Key takeaway: 2,817 of the 6,072 institutions in our directory report at least one program a student can complete entirely online (IPEDS IC 2024), and 1,486 of those award the bachelor's degree as their predominant credential. Those 1,486 bachelor's-level online institutions are the pool for the cards below, ordered by BOC Score.
A bachelor’s degree earned online carries the same title, the same accreditation, and the same transcript as the campus version at the same school. What differs is how the courses are delivered and how the calendar is built. This page explains how to read the school cards, what the degree letters mean, how many credits to expect, and which majors most online students choose.
Schools to Compare
These accredited institutions award the bachelor’s degree as their predominant credential and report at least one program completable entirely online (IPEDS IC 2024). Ranked by BOC Score within that group.
How We Rank Schools
Every school list on this site is ordered by the BOC Score, computed from the most
recent school-level data published by the U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard and IPEDS).
To qualify, a school must be currently operating and accredited by an agency recognized by the
U.S. Department of Education. Each eligible school is then scored on five measures, percentile-ranked
against schools at the same credential level:
BOCSCORE
- Graduation rate 30%
- Median earnings, 10 years after entry 25%
- Average net price (lower is better) 20%
- Retention rate 15%
- Fully online availability 10%
Schools without enough outcome data appear after ranked schools, without a score.
Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.
Graduation rate
93%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$102,772
Avg net price
$12,116/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats
- Retention rate: 98%
- Programs offered: 64
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
97%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$124,080
Avg net price
$13,807/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats
- Retention rate: 98%
- Programs offered: 100
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Acceptance rate
11%
Graduation rate
93%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$92,446
Avg net price
$13,481/yr
TuitionIn‑state$16,347
Out‑of‑state$50,547
Key stats
- Retention rate: 97%
- Programs offered: 127
Source:Accreditor: Western Association of Schools and Colleges Senior Colleges and University Commission · IPEDS · College Scorecard
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats
- Retention rate: 97%
- Programs offered: 6
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
89%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$71,588
Avg net price
$6,541/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats
- Retention rate: 97%
- Programs offered: 172
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Acceptance rate
8%
Graduation rate
95%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$89,718
Avg net price
$13,370/yr
TuitionIn‑state$64,144
Out‑of‑state$64,144
Key stats
- Retention rate: 98%
- Programs offered: 78
Source:Accreditor: Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges · IPEDS · College Scorecard
Acceptance rate
9%
Graduation rate
93%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$82,511
Avg net price
$12,548/yr
TuitionIn‑state$15,203
Out‑of‑state$49,403
Key stats
- Retention rate: 97%
- Programs offered: 161
Source:Accreditor: Western Association of Schools and Colleges Senior Colleges and University Commission · IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
94%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$83,648
Avg net price
$13,138/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats
- Retention rate: 98%
- Programs offered: 206
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
96%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$91,885
Avg net price
$14,860/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats
- Retention rate: 99%
- Programs offered: 105
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Acceptance rate
27%
Graduation rate
87%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$84,943
Avg net price
$12,470/yr
TuitionIn‑state$16,758
Out‑of‑state$50,958
Key stats
- Retention rate: 94%
- Programs offered: 133
Source:Accreditor: Western Association of Schools and Colleges Senior Colleges and University Commission · IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
85%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$76,310
TuitionContact school for pricing
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
91%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$72,200
Avg net price
$11,655/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats
- Retention rate: 97%
- Programs offered: 117
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
The two IPEDS fields behind this list are the distance education program indicator and the institution’s predominant credential level. Together they tell you a school is bachelor’s-focused and offers something fully online. They do not tell you that the specific major you want is offered online at that school, and they do not say how many online programs it runs. Confirm the individual program with admissions before you apply.
How to read the school cards
Each card carries federal data rather than marketing copy. Use it in this order:
- Accreditation. Every institution in our directory holds accreditation from an agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. Where a license depends on the degree, check the program’s specialized accreditation separately.
