Best Online Colleges in Alaska

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Updated October 4, 2024

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Alaska, the largest and most sparsely populated state in the U.S., incorporated technology into their education system decades ago. Since 1981, the state has utilized the Alaska Society of Technology in Education (ASTE) to promote access to technology for all students in Alaska.

Top Online Colleges in Alaska

University of Alaska Southeast – Juneau, AK
University of Alaska Fairbanks – Fairbanks, AK
Alaska Pacific University – Anchorage, AK

One of the best online colleges in Alaska is provided through the University of Alaska. This large, multi-campus university offers 106 online degree programs and counting. This university, like others in Alaska, facilitates online courses with the Blackboard learning management system. Many other schools in Alaska are encouraged to use this system, which creates a strong and streamlined online learning infrastructure across the state.

Another source of regulation and compliance to online education standards comes from Alaska’s membership in the Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education. The state joined in 1955 and since then has participated in the State Authorization Reciprocity Agreement (SARA). In doing so, Alaska demonstrated a commitment to making online education courses more accessible to students across state lines, in turn making online education a valuable and pragmatic option for students in Alaska.

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In this Article

Best Online Colleges in Alaska

We use trusted sources like Peterson's Data and the National Center for Education Statistics to inform the data for these schools. from our partners appear among these rankings and are indicated as such.

How We Rank Schools

To create this ranking, BestColleges sourced the most recent data available from the National Center for Education Statistics and the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard. We then ranked each school according to the top variables college students selected in our College Choice and Admissions Survey. To learn more, check out our full rankings methodology or read the summary below.

To qualify for our rankings lists, each school must be an accredited public or private, nonprofit institution. Each eligible school was then ranked based on a formula measuring:

Affordability (30%)
Student outcomes (30%)
Reputation (20%)
Diversity and social mobility (20%)

In addition, we only included colleges with graduation rates in the top third of all online colleges.

University of Alaska Southeast

Juneau, AK2 yearCampus + Online

$8,460

Avg. Undergrad Tuition, In-State

$25,440

Avg. Undergrad Tuition, Out-of-state

63%

Acceptance Rate

69%

Online Enrollment

The University of Alaska Southeast (UAS) is headquartered in Juneau with extended campuses in Sitka and Ketchikan. Through its School of Arts and Sciences, School of Career and Technical Education, and its oversight of the system wide Alaska College of Education, UAS accommodates approximately 3,000 students with programming in a diverse range of disciplines.

UAS, one of Alaska’s online colleges, provides students with access to a variety of academic programs and career and technical education via e-learning. Bachelor’s degrees are offered online in education, social science, business administration, and library arts. Of note is the BA in Social Science which has several concentrations, including history, political science, and psychology. The school uses a blend of e-learning delivery systems, including web, satellite broadcast, audio, or video conference. The school has a full complement of student services for online learners, such as admission counseling, faculty advising, UA site coordinators, tutoring resources, and online library resources.

Avg. Grad Tuition, In-State

$11,183

Avg. Grad Tuition, Out-of-state

$23,522

Retention Rate

71%

Students Enrolled

1,918

Institution Type

Public

Accreditation

Yes

Avg. Undergrad Tuition, In-State

$8,460

Avg. Undergrad Tuition, Out-of-state

$25,440

University of Alaska Southeast

Juneau, AK2 yearCampus + Online

Avg. Undergrad Tuition, In-State

$8,460

Avg. Undergrad Tuition, Out-of-state

$25,440

Acceptance Rate

63%

Online Enrollment

69%

Avg. Grad Tuition, In-State

$11,183

Avg. Grad Tuition, Out-of-state

$23,522

Retention Rate

71%

Students Enrolled

1,918

Institution Type

Public

Accreditation

Yes

University of Alaska Fairbanks

Fairbanks, AK4 yearCampus + Online

$8,235

Avg. Undergrad Tuition, In-State

$25,215

Avg. Undergrad Tuition, Out-of-state

70%

Acceptance Rate

77%

Online Enrollment

The University of Alaska Fairbanks (UAF) is a public research university and a flagship campus of the UA system, with seven rural and urban campuses and online learning. UAF, with the beautiful last frontier as its backyard, serves about 11,000 students with its catalog of online offerings spanning the disciplines; the most popular undergraduate majors include general program/studies, biological sciences, petroleum engineering, and mechanical engineering.

UAF is one of the best online colleges in Alaska because of its extensive list of online bachelor’s degree offerings; these include the fields of accounting, business administration, education, interdisciplinary studies, and social work. Programs of note include the BA in Justice, in which students learn problem-solving conflicts regarding federal, state, and Native American issues; and the BA in Rural Development, in which students gain knowledge about the state’s cultural heritage, contribution to the global economy, and sustainable development strategies.

Avg. Grad Tuition, In-State

$11,535

Avg. Grad Tuition, Out-of-state

$23,647

Retention Rate

72%

Students Enrolled

6,710

Institution Type

Public

Accreditation

Yes

Avg. Undergrad Tuition, In-State

$8,235

Avg. Undergrad Tuition, Out-of-state

$25,215

University of Alaska Fairbanks

Fairbanks, AK4 yearCampus + Online

Avg. Undergrad Tuition, In-State

$8,235

Avg. Undergrad Tuition, Out-of-state

$25,215

Acceptance Rate

70%

Online Enrollment

77%

Avg. Grad Tuition, In-State

$11,535

Avg. Grad Tuition, Out-of-state

$23,647

Retention Rate

72%

Students Enrolled

6,710

Institution Type

Public

Accreditation

Yes

Alaska Pacific University

Anchorage, AK4 yearCampus + Online

$20,350

Avg. Undergrad Tuition, In-State

$20,350

Avg. Undergrad Tuition, Out-of-state

99%

Acceptance Rate

17%

Online Enrollment

Tucked away on 175 acres in the forest among Anchorage’s trail system, is Alaska Pacific University (APU), a small private liberal arts and sciences university emphasizing experiential, hands-on instruction. Among its notables are academic rigor, applied research projects, developing students critical thinking and problem-solving skills, and student engagement.

APU has fewer than 800 students and is one of the online colleges in Alaska offering bachelor’s degree options: an accelerated BA to MBA and the BA in Counselling Psychology. Of note is their Accelerated MBA, in which students move directly from the BA program directly into the MBA, and classes can be taken entirely online. The school is affordable having implemented a 34% reduction in undergraduate tuition in a bid to ease student debt. Pell-eligible students can attend APU for free or at a much reduced tuition.

Avg. Grad Tuition, In-State

$11,700

Avg. Grad Tuition, Out-of-state

$11,700

Retention Rate

82%

Students Enrolled

595

Institution Type

Private

Accreditation

Yes