Best Online Colleges in Alaska 2024

Badge for BEST ONLINE COLLEGES IN ALASKA

Published: Dec 20, 2021
Updated: Nov 22, 2023

Find the best online colleges in Alaska ranked by the academic success of faculty and alumni associated with the colleges and universities and their online degree programs.

Top 10 Online Colleges in Alaska

Table of Contents

Featured Programs

Colleges and Universities in Alaska

The six colleges and universities in Alaska are largely located near Anchorage and Fairbanks, two of the state’s largest cities. However, the University of Alaska Southeast houses campuses in the island towns of Juneau, Ketchikan, and Sitka. Also, 2 universities in Alaska offer online degrees for students in more remote areas, or anywhere. While the tuition for Alaska’s largest universities, the University of Alaska Anchorage and the University of Alaska Fairbanks, offer competitive rates of $8,000-$9,000, the University of Alaska Anchorage’s student population is nearly twice the size, with nearly 11,000 students. This state also offers two private colleges, both with religious backgrounds, in Alaska Pacific University and Alaska Bible College.

Find college admissions consultants in your state.

Those hoping to truly immerse themselves in Alaska’s wilderness may want to consider attending Iḷisaġvik College, which is a tribally-owned community college located in Barrow, the northernmost point in Alaska. Many of the degrees students pursue in Alaska fall in the science and social science fields, but students also have the option to obtain on-campus or online degrees in areas like religious studies, education, and liberal arts.

Alaska’s landscape is as vast as its history. The massive glaciers, thousands of miles of coastline, our country’s highest mountain peak, and wildlife that live among the people are only some of the features that have helped earn this state its nickname, The Last Frontier. Though there are numerous online degree programs in Alaska, students aspiring to see caribou in person or witness the Northern Lights may want to get their degree on one of Alaska’s sprawling college campuses.

Fortunately, a number of colleges in Alaska offer hybrid degree options, where you can take some online courses and some courses on campus.

For students hoping for a mix of adventure and education, learn more about Alaska’s higher education institutes, degree options, online degree programs, and top career paths.

What are Alaska’s Colleges & Universities?

Alaska’s Best Overall

Online education has grown dramatically in quality, credibility, and popularity over the last two decades. Today, more than a quarter of all college students are taking at least one online course. According to the National Center for Education Statistics, there are more than 5 million college students who are pursuing their undergraduate degree fully online. And the number of online college and graduate students continues to grow as online technology and instructional methods improve.

In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, access to remote learning has proven an essential part of the educational ecosystem. Schools that offer primarily online degree programs saw an increase of 7% enrollment just between Fall 2020 and Spring 2021. The number of traditional institutions offering online courses and degrees is growing as well. This all paints a promising picture for the future of online education. But it also produces a dizzying array of options.

Frequently Asked Questions About Best Online Colleges 2024

Asynchronous learning means classes don’t meet at set times. This is the most flexible online learning experience, making when you cover your course material up to you. Most asynchronous online courses will still have deadlines throughout the semester for various assignments and tests. Some asynchronous classes may still ask for an occasional meeting, such as initial meet-and-greets, and in some cases there may be scheduled test times. The idea of asynchronous learning is to allow the student to manage their schedules as needed.

Synchronous learning means you will have scheduled meeting times for your online classes. Synchronous learning gives online students the flexibility of location while also giving students a chance to engage with each other and their professors. For many online students, the structured class schedules and ability to see and hear from peers in real-time helps create the learning experience they want.

Accreditation is especially important when it comes to online college. This is because the online education landscape is a mix of highly-reputable institutions and less-than-reputable for-profit schools. Accreditation gives you the power to differentiate between the two. Accreditation is a stamp of approval from an independent accrediting agency which indicates that a college or university is meeting standards of quality, credibility, and currency. School-wide accreditation falls into two major categories: regional and national accreditation. Regional accreditors generally hold jurisdiction only over schools in the states comprising their region, whereas national accreditors hold jurisdiction over schools in all states. Regional accreditation is widely regarded as a more rigorous standard of quality and credibility than national accreditation.

Attending a college or university which is not regionally accredited could limit your opportunities. When seeking an online education, we strongly recommend that students opt for regionally accredited schools. Regional accreditation ensures eligibility for federal loans and grants, ensures your college credits can be transferred between schools, and ensures that your degree credits can be accepted if you wish to earn an advanced degree.

As long as your online college degree is regionally accredited, you should have little difficulty transferring most of your credits or credentials to another regionally accredited undergraduate school. Every school carries its own standards and procedures for granting a transfer. In many cases, you will be required to navigate a bureaucracy in which some of your credits will be transferred and others will be jettisoned. However, provided that you have attended an online school with the proper regional accreditation, you should have plenty of options for transfer.

In most cases, as long you graduate from a well-regarded, regionally-accredited online college, prospective employers won’t look sideways at your degree. In fact, unless you attend an exclusively online college or university, there will likely be no specific indicator on your degree, transcript or resume differentiating your school from its brick-and-mortar counterpart. This means that your employer will likely only differentiate between an online and in-person degree if you mention this distinction.

While some employers may express concern about making the adjustment from online education to in-person workplace collaboration, many other employers will view your online degree as evidence of valuable 21st Century professional skills such as independence, self-motivation, time management, and tech savvy.

