We have compiled the ten largest online colleges and universities in the U.S. in terms of the highest number of enrolled online students.
We have also included their tuition amounts and graduation rates, so that students who may be interested in attending one of these schools can see their cost, and get an idea of the percentage of students that graduate.
Online college has seen an increase in the past few years. The pandemic accelerated the boom in online students, and the trend has continued.
The tuition rate is per-year for an online bachelor's degree program. The typical time it takes to graduate is four years. However, there are accelerated online programs, such as the Sophia Learning program through Southern New Hampshire, that can greatly reduce the time to finish a degree; motivated students may be able to finish an online bachelor's degree in 18 months. Arizona State University also offers fast online bachelor's degrees.
The ranking order is determined by the number of students who are enrolled online, from highest to lowest. Of the ten universities and colleges listed here, three are in Texas. The last two in the list are community colleges, which has also seen a large increase in enrollments in the last few years.
Collectively these 10 institutions represent approximately 1,000,000 students.
The Largest Online Colleges in the United States
| Rank | School | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Western Governors University | Salt Lake City, Utah |
| 2 | Southern New Hampshire University | Manchester, New Hampshire |
| 3 | Grand Canyon University | Phoenix, Arizona |
| 4 | Liberty University | Lynchburg, Virginia |
| 5 | University of Phoenix-Arizona | Phoenix, Arizona |
| 6 | Arizona State University Digital Immersion | Scottsdale, Arizona |
| 7 | Texas A & M University | College Station, Texas |
| 8 | University of Central Florida | Orlando, Florida |
| 9 | Dallas College | Dallas, Texas |
| 10 | Lone Star College System | The Woodlands, Texas |
Western Governors University
Salt Lake City, Utah
Western Governors is a private, not-for-profit online university.
- Total Online Enrollment: 150,116
- Tuition: $7,452
- Graduation Rate: 68%
Accreditation: Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities
Southern New Hampshire University
Manchester, New Hampshire
Southern New Hampshire University (SNHU) is a private, not-for-profit university. SNHU offers online associate's through master's degrees. SNHU offers fast online degrees through their Sophia Learning program.
- Total Online Enrollment: 145,533
- Tuition: $9,600
- Graduation Rate: 71%
Accreditation: New England Commission of Higher Education, Inc.
Grand Canyon University
Phoenix, Arizona
Grand Canyon University is a private, for-profit Christian university, offering online bachelor's through doctorate degrees in a large variety of subjects. Grand Canyon is one of the largest Christian universities in the world in numbers of students.
- Total Online Enrollment: 103,072
- Tuition: $13,580
- Graduation Rate: 58%
Accreditation: Higher Learning Commission
Liberty University
Lynchburg, Virginia
Liberty University is a private, not-for-profit Christian university. Liberty is also one of the largest Christian universities in the world in number of students.
- Total Online Enrollment: 94,709
- Tuition: $17,678
- Graduation Rate: 54%
Accreditation: Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges
University of Phoenix-Arizona
Phoenix, Arizona
University of Phoenix is a private, for-profit university.
- Total Online Enrollment: 85,836
- Tuition: $20,240
- Graduation Rate: 57%
Accreditation: Higher Learning Commission
Arizona State University Digital Immersion
Scottsdale, Arizona
Arizona State University is a public, research university. They offer accelerated online bachelor's degrees in certain subjects.
- Total Online Enrollment: 77,881
- Tuition: $29,144
- Graduation Rate: 50%
Accreditation: The Higher Learning Commission
Texas A & M University
College Station, Texas
Texas A&M is a public, research university.
- Total Online Enrollment: 72,530
- Tuition: $35,374
- Graduation Rate: 56%
Accreditation: Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges
University of Central Florida
Orlando, Florida
University of Central Florida is a public, research university.
- Total Online Enrollment: 70,310
- Tuition: $34,580
- Graduation Rate: 55%
Accreditation: Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges
Dallas College
Dallas, Texas
Dallas College is a public community college with seven locations around the Dallas area.
- Total Online Enrollment: 69,171
- Tuition: $10,874
- Graduation Rate: 48%
Accreditation: Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges
Lone Star College System
The Woodlands, Texas
Lone Star College System is a public community college in north Houston.
- Total Online Enrollment: 68,653
- Tuition: $11,254
- Graduation Rate: 42%
Accreditation: Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges
Tuition Amounts: Ranked Lowest to Highest
- Western Governors University (WGU): $7,452
- Southern New Hampshire University: $9,600
- Dallas College: $10,874
- Lone Star College System: $11,254
- Grand Canyon University: $13,580
- Liberty University: $17,678
- University of Phoenix: $20,240
- Arizona State University: $29,144
- University of Central Florida: $34,580
- Texas A&M University: $35,374
Graduation Rates: Highest to Lowest
- Southern New Hampshire University: 71%
- Western Governors University (WGU): 68%
- Grand Canyon University: 58%
- University of Phoenix: 57%
- Texas A&M University: 56%
- University of Central Florida: 55%
- Liberty University: 54%
- Arizona State University: 50%
- Dallas College: 48%
- Lone Star College System: 42%
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