- BOC Score. Our composite ranking, built inside a peer group so bachelor’s-level schools are compared with each other rather than with community colleges or research universities. Read the methodology for the inputs.
- Graduation and retention. Retention is the earliest honest signal of whether a school’s online support works. Graduation rate tells you how often students who start actually finish.
- Earnings outcomes. Median earnings after enrollment, from federal data, are a reference point rather than a promise. Compare schools with similar program mixes.
- Size and setting. A large online-focused university and a small regional campus with a few online majors run very different student experiences.
Degree titles: BA, BS, and BAS
Three abbreviations cover almost every online bachelor’s program.
- BA, Bachelor of Arts. Broader general education, more humanities and social science, more elective room. Common in psychology, English, communications, and criminal justice.
- BS, Bachelor of Science. More coursework inside the major, often with math or laboratory requirements. Common in nursing, computer science, accounting, and health science.
- BAS, Bachelor of Applied Science. Built to accept a technical associate degree and apply it toward the major rather than only to electives. If you hold an applied associate degree, ask specifically whether a BAS pathway exists, because it usually preserves more of your credit.
Employers rarely distinguish between a BA and a BS in the same field. Graduate programs sometimes do, so if you expect to continue on, check the prerequisite list for the master’s degree you have in mind before choosing.
A bachelor’s degree is normally 120 semester credits, about forty courses. About half is general education and electives, and about half is the major and its prerequisites. Transfer credit and credit for prior learning both apply against that total, which is why two students in the same program can be years apart.
Formats vary more than the credit total:
- Asynchronous. Weekly deadlines, no set meeting time. The dominant format for adult online students.
- Synchronous. Scheduled live sessions. Ask how many hours per week and at what time of day.
- Term length. Traditional semesters run about 15 weeks. Many online schools run 8-week terms with several starts a year, letting you take one course at a time and still finish steadily.
- Competency-based. You advance by demonstrating mastery rather than logging seat time. It rewards students who already know part of the material and frustrates students who need structure.
Ask every school for a degree plan showing how long the program takes at the number of courses you can realistically carry.
The most-searched online majors
Each guide below covers curriculum, licensure where it applies, career paths, and the schools that report completions in that field.
Before you apply
Three checks separate a shortlist from a list of names. First, confirm that the major you want is offered fully online at that school, because the federal distance education flag describes the institution and not the program. Second, if you hold prior college credit, ask for a written transfer evaluation before you enroll rather than after, since the same transcript produces different remaining-credit totals at different schools. Third, ask for a degree plan at the course load you can actually carry, with the terms named. A plan that assumes full-time study tells you nothing if you work full time.
Where a license depends on the degree, add a fourth check: confirm that the program meets the licensure requirements of the state where you intend to work, not just the state where the school sits.
Quick Answers
Is an online bachelor’s degree respected by employers?
The diploma and transcript from an accredited institution do not state the delivery format, and employers evaluate the school’s accreditation and reputation rather than the modality. Accreditation, not delivery, is what matters to licensing boards and graduate admissions.
How many credits is an online bachelor’s degree?
Normally 120 semester credits. Transfer credit and credit awarded for prior learning reduce what remains, so ask for a written evaluation of your record before you enroll.
How long does an online bachelor’s degree take?
Four years is the full-time reference pace from zero credits. Students transferring in substantial credit or taking year-round short terms finish sooner; part-time students working full time often take longer. See our guide to degree completion programs if you already have college credit.
How many online colleges offer bachelor’s degrees?
In our directory, 1,486 institutions award the bachelor’s degree as their predominant credential and report at least one fully online program (IPEDS IC 2024). Not every major at those schools is available online.
Next steps
Source: U.S. Department of Education, IPEDS Institutional Characteristics survey (IC 2024), distance education program flags (DISTPGS) and predominant credential level; directory counts as of the September 2026 data refresh.
