Online College Review: Maryville University Online
March 3, 2026
Maryville University is a private, nonprofit institution founded in 1872 in St. Louis, Missouri. It holds HLC regional accreditation reaffirmed in 2025, has a majority online student body with 6,431 of approximately 9,883 total students enrolled exclusively online, and has made a distinctive institutional bet on technology and cybersecurity programs at a time when most small private universities have not. The ACBSP accreditation at Maryville is unusually broad: it covers not only the expected business programs but also the MS in Cybersecurity, MS in Data Analytics, MS in Software Development, and BS in Cybersecurity, extending programmatic quality validation into technical fields that most ACBSP institutions leave under institutional-only accreditation.
This review covers Maryville’s HLC accreditation, the ACBSP technology program coverage, the CCNE nursing programs, the CSWE social work accreditation, the Rawlings Sports Business Management partnership, the MS in Artificial Intelligence, how the $575 per-credit undergraduate rate compares against the market, and who Maryville Online is genuinely well suited for.
| Quick Facts | Maryville University Online |
| Location | Town and Country, Missouri (St. Louis metro area); primarily online delivery |
| Founded | 1872 (originally founded by Religious of the Sacred Heart; now independent nonprofit) |
| Institutional type | Private, nonprofit; independent (not religiously affiliated in operation) |
| Institutional accreditation | Higher Learning Commission (HLC); continuous since 1941; most recently reaffirmed 2025 |
| Total enrollment | ~9,883 students; 6,431 enrolled exclusively online (majority online institution) |
| Degree levels | Associate, bachelor’s, master’s, doctoral, certificates |
| Online programs | 49+ online degree programs across six colleges |
| Student-faculty ratio | 14:1 |
| Tuition frozen since | 2022 (undergraduate tuition not raised since 2022) |
| Undergraduate online per-credit (2025-26) | $575/credit (most programs) |
| Graduate online per-credit (2025-26) | Varies: MBA $800/credit; MS Healthcare Administration $800/credit; MS Cybersecurity included in ACBSP programs; MS Clinical Mental Health $600/credit; verify by program |
| Key programmatic accreditations | ACBSP (Simon School of Business + technology programs including BS/MS Cybersecurity, MS Data Analytics, MS Software Development); CCNE (nursing: RN-BSN, MSN, NP certificate, DNP); CSWE (BSW 鈥 applies to all delivery methods including online); CAEP (educator preparation) |
| Distinctive programs | MS in Artificial Intelligence; BS/MS Cybersecurity (multiple national rankings); BS Rawlings Sport Business Management (Rawlings partnership); MBA in Financial Services (12-month, 6 starts/year) |
| Social mobility recognition | U.S. News Top Performers on Social Mobility |
| Military recognition | Military Friendly Silver Ranking 2024-25 |
| Federal financial aid | Title IV eligible; Pell Grants, Direct Loans, VA benefits accepted |
What Is Maryville University?
Maryville University was founded in 1872 by the Religious of the Sacred Heart as a Catholic women’s college in St. Louis, Missouri. It became coeducational in 1968, established an independent lay Board of Trustees in 1972, launched its Weekend College for adult learners in 1981, and adopted the Maryville University name in 1991. The institution is now fully independent, operating without religious governance while retaining the values of its founding tradition.
The more important institutional story for prospective online students is Maryville’s transformation into a majority-online institution. Of approximately 9,883 total students, 6,431 are enrolled exclusively online. This is not a traditional residential institution with a small online annex. It is an institution that has structurally committed to online delivery as its primary channel, reorganized its curriculum and support infrastructure around that commitment, and built a program portfolio that reflects where adult online learner demand is strongest: technology, cybersecurity, nursing, health sciences, and business.
Maryville’s institutional positioning is most accurately described as an entrepreneurially organized private nonprofit that has moved faster than most similarly sized institutions to build accredited online programs in high-demand fields. The ACBSP accreditation covering cybersecurity and technology programs is one example. The Rawlings sporting goods partnership for the Sport Business Management program is another. The MBA in Financial Services with six annual start dates and Series 7 licensure preparation reflects an awareness of the working professional market that more traditional private institutions have been slower to develop.
The HLC accreditation, held continuously since 1941 and reaffirmed in 2025, provides the baseline institutional legitimacy that allows Maryville’s online degrees to be recognized by employers, transferable to other regionally accredited institutions, and eligible for federal financial aid. The HLC is the same accreditor that oversees Northwestern University, the University of Illinois, Ohio State University, and Indiana University.
Accreditation: HLC and the ACBSP Technology Program Extension
Maryville University holds HLC regional accreditation, reaffirmed in 2025. The programmatic accreditation portfolio is smaller than some institutions in this review series but includes an unusual extension worth highlighting for technology students.
