Online College Review: ASU Online

January 9, 2026

Arizona State University Online (ASU Online) is one of the largest public university online platforms in the United States, enrolling more than 83,000 students and offering more than 300 degree programs to working adults, transfer students, and career changers in all 50 states and over 100 countries. This review covers what ASU Online is, what it costs, what the student experience looks like, and how it compares to alternatives so prospective students can make a well-informed enrollment decision.

Quick Facts	ASU Online
Parent institution	Arizona State University
Institutional type	Public research university (R1: Very High Research Activity)
Accreditation	Higher Learning Commission (HLC)
Online enrollment (FY2022)	~83,700 students (61,500 undergraduate; 22,200 graduate)
Online programs	300+ degree programs; undergraduate and graduate
Adult learners (25+)	More than 70% of ASU Online enrollment
Undergraduate tuition	~$550-$700 per credit hour (varies by program)
First-year retention (with coaching)	~87%
Annual completions (FY2022)	14,000+ degrees and certificates
Notable employer partnerships	Starbucks (full tuition), Uber, Verizon, Intel
Diploma designation	No online designation; same diploma as on-campus graduates

What ASU Online Is

ASU Online is the fully online degree division of Arizona State University, a public R1 research university governed by the Arizona Board of Regents. It is not a separate institution or a for-profit subsidiary. ASU Online students are enrolled in Arizona State University, taught by ASU faculty, and earn ASU diplomas that are identical to those issued to on-campus graduates. No online designation appears on the transcript or diploma.

The operational infrastructure behind ASU Online is EdPlus at ASU, an innovation-focused unit responsible for online program development, instructional design, enrollment management, student success services, and learning technology. EdPlus is what allows ASU to scale online education to more than 83,000 students while maintaining the quality controls that a standalone academic department could not replicate at that volume.

ASU’s online enrollment makes it one of the largest universities in the United States by total student count. Its mission, formally adopted by the Arizona Board of Regents, explicitly prioritizes broad access over selective admissions, which means ASU Online is designed to be an institution that more people can enter, not fewer. This mission-level commitment to access has practical implications for admissions, program structure, and the student population you will be learning alongside.

Accreditation and Credential Quality

Arizona State University holds HLC (Higher Learning Commission) regional accreditation, one of the seven U.S. Department of Education-recognized regional accrediting bodies. HLC accreditation is the same institutional credential held by major public and private research universities throughout the Midwest and West, including the University of Illinois, Northwestern University, and the University of Colorado.

For prospective students, HLC accreditation means federal financial aid eligibility, general employer recognition of the ASU credential, and credit transferability to other regionally accredited institutions. The fact that ASU Online degrees carry no online designation means the credential is evaluated identically to an on-campus ASU degree by employers, graduate programs, and professional licensing bodies.

Programmatic Accreditation by Field

Program Area	Accrediting Body	Practical Significance
Business (W. P. Carey School)	AACSB (Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business)	Less than 6% of business schools globally hold AACSB; top-tier credential for employer and grad school recognition
Engineering programs	ABET (Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology)	Required for PE licensure pathway; defense and aerospace employer standard
Nursing (RN-to-BSN, MSN)	CCNE (Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education)	Required by most hospital employers and graduate nursing programs
Education programs	CAEP (Council for Accreditation of Educator Preparation)	Standard for teacher preparation; supports state licensure
Social Work (MSW)	CSWE (Council on Social Work Education)	Required for LCSW licensure in most states

The AACSB accreditation for ASU’s W. P. Carey School of Business is the most significant single programmatic credential in ASU Online’s portfolio. AACSB is the gold standard for business education globally, and ASU Online business students benefit from that accreditation in ways that students at institutions holding only ACBSP or no programmatic business accreditation do not. For students pursuing an online business degree, this is one of the most compelling reasons to consider ASU Online specifically.

For a full explanation of accreditation, see: What Makes an Online University Legitimate?

