2026 Largest Online Colleges Rankings
For online colleges that offer online degrees/programs, Western Governors University has the largest number of online students (210,208) and Southern New Hampshire University has the second largest number of online students (183,892)
based on academic year 2023-2024 college enrollment data.
The below table ranks and compares the Largest Online Colleges having the largest online student population. For the ranking, we include colleges with more than 50% online students who enrolled online exclusively.
Largest Online Colleges
| Rank | College Name | In-State Tuition & Fees | Out-of-State Tuition & Fees | Student Population (Total) | Online Student Population | Number of Programs | Number of Online Programs | Students to Faculty Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1166 | Western Governors University Salt Lake City, UT | $6,070 | $8,658 | 210,208 | 210,208 | 75 | 75 | 42 to 1 |
| 584 | Southern New Hampshire University Manchester, NH | $31,136 | $17,200 | 189,531 | 183,892 | 133 | 68 | 24 to 1 |
| 999 | University of Phoenix-Arizona Phoenix, AZ | $11,330 | $9,552 | 111,248 | 111,075 | 160 | 160 | 147 to 1 |
| 277 | Grand Canyon University Phoenix, AZ | $17,002 | $18,508 | 113,257 | 89,777 | 172 | 122 | 20 to 1 |
| 1151 | Liberty University Lynchburg, VA | $17,122 | $16,173 | 104,327 | 88,309 | 332 | 229 | 18 to 1 |
| 595 | Arizona State University Digital Immersion Scottsdale, AZ | $11,627 | $13,925 | 72,994 | 72,994 | 240 | 240 | 26 to 1 |
| 1123 | University of Maryland Global Campus Adelphi, MD | $8,136 | $12,336 | 63,012 | 56,668 | 92 | 92 | 21 to 1 |
| 905 | American Public University System Charles Town, WV | $6,880 | $8,400 | 50,715 | 50,715 | 200 | 200 | 25 to 1 |
| 923 | Walden University Minneapolis, MN | $12,465 | $11,067 | 49,441 | 49,441 | 138 | 138 | 31 to 1 |
| 1015 | Capella University Minneapolis, MN | $14,250 | $14,400 | 47,761 | 47,761 | 307 | 307 | 41 to 1 |
| Average | $11,383 | $14,992 | 2,624,554 | 2,183,475 | 42 | 26 | 18 to 1 |