largest research university in Massachusetts, behind Harvard and MIT and the faculty include Nobel and Pulitzer prize winners.
| Number of online students | 75,000 |
| Year founded | 2001 |
| Accreditation | New England Association of Schools and Colleges |
| Number of degrees available | 150 online degree programs (Certificate, Associates, Bachelors, Masters, Doctorate) |
| Most popular online degrees | Master of Business Administration, Doctorate of Nursing, Masters of Public Health |
| Tuition fees | $125 to $1,980 per undergraduate course$1,230 to $2,250 per graduate course |
| Term length | 4 years |
| Scholarships available | 2 |
| Retention and Graduation | 91% retention rate76% graduation rate |
6. Walden University
Walden University is a proudly diverse online university with a mission for social change. Their education has real-life results, with two-thirds of its doctoral graduates surveyed said they obtained a promotion as a result of getting their degree. Nice!
Source: Pexels
| Number of online students | 52,799 |
| Year founded | 1970 |
| Accreditation | Higher Learning Commission |
| Number of degrees available | 129 online degrees (Certificate, Associates, Bachelors, Masters, and Postgraduate) |
| Most popular majors | Registered Nursing, Business Administration and Management, Psychology |
| Tuition fees | $12,465 undergraduate per year$12,042 graduate per year |
| Term length | 4 years |
| Scholarships available | 13 |
| Student origins | 47,552 in US4,678 outside of US |
| Part-time vs full-time students | 94% part-time and 6% full-time undergraduates50% part-time and 50% full-time graduates |
| Retention and Graduation | 19% part-time retention rate11% graduation rate |
| Student to Faculty Ratio | 17 to 1 |
7. American Public Online University
APOU is a fully online university known for educating the military, national security, and public service professionals. The university aims to provide relevant and affordable education and get its graduates out into the workforce. 83% of the students polled said the workload is easy to manage.
| Number of online students | 52,361 |
| Year founded | 1991 |
| Accreditation | Higher Learning Commission |
| Number of degrees available | 190 online degree programs (Certificate, Associates, Bachelors, Masters, and Postgraduate) |
| Most popular majors | Business Administration and Management, Criminal Justice/Safety Studies, International Global Studies |
| Tuition fees | $6,880 undergraduate per year$6,660 graduate per year |
| Term length | 4+ years |
| Scholarships available | 2 |
| Student origins | 49,035 in US3,326 outside of US |
| Part-time vs full-time students | 92% part-time and 8% full-time undergraduate students95% part-time and 5% full-time graduate students |
| Retention and Graduation | 76% full-time, 67% part-time retention rate36% graduation rate |
8. University of Florida
The University of Florida is known for its progressive research. The university is even committed to becoming a carbon neutral campus by 2025. The school is ranked as the 8th best public university in the US. And its online MBA program was ranked #1 in Florida.
Source: Pixabay
| Number of online students | 28,838 |
| Year founded | 1853 |
| Accreditation | Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, Commission on Colleges |
| Number of degrees available | 100 online degree programs (Associates and Bachelors) |
| Most popular majors | Business Administration and Management, Community Health and Preventative Medicine, Psychology |
| Tuition fees | $3,876 for in-state students and $16,580 for out-of-state students per year |
| Term length | 4+ years |
| Scholarships available: | 13 |
| Student origins | 5,228 in US246 outside of US |
| Part-time vs full-time students | 83.7% full-time, 16.3% part-time |
| Retention and Graduation | 80% full-time and 75% part-time retention rate87% graduation rate |
| Student to Faculty Ratio | 19 to 1 |
9. Pennsylvania State World Campus
Penn State World Campus really believes in distance learning. The school was actually founded in 1892 when they started distance education in 1892 for the farmers of the nation!
| Number of online students | 14,301 |
| Year founded | 1998 |
| Accreditation | Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools |
| Number of degrees available | 147 online degree programs (Certificate, Associates, Bachelors, Masters, Doctorate, and Postgraduate) |
| Most popular majors | Registered Nursing, Business, Engineering |
| Tuition fees | $13,988 undergraduate per year$20,470 graduate per year |
| Term length | 4 years |
| Scholarships available | 6 |
| Student origins | 11,819 in US413 outside of US |
| Part-time vs full-time students | 69% part-time and 31% full-time undergraduates94% part-time and 6% full-time graduates |
| Retention and Graduation | 59% full-time and 50% part-time retention rate25% graduation rate |
| Student to Faculty Ratio | 11 to 1 |
We know that choosing a university is a big decision. It’s almost as big as deciding what major to take. But if you know what degree you want to earn, it can make the process a bit easier. We recommend that you check out the online universities that interest you and see if they offer the degree that you’re interested in. And from there, you can fine tune your options. It’s all about narrowing down your options and making the best decision you can. Good luck on your path to earning that online degree!