Programs Available Through ASU Online

ASU Online offers one of the broadest program catalogs in public online higher education, with more than 300 undergraduate and graduate degree programs across virtually every major discipline. The following covers the primary program areas with notes on what makes each particularly relevant for adult learners.

Undergraduate Programs

Program Area	Representative Degrees	Notes
Business	Business Administration, Supply Chain, Finance, Marketing, Accountancy	AACSB accredited through W. P. Carey; strongest differentiator vs. nonprofit online alternatives
Technology and Computing	Computer Science, IT, Software Engineering, Cybersecurity	R1 research faculty; ABET accredited engineering programs
Engineering	Select engineering disciplines online	ABET accredited; strong aerospace and defense employer relationships
Education	Elementary Ed, Early Childhood Ed, Educational Studies	CAEP accredited; state licensure compatibility varies
Health and Life Sciences	Biological Sciences, Health Sciences, Public Health	Strong pre-professional preparation; research institution context
Social and Behavioral Sciences	Psychology, Sociology, Criminology and Criminal Justice	Broad applicability; undergraduate-level programs
Liberal Studies and Humanities	Liberal Studies, Communication, English	Broad credential for career changers and degree completers
Sustainability and Environment	Sustainability, Environmental Studies	ASU is a national leader in sustainability research; strong faculty context

Graduate Programs

ASU Online’s graduate portfolio is substantial and includes some of its most distinctive offerings:

MBA and specialized business master’s degrees (AACSB accredited through W. P. Carey School)
Master of Computer Science (MCS): one of the most well-regarded online CS graduate programs at a public research university
Master of Science in Data Science: strong research faculty context and growing employer demand
Master of Social Work (MSW): CSWE accredited; online delivery designed for working practitioners
Master of Education (MEd) and Doctor of Education (EdD)
MS in Engineering and Systems Engineering (ABET accredited programs)
RN-to-BSN and MSN nursing programs (CCNE accredited)
Master of Public Policy and other public administration tracks

Universal Learner and Alternative Entry Pathways

One of ASU Online’s most distinctive features is its Universal Learner Courses program, which allows students to take up to 10 ASU courses and earn college credit before formally applying for degree admission. Students pay a reduced per-course fee during the Universal Learner phase and only apply for formal enrollment if they decide to pursue the full degree. This reduces the risk of committing to a full degree program without first experiencing ASU Online’s course quality and academic demands firsthand.

Scale: What 83,000 Online Students Means for Your Experience

ASU Online’s enrollment of more than 83,000 students is a scale that is difficult to contextualize without a direct comparison. For reference, Penn State World Campus, one of the other large public online programs, enrolls approximately 17,000 students. SNHU, the largest nonprofit online university, enrolls approximately 160,000. ASU Online sits between those two, at a scale large enough to maintain substantial academic infrastructure and employer relationship development, but not as large as the few institutions that have fully industrialized online enrollment.

The practical implications of ASU’s scale for the student experience are mixed. On the positive side, the scale funds the EdPlus instructional design infrastructure, the Success Coach program, the employer partnership network, and the course development investment that smaller online programs cannot afford. The downside is that class sizes in some online courses can be larger than students experience at smaller institutions, and the sense of community can be harder to build at this volume.

More than 70% of ASU Online students are adult learners over 25, and more than half are transfer students. The peer community in most ASU Online programs is predominantly working adults rather than traditional-age students, which is relevant for adult learners who want to learn alongside people at similar life stages.

The Success Coach Model

One of ASU Online’s most distinctive structural features is the proactive student success support model built through EdPlus. Every ASU Online student is assigned a Success Coach who provides academic planning, time management support, degree mapping, and referrals to tutoring, advising, and other university services.

EdPlus reports more than 2.3 million student interactions annually across calls, emails, texts, and virtual appointments. ASU’s own data shows that students who regularly engage with their Success Coaches have first-year retention rates approaching 87%, substantially higher than the retention rates at comparable online institutions without proactive support models.

