Best Online Colleges in New York of 2026

Why We Chose It: This school offers over 40 online graduate programs — more than any other school on our list.

Adelphi University offers a wide range of online graduate programs, including 30 master's degrees across disciplines such as nutrition, education, business, public health, sports management, and social work. 

The institution also has 20 advanced graduate certificate programs. While other universities on this list also offer certificate programs, their selection is more limited and introductory. Adelphi’s certificates, on the other hand, are more suited for working professionals who want to develop expertise in a new area.

For instance, the university’s advanced certificate in educational theatre is designed for people with a master’s degree who want to earn a New York state teaching certification in theater (P-12).

A few certificates — like those in accounting, digital marketing, and finance — are also open to students with just a bachelor’s degree.

What We Like About Adelphi

• Graduate classes average about 13 students, so you get more opportunities for direct engagement with instructors. 
• The average annual salary for 2020 bachelor's degree graduates at Adelphi was $70,750 — 28% higher than the national average, according to the school’s Center for Career and Professional Development.
• Online students get access to several support services, including a personal academic advisor, tutoring through the Learning and Writing centers, and career advising from the Center for Career and Professional Development. 

What We Don't Like

• Tuition rates vary across graduate programs, meaning affordability depends on the discipline you choose. 
• Yellow Ribbon funding for veterans is limited to 100 students annually, whereas other institutions on this list don’t have a cap.

Why We Chose It: This university’s online programs are strongly centered around healthcare, pharmacy, and nursing subjects.

D'Youville University offers online degrees at the bachelor's, master's, and doctoral levels, most of which focus on healthcare-related fields such as nursing, pharmacy, health services, and dentistry. 

Some of D'Youville’s online programs are structured to help students move seamlessly from one level of study to the next. 

For instance, for registered nurses (RNs) who want to build on their expertise and earn a bachelor of science in nursing (BSN), the school offers a fully asynchronous RN-to-BSN program. After completing the program, students can continue on to a master of science (MS) in nursing education with a clinical focus, among other graduate options.

It’s also worth noting that D'Youville offers a 12-month doctor of medical science (DMS) program for practicing physician assistants — currently the only fully online DMS program offered by a New York-based university. This is another example of D'Youville’s strong emphasis on healthcare education.

This focus extends beyond the classroom to the school’s career services, which help students find employment opportunities. As a result, over 90% of D'Youville graduates are employed or enrolled in further training after graduation. 

What We Like About D'Youville

• D'Youville has a partnership with Parker Dewey, a platform that connects students with employers offering paid, typically remote micro-internships that provide real-world experience.
• The school’s Health Careers Opportunity Program (HCOP) offers eligible students certain benefits, including success coaching, stipends for books, and clinical simulation sessions.
• D'Youville participates in the Yellow Ribbon Program, which helps cover tuition costs for eligible veterans — and there’s no cap on the number of students eligible or amount of funds available per year.

What We Don't Like

• If you’re not interested in a career in healthcare, your options at D'Youville are limited. The school offers just three non-healthcare programs: master of business administration, bachelor of arts in psychology, and a master’s in clinical mental health counseling. 
• With only three online undergraduate programs available, this school might be better suited for graduate students.

Why We Chose It: NYU has around 70 online certificate programs to help working professionals expand their skill set.

New York University, among the schools on this list, offers the most online certificate programs — around 70 in subjects such as finance, building design, project management, data analytics, and more. This is nearly double that of other universities in the state — such as Adelphi University, which offers 36. 

The programs are designed to help working professionals learn new skills and advance their careers while continuing to work. This flexibility is possible because certificate programs are generally less intensive and require less time to complete compared to a traditional degree program. 

Some certificates — mainly the ones offered through the School of Public Global Health and Law School — are advanced. This makes them a better fit for professionals with prior experience in the field or who already hold a master’s degree. Those offered within the School of Professional Studies are suited to students at all levels. 

NYU also offers more than 40 online degree programs, but be sure to check each program page individually since some include in-person requirements.

What We Like About NYU

• NYU has the highest retention (96%) and graduation (88%) rates of all the universities on this list, which indicates strong student satisfaction and academic support.
• Most of NYU’s online certificates cost between $2,500 and $12,420 in total, depending on the program. This makes them a more affordable option than traditional degree programs, which can cost tens of thousands of dollars.
• When enrolling in a certificate program, NYU alumni and military-affiliated students get 20% off, while those ages 65 and older receive 25%. Everyone else qualifies for a 10% discount. (Note that discounts can’t be combined.)

What We Don't Like

• While NYU’s certificate programs are relatively affordable, its undergraduate and graduate programs cost about $30,000 per semester — significantly more than other schools on this list. 
• Credit for prior learning, which lets students earn credit for relevant work or life experience, is only available when enrolling in undergraduate programs.

Why We Chose It: SUNY Poly has the lowest online program tuition rate on this list.

As the only public university on this list, SUNY Polytechnic Institute is the most affordable online college for New Yorkers. 

Other schools on this list charge anywhere from $800-$1,500 per credit for part-time online students. SUNY Polytechnic offers a far lower rate — just $295 per credit for bachelor’s programs and $471 per credit for master’s programs for New York residents. This is roughly a third of the price charged by the private universities on this list.

SUNY Poly also offers nearly a dozen institutional scholarships, which could help lower the net cost of attendance even more. The university's Transfer Achievement Merit-Based Scholarship, for example, awards $1,000 a year for transfer students with a GPA between 3.0-3.49 and $1,500 annually for those with a GPA between 3.5-4.0. 

SUNY Poly offers five online bachelor’s degrees in nursing, accounting, and business administration, plus 10 graduate programs such as a master’s in cybersecurity and certificates in forensic accounting and data analysis. The university also offers an accelerated RN-to-BS/MS program for registered nurses.

What We Like About SUNY Poly

• A part-time master’s student taking 11 credits at SUNY Poly would pay around $5,000 per semester. That’s significantly less than the roughly $9,000 or more per semester charged by the other private schools on this list.
• The Office of Distance Learning offers free accessibility training to faculty to strengthen accessibility practices and disability awareness among instructors. 

What We Don't Like

• SUNY Poly does not award credit for prior learning, which can be a drawback for students hoping to earn credit for previous work or life experience.
• The school’s online program selection is limited, with only 16 degrees — the lowest number on this list.

Why We Chose It: UMSV offers five online MBA programs with specializations that prepare students for diverse industries.

Mount Saint Vincent’s master of business administration (MBA) program features a general track as well as concentrations in healthcare management, international business, nonprofit management, and risk management. 

Each MBA program requires 30 credits and takes as few as 12 months to complete if you’re a full-time student, according to the university. That’s because classes run in seven-week terms, which is roughly half the time of a typical MBA program. However, part-time students take longer to finish, and those without a business background may need six extra credit hours.

The programs are also fully online and asynchronous, meaning you can complete coursework at your own pace without logging in for scheduled meetings.

What We Like About UMSV

• UMSV’s MBA programs cost between $15,000 and $16,000 in total. For comparison, the average total cost of an MBA is approximately $31,000 per year. 
• The MBA programs require a GPA of 2.75 for admission, which is less than the typical 3.0 GPA requirement at other universities on this list. 
• UMSV doesn’t require the GMAT or GRE for admission into its MBA programs. 

What We Don't Like

• UMSV’s online master's program portfolio is limited to business management and K-12 education subjects. 
• The school offers just one online certificate program: English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) Certificate.