The advantages of online classes are many. First and foremost, online courses give you the freedom and flexibility to attend class from anywhere that works for you, whether you’re at home, in a coffee shop, or in a quiet conference room at work. In many cases, you’ll also enjoy the convenience of asynchronous learning opportunities—educational experiences that you can complete on your own schedule. This may include pre-taped lectures, ongoing chat-board discussions, and 24/7 access to digital materials. And of course, just as there are some learners who prefer the energy of a live classroom, there are those who learn best when working in their own personal space, free from distractions. If this sounds like you, you might find the solitude of online learning to be a major advantage.

How do we determine the best online colleges for undergrads?

Methodology

Pursuing your degree online doesn’t mean you need to settle for an inferior school. Today, most universities and colleges offer online degrees, and many respected schools are seeing significant growth in their numbers of online students.

The people affiliated with a school are ultimately what make it great. This is why influence — i.e., the academic impact of faculty and alumni associated with a school — gets at the heart of what is truly best in education. The combined influence score of a college or university’s top academic influencers is the best indicator of academic excellence. For our online degree rankings, we focus on the academic influence of faculty and alumni in the specific disciplines we’re ranking.

If you are serious about finding the best online colleges, you should be asking where the most influential professors are teaching, and whether their graduates themselves are advancing the school’s reputation for academic excellence. Most ranking sites rely on an opaque combination of reputation surveys and arbitrary performance metrics. Influence, as measured by our InfluenceRanking engine, provides a ranking that is free from bias, insulated from manipulation, and reflective of real-world educational outcomes.

Best Online Colleges in Alaska 2023

#1
University of Alaska Fairbanks
Fairbanks , AK
#1 The Most Influential Universities and Colleges Ranked by State 2024 #1 Best Grad School in Alaska 2024 #1 Best Colleges in Alaska 2024 #1 Most Affordable Colleges in Alaska 2024
Other Rankings
Tuition + fees
$10K
Graduation
39%
Student body
11K
Career Outlook for degree at University of Alaska Fairbanks
Cost of Degree: $9,612
Expenses: $15,300
Starting Salary: $45,100
Cost Recoup Time: 11 years
Paid back at 15% of annual salary
Online Degrees
BBA in Accounting

Required Credits: 120
Completion time: 4-6 years
Format: Online
BAM in Applied Management

Required Credits: 120
Completion time: 4-6 years
Format: Online
BA/BS in Biological Sciences

Required Credits: 120
Completion time: 4-6 years
Format: Online
BBA in Business Administration

Concentrations

Finance
General Business
Leadership
Marketing
Sport Management
Economics

Required Credits: 120
Completion time: 4-6 years
Format: Online
BA in Communication

Required Credits: 120
Completion time: 4-6 years
Format: Online
BS in Criminal Justice

Required Credits: 120
Completion time: 4-6 years
Format: Online
BA in History

Required Credits: 120
Completion time: 4-6 years
Format: Online
BSEM in Homeland Security and Emergency Management

Concentrations

Cybersecurity and Information Technology Management
Emergency Management
Emergency Medical and Public Health Management
Fire Administration
Homeland Security
Law Enforcement Management

Required Credits: 120
Completion time: 4-6 years
Format: Online
BAAS in Interdisciplinary Studies

Concentrations

Required Credits: 120
Completion time: 4-6 years
Format: Online
BA in Justice

Required Credits: 120
Completion time: 4-6 years
Format: Online
BA in Political Science

Required Credits: 120
Completion time: 4-6 years
Format: Online
BA in Psychology

Required Credits: 120
Completion time: 4-6 years
Format: Online
BS in Psychology

Required Credits: 120
Completion time: 4-6 years
Format: Online
BSRB in Sport and Recreation Business

Concentrations

Sport Management
Recreation Management

Required Credits: 120
Completion time: 4-6 years
Format: Online
Compare school
#2
University of Alaska Southeast
Juneau , AK
#3 The Most Influential Universities and Colleges Ranked by State 2024 #3 Best Colleges in Alaska 2024 #3 Most Affordable Colleges in Alaska 2024 #2 Best Online Master's Programs in Alaska 2024
Other Rankings
Tuition + fees
$9K
Acceptance
63%
Graduation
25%
Student body
3K
Career Outlook for degree at University of Alaska Southeast
Cost of Degree: $8,726
Expenses: $13,678
Starting Salary: $39,500
Cost Recoup Time: 11 years
Paid back at 15% of annual salary
Online Degrees
BBA in Business Administration

Concentrations

Accounting
Human Resource Management
Management
Management Information Systems

Required Credits: 120
Completion time: 4-6 years
Format: Online
BA in Elementary Education

Required Credits: 120
Completion time: 4-6 years
Format: Online
BLA in Liberal Arts

Required Credits: 120
Completion time: 4-6 years
Format: Online
BA in Social Science

Concentrations

Anthropology
History
Political Science
Psychology
Sociology

Required Credits: 120
Completion time: 4-6 years
Format: Online
BA in Special Education

Required Credits: 120
Completion time: 4-6 years
Format: Online
Compare school

Do you have a question about this topic? Ask it here

Best Online Colleges in Alaska 2024

Top 10 Online Colleges in Alaska

Featured Programs

Colleges and Universities in Alaska

What are Alaska’s Colleges & Universities?

Alaska’s Best Overall

Best Online Colleges in Alaska 2023

University of Alaska Fairbanks

Career Outlook for degree at University of Alaska Fairbanks

Online Degrees

Concentrations

Concentrations

Concentrations

Concentrations

University of Alaska Southeast

Career Outlook for degree at University of Alaska Southeast

Online Degrees

Concentrations

Concentrations