For adult learners who have previously stopped out of college programs due to life demands or the absence of structured support, this proactive model is a meaningful differentiator. The Success Coach is not a reactive help desk. It is a proactive relationship designed to catch potential stopping points before they become dropout events.

Cost, Financial Aid, and Employer Partnerships

Tuition Structure

ASU Online tuition is charged per credit hour and varies by program. Undergraduate tuition typically ranges from approximately $550 to $700 per credit hour depending on the college and program. Graduate tuition varies more widely, with business and engineering programs priced higher than education and social sciences programs.

Compared to other public online universities, ASU Online’s per-credit rate is on the higher end. Florida residents attending FIU Online pay approximately $216 per credit. Out-of-state students at public flagship online programs vary widely. SNHU charges $330 per credit as a flat nonprofit rate. For students who are not Arizona residents and who do not have employer tuition assistance, ASU Online’s sticker price warrants careful comparison against alternatives.

Cost Comparison

Institution	Type	Approx. Per-Credit (Online UG)	Key Differentiator
ASU Online	Public R1	~$550-$700	AACSB business; ABET engineering; Success Coach model
SNHU Online	Private nonprofit	$330/credit	200+ programs; lower cost; no AACSB
WGU	Private nonprofit	~$4,270/6-month term	Lowest cost; ACBSP business; competency-based
FIU Online (FL resident)	Public R1	~$216/credit	Public R1; lowest cost for FL residents
Penn State World Campus	Public R1	~$600-$750/credit	Comparable public R1 alternative; AACSB business
University of Illinois Online	Public R1	Varies widely by program	Strong CS and engineering; AACSB business

Employer Tuition Partnerships

ASU Online has built one of the most extensive employer partnership networks in online higher education. The most significant is the Starbucks College Achievement Plan, which provides full tuition coverage for eligible U.S.-based Starbucks partners (employees) pursuing their first bachelor’s degree through ASU Online. This partnership has enrolled tens of thousands of students and effectively makes ASU Online tuition-free for a substantial segment of its student population.

Additional employer partnerships with companies including Uber, Verizon, Intel, and others provide tuition assistance or tailored degree pathways for employees. For students whose employer participates in an ASU partnership, the cost comparison shifts dramatically: the per-credit rate becomes irrelevant when tuition is covered.

For students without employer partnerships, the standard financial aid process applies. ASU Online participates fully in federal financial aid including Pell Grants, federal loans, and military benefits. For guidance on the full financial aid landscape, see: FAFSA for Online Students: What to Know Before You Apply and The Safest Way to Finance an Online Bachelor’s Degree

Student Outcomes and Employer Perception

ASU Online’s scale produces substantial completion volume: more than 14,000 students completed degrees or certificates in FY2022 alone. For context, that is more annual graduates than the total enrollment of many mid-size universities.

Employer perception studies conducted by both ASU and independent researchers consistently show that ASU Online graduates experience hiring outcomes similar to on-campus graduates when controlling for major and professional experience. The absence of an online designation on the diploma is a practical enabler of this equivalence: hiring managers evaluating an ASU transcript see Arizona State University, not Arizona State University Online.

The most reliable program-level outcomes data is available through the federal College Scorecard at collegescorecard.ed.gov. Before enrolling in any specific ASU Online program, looking up the median earnings for graduates of that program at ASU gives the most accurate available picture of what that specific credential typically produces in the job market.

For broader context on what online degrees produce in earnings terms, see: Do Online Degrees Really Increase Salary? What the Data Shows

Admissions and Transfer Credit

ASU Online maintains relatively accessible admissions standards consistent with its access-oriented public mission. Many programs do not require minimum GPA thresholds for undergraduate admission, and transfer students benefit from generous credit acceptance policies. ASU accepts transfer credits from all regionally accredited institutions, and the Universal Learner program allows students to demonstrate readiness through completed coursework before committing to formal enrollment.

