Your Guide to the Largest Online Universities - University of the People (2024)

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.

Your Guide to the Largest Online Universities - University of the People (1)

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!

Your Guide to the Largest Online Universities - University of the People (2)

Source: Pexels
Number of online students165,743
Year founded1976
AccreditationHigher Learning Commission
Number of degrees available131 online degree programs (Certificate, Associates, Bachelors, Masters, Doctorate, and Postgraduate)
Most popular degreesOffice Management and Supervision, Behavioral Sciences, and Medical Office Assistant/Specialist
Tuition fees$11,330 undergraduate per year

$16,713 graduate per year

Term length4 years
Scholarships available8
Student origins159,935 in US

896 outside of US

Part-time vs full-time students100% full-time
Retention and Graduation31% full-time student retention rate

16% graduation rate

Student to Faculty Ratio38 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 students75,044
Year founded1971
AccreditationsSouthern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges
Number of degrees available349 online degree programs (Bachelors, Masters, Doctorate, and Postgraduate)
Most popular degreesBusiness, Management, Marketing, and Related Support Services
Tuition fees$17,122 undergraduate per year

$8,723 graduate per year

Term length4+ years
Scholarships available9
Student origins65,082 in US

1,218 outside of US

Part-time vs full-time students41% part-time, 59% full-time
Retention and Graduation83% full-time and 39% part-time retention rate

47% graduation rate

Student to Faculty Ratio18 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 students2,138
Year founded2009
AccreditationDistance Education Accrediting Commission & International Bachelorette
Number of degrees available8
Most popular majorsComputer Science, Business Administration, Health Science, Masters in Education, MBA

Courses vary from Associates, Bachelor and Masters

Tuition feesFree!
Term length4 years
Scholarships Available9
Student origins47% US, 53% rest of the world with students from over 200 countries around the world
Part-time vs full-time students81% part-time and 19% full-time undergraduates

71% part-time and 29% full-time graduates

Retention and Graduation86% full-time and part-time retention rate
Student to Faculty Ratio14 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 students80,000
Year founded1932
AccreditationNew England Commission of Higher Education
Number of degrees available223 online degree programs (Certificate, Associates, Bachelors, Masters, Doctorate, and Postgraduate)
Most popular degreesBusiness Administration and Management, Psychology, Accounting
Tuition fees$31,136 undergraduate per year

$18,810 graduate per year

Term length4 years
Scholarships available28
Student origins53,308 in US

387 outside of US

Part-time vs full-time students72% part-time and 28% full-time undergraduates

80% part-time and 20% full-time graduates

Retention and Graduation53% full-time and 38% part-time retention rate

58% graduation rate

Student to Faculty Ratio28 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 students75,000
Year founded2001
AccreditationNew England Association of Schools and Colleges
Number of degrees available150 online degree programs (Certificate, Associates, Bachelors, Masters, Doctorate)
Most popular online degreesMaster 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 length4 years
Scholarships available2
Retention and Graduation91% retention rate

76% 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!

Your Guide to the Largest Online Universities - University of the People (3)

Source: Pexels
Number of online students52,799
Year founded1970
AccreditationHigher Learning Commission
Number of degrees available129 online degrees (Certificate, Associates, Bachelors, Masters, and Postgraduate)
Most popular majorsRegistered Nursing, Business Administration and Management, Psychology
Tuition fees$12,465 undergraduate per year

$12,042 graduate per year

Term length4 years
Scholarships available13
Student origins47,552 in US

4,678 outside of US

Part-time vs full-time students94% part-time and 6% full-time undergraduates

50% part-time and 50% full-time graduates

Retention and Graduation19% part-time retention rate

11% graduation rate

Student to Faculty Ratio17 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 students52,361
Year founded1991
AccreditationHigher Learning Commission
Number of degrees available190 online degree programs (Certificate, Associates, Bachelors, Masters, and Postgraduate)
Most popular majorsBusiness Administration and Management, Criminal Justice/Safety Studies, International Global Studies
Tuition fees$6,880 undergraduate per year

$6,660 graduate per year

Term length4+ years
Scholarships available2
Student origins49,035 in US

3,326 outside of US

Part-time vs full-time students92% part-time and 8% full-time undergraduate students

95% part-time and 5% full-time graduate students

Retention and Graduation76% full-time, 67% part-time retention rate

36% graduation rate

8. Ashford University

Ashford University is ranked among the top universities in its degrees by minority students. It is also great for students with previous college experience as they recognize up to 90 credits from past college education so that you can get a head start.

Number of online students42,046
Year founded1918
AccreditationHigher Learning Commission
Number of degrees available68 online degrees (Associates, Bachelors, and Masters)
Most popular majorsBusiness Administration and Management, Early Childhood Education, General Business
Tuition fees$11,248 undergraduate per year

$11,514 graduate per year

Term length4 years
Scholarships available10
Student origins41,352 in US

692 outside of US

Part-time vs full-time students100% full-time
Retention and Graduation24% retention rate

17% graduation rate

Student to Faculty Ratio14 to 1

9. 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.

Your Guide to the Largest Online Universities - University of the People (4)

Source: Pixabay
Number of online students28,838
Year founded1853
AccreditationSouthern Association of Colleges and Schools, Commission on Colleges
Number of degrees available100 online degree programs (Associates and Bachelors)
Most popular majorsBusiness 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 length4+ years
Scholarships available:13
Student origins5,228 in US

246 outside of US

Part-time vs full-time students83.7% full-time, 16.3% part-time
Retention and Graduation80% full-time and 75% part-time retention rate

87% graduation rate

Student to Faculty Ratio19 to 1

10. 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 students14,301
Year founded1998
AccreditationMiddle States Association of Colleges and Schools
Number of degrees available147 online degree programs (Certificate, Associates, Bachelors, Masters, Doctorate, and Postgraduate)
Most popular majorsRegistered Nursing, Business, Engineering
Tuition fees$13,988 undergraduate per year

$20,470 graduate per year

Term length4 years
Scholarships available6
Student origins11,819 in US

413 outside of US

Part-time vs full-time students69% part-time and 31% full-time undergraduates

94% part-time and 6% full-time graduates

Retention and Graduation59% full-time and 50% part-time retention rate

25% graduation rate

Student to Faculty Ratio11 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!

Your Guide to the Largest Online Universities - University of the People (2024)
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