Best Online Colleges in Connecticut

Headquartered in New Britain, Charter Oak State College exclusively offers online degrees. Students with busy personal or professional lives can pursue a variety of master's, bachelor's completion, associate, and certificate programs.

Charter Oak features academic programs in areas such as healthcare administration, childhood development and education, paralegal studies, and cybersecurity. Asynchronous coursework provides learners the ability to complete coursework when it fits their schedule, while select programs offer accelerated five- or eight-week course options. Students may earn additional credits for lifelong learning or prior experience, earned via examination, military training, or the school's portfolio program.

Applicants to this best online college in Connecticut must submit a $50 application fee, official transcripts, and test scores. Specific admission requirements vary by degree level and discipline. Out-of-state students pay slightly higher per-credit tuition rates than residents.

Sacred Heart University, the second-largest Catholic university in the state, is committed to truth, justice, service, and intellectual support. Approximately 5,400 students attend each year. In addition to a 300-acre Fairfield campus, this private institution features an e-learning branch with seven online degrees.

SHU's online degrees focus primarily on nursing practice, with options available at the bachelor's, master's, and doctoral levels. Current RNs can enroll in a standard RN-to-BSN pathway or combine undergraduate and graduate studies into one RN-BSN-MSN pathway. Master's programs are also available in social work or strategic communication and public relations. Many of SHU's online degrees require in-person clinical practicum hours, but the asynchronous course material can be accessed online 24/7 from any location.

Admission procedures and requirements -- including prerequisite education, licensure, minimum GPA, resume, and letters of recommendation -- vary by program selection. All online students pay the same tuition rates, regardless of residency.

Quinnipiac University is a private liberal arts institution with three campuses located in Hamden and North Haven. Many of the university's 10,000 students also complete classwork in virtual classrooms. The school's full suite of certificates, undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral degrees help make Quinnipiac one of the best online colleges in Connecticut.

Twenty-one online degrees and certificates are offered by Quinnipiac's accredited schools of business and law, health sciences, nursing, education, communications, and engineering. Select programs require in-person participation such as clinical or practicum hours. However, many of Quinnipiac's online options -- like the master of science in cybersecurity -- offer a 100% virtual experience. Courses are asynchronous for maximum convenience.

Admission requirements vary by program. Before applying, every prospective student is connected with an admissions counselor to discuss individual educational goals and assess program eligibility. All accepted online students receive the same tuition rates, regardless of residency.

Albertus Magnus College, a private Catholic liberal arts college based in New Haven, has designed innovative, accelerated courses for working adults since 1985. That tradition continues today with a variety of flexible associate and bachelor's degrees available in online and hybrid formats.

Albertus offers academic programs in the arts and sciences, business and leadership, and social sciences. Many online programs offer accelerated schedules (six- or eight-week classes and two courses per term) that allow students to earn approximately 30 credits each year. Other available degrees include a master of science in clinical counseling, a master of fine arts in writing, and an MBA with six specialization options.

Prospective Albertus students should submit an online application, college transcripts, photo identification, and a $35-$50 fee. Additional admission requirements may apply depending on program selection. State residency does not impact online students' tuition rates.

The University of Bridgeport is a private nonsectarian institution that serves more than 5,000 students on campus and online each year. UB launched its first online degree -- a master of science in human nutrition -- in 1997. UB's online and hybrid catalog now includes eleven other programs, including five bachelor's degrees, four master's degrees, and two doctoral degrees in educational leadership and health sciences.

The school also features a bachelor of science in dental hygiene. Offered by the world's first-established school of dental hygiene, this program accepts up to 90 transfer credits and prepares licensed dental hygienists for advanced career opportunities in as little as two years.

Specific admission procedures and requirements vary for undergraduates and graduates, but all applicants must submit relevant transcripts, letters of recommendation, and a $25-$50 fee.