For transfer students, ASU Online’s credit acceptance policies mean that students arriving with an associate degree or substantial prior college coursework can potentially complete a bachelor’s degree in two years or fewer, at the per-credit rate that applies to their remaining credits rather than the full four-year cost.

Multiple start dates throughout the year reduce the waiting period between decision and enrollment that traditional semester-based programs impose on prospective students.

ASU Online vs. Key Alternatives

ASU Online vs. SNHU

SNHU charges $330 per credit versus ASU’s $550 to $700, which is the primary cost argument for SNHU. SNHU has more than 200 online programs. ASU has more than 300 and adds AACSB business accreditation, ABET engineering, and the R1 research university context that SNHU does not offer. For students whose target program benefits from ASU’s specific programmatic accreditation strengths, the cost premium may be justified. For students in programs where the accreditation difference does not matter, SNHU’s lower cost is a meaningful argument.

ASU Online vs. WGU

WGU’s competency-based flat-rate model typically costs $15,000 to $20,000 for a bachelor’s degree, far below ASU Online. WGU holds ACBSP business accreditation. ASU holds AACSB. WGU works best for self-directed learners who can demonstrate competency quickly. ASU Online works better for students who want structured coursework, faculty interaction, and the R1 research university credential. For cost-sensitive students whose primary goal is a business credential for employer-recognition purposes, WGU’s cost advantage is substantial. For students targeting employers or graduate programs that specifically value AACSB, ASU is the stronger choice.

ASU Online vs. Other Public R1 Online Programs

Penn State World Campus and University of Illinois Online are the most directly comparable public R1 online alternatives. Penn State’s per-credit rate is similar to ASU’s and its business school holds AACSB accreditation. Illinois’s online programs are highly regarded in computer science and engineering specifically. For students in those specific fields, comparing program-level outcomes and faculty research reputations between ASU, Penn State, and Illinois is worthwhile before choosing based on institutional brand alone.

Who Should and Should Not Seriously Consider ASU Online

ASU Online Is Likely a Strong Fit If:

You want a public R1 university credential, AACSB-accredited business programs, or ABET-accredited engineering programs in an online format
Your employer participates in an ASU tuition partnership (Starbucks, Uber, Verizon, Intel, or others), making tuition partially or fully covered
You want one of the broadest online program catalogs available at a public research university
You value a proactive success coaching model and want structured student support rather than a self-directed experience
You are a transfer student with prior credits who wants to complete a bachelor’s degree at a nationally recognized public university

Research Alternatives Before Enrolling If:

Cost is the primary constraint and you do not have employer tuition assistance: at $550 to $700 per credit, ASU Online is substantially more expensive than SNHU ($330), WGU (flat rate), and public in-state online programs for most states
Your target program does not benefit specifically from ASU’s AACSB business or ABET engineering accreditation: the cost premium over alternatives is harder to justify for programs where institutional accreditation differences do not affect career outcomes
You want a small-cohort, high-touch learning experience: ASU Online’s scale means most courses will have larger student populations than smaller online institutions

The Bottom Line

ASU Online is one of the most legitimate, comprehensive, and well-resourced public university online platforms in the United States. Its HLC accreditation, AACSB business credentials, ABET engineering credentials, CCNE nursing accreditation, proactive Success Coach model, 300+ program catalog, and employer partnership network represent a genuinely strong case for adult learners whose educational goals align with ASU’s strengths.

The primary consideration before enrolling is cost. At $550 to $700 per credit, ASU Online is among the more expensive public online options when priced on a per-credit basis. For students whose employer covers tuition through an ASU partnership, this consideration largely disappears. For students paying out of pocket, comparing ASU’s per-credit rate against SNHU, WGU, and applicable public in-state alternatives, and determining whether ASU’s specific accreditation advantages justify the premium for their target program, is the most useful pre-enrollment exercise.

��һ��ӰԺ�ݲ