| Program Area | Accrediting Body | Specific Programs Covered | Career Significance |
| Simon School of Business AND technology programs | Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs (ACBSP) | UG: BS Accounting, BS Business Administration, BS Cybersecurity, BS Finance, BS Management Information Systems, BS Management and Leadership, BS Marketing, BS Rawlings Sport Business Management. GRAD: MA Management and Leadership, MBA, MS Accounting, MS Accounting Bridge, MS Cybersecurity, MS Data Analytics, MS Software Development, Graduate Certificate in Project Management | ACBSP covers both traditional business programs AND technology programs 鈥 unusual breadth; recognized quality signal for employers in management, accounting, cybersecurity, and data analytics |
| Nursing (online programs) | Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE) | RN-to-BSN, MSN, Post-Master’s Nurse Practitioner Certificate, DNP | CCNE accreditation required by most hospital employers for MSN and DNP recognition; supports NCLEX and APRN credential pathways |
| Social Work (BSW) | Council on Social Work Education (CSWE) | Bachelor of Social Work 鈥 applies to all program options including online delivery | CSWE accreditation required for LCSW licensure in virtually all U.S. states; the explicit statement that accreditation applies to all delivery methods including online eliminates the ambiguity present at some institutions |
| Educator Preparation (School of Education) | Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP) | Educator preparation programs | CAEP is the highest educator preparation quality standard; state licensure requirements apply separately; verify your state’s program approval |
The ACBSP coverage of technology programs is the element of Maryville’s accreditation portfolio that most distinguishes it from comparable-size private nonprofits. Most institutions that hold ACBSP accreditation use it exclusively for their business school. Maryville’s Simon School of Business has extended the ACBSP umbrella to cover BS and MS Cybersecurity, MS Data Analytics, and MS Software Development, providing an independent programmatic quality signal for technology programs that most online technology programs do not carry. For employers who specifically screen for ACBSP or who recognize it as a quality marker, Maryville’s technology programs carry validation that competitors at similar price points often do not.
The CSWE BSW accreditation’s explicit statement that it applies to all program options including online delivery is worth noting. As documented in the education degrees and licensure review in this series, some institutions hold CSWE accreditation for campus-based programs only, creating ambiguity about whether online delivery qualifies graduates for LCSW licensure. Maryville’s CSWE accreditation explicitly covers online delivery, eliminating that concern for students in the online BSW program.
For a full explanation of how ACBSP, CSWE, and CCNE accreditation affect employer recognition and professional licensing, see: Are Online Degrees Respected by Employers?
Programs Offered at Maryville Online
Maryville’s online catalog spans business, technology, nursing, health sciences, education, social sciences, criminal justice, and communication across approximately 49 online degree programs. The catalog reflects the institution’s deliberate pivot toward high-demand professional fields rather than broad liberal arts coverage.
Business Programs (ACBSP-Accredited, Simon School)
The Simon School of Business delivers ACBSP-accredited programs across accounting, business administration, finance, management information systems, management and leadership, marketing, and the Rawlings Sport Business Management partnership. At the graduate level, the MBA in Financial Services is the flagship offering: a 12-month program with six annual start dates, Series 7 examination licensure preparation, and an industry focus on financial services careers in the St. Louis and national markets. The program’s reported 97 percent job placement rate and average starting pay of $121,750 for financial services roles reflects the specific employer relationships Maryville has built, particularly with Edward Jones and other major St. Louis-based financial services firms.
The MS in Accounting with Bridge Program is a pathway for non-accounting undergraduates who want to enter the accounting profession, combining foundational accounting coursework with advanced accounting content and Becker CPA Exam Review materials integrated into the final four courses. This structure addresses the 150-credit CPA requirement that most accounting master’s programs are designed around.
Technology Programs (ACBSP-Accredited)
Maryville’s technology programs represent its most distinctive market positioning. The BS and MS in Cybersecurity both carry ACBSP accreditation and have earned multiple national rankings: CyberDegrees Top 5 Best Online Cybersecurity Bachelor’s Degrees, Forbes Advisor Best Online Bachelor’s Degrees in Cybersecurity, and Intelligent.com Top 10 Online Cyber Security Degree Programs. The MS in Cybersecurity can be completed in as few as 12 months at 30 graduate credit hours.
The MS in Data Analytics and MS in Software Development round out the ACBSP-accredited technology portfolio. These are not programs that most small private nonprofits have built with programmatic quality validation, and they reflect an institutional decision to invest in technology curriculum infrastructure that positions Maryville’s programs in fields with the strongest labor market growth projections.
The MS in Artificial Intelligence is among Maryville’s newest offerings, recognized by multiple publications as a Best Master’s in AI program in 2024. AI is among the fastest-moving curriculum areas in higher education, and Maryville’s program reflects an institutional willingness to build new programs in emerging fields rather than waiting for the market to mature. The BLS does not yet have a standalone AI occupation category, but AI-adjacent roles in data science and software development project 35 percent and 26 percent growth respectively through 2032.
For a full analysis of cybersecurity and IT career pathways and which credentials produce the strongest outcomes, see: Which Online IT Degree Has the Best Career Outlook?
Rawlings Sport Business Management: An Industry Partnership Model
The BS in Sport Business Management is an ACBSP-accredited program delivered in partnership with Rawlings Sporting Goods, one of the most recognized brands in American sports equipment manufacturing. The partnership gives the curriculum an applied industry anchor that most sport management programs lack: coursework connects directly to Rawlings’ operational realities in manufacturing, licensing, marketing, and retail partnerships. Students can choose between Results-Centered Sales and Data Analytics concentration tracks. The program represents the kind of specific industry-embedded curriculum that is difficult to replicate at scale and that produces the career network connections that distinguish applied professional programs from generic business degrees.
Nursing Programs (CCNE-Accredited)
Maryville’s College of Health Professions delivers CCNE-accredited online nursing programs including RN-to-BSN, MSN with nurse practitioner tracks, Post-Master’s NP Certificates, and the DNP. The nursing programs were recognized by U.S. News as among the Best BSN Programs nationally. The BLS projects 40 percent job growth for nurse practitioners through 2032 at a $126,260 median, and Maryville’s CCNE-accredited NP pathways connect directly to that demand.
The College of Health Professions also includes programs in healthcare management, exercise science, and communication sciences and disorders, expanding the health sciences footprint beyond nursing into adjacent career tracks.
Social Work (CSWE-Accredited BSW)
The Bachelor of Social Work holds CSWE accreditation that explicitly covers all delivery methods including online, providing the credential gateway for LCSW licensure in virtually every U.S. state. As detailed in the programmatic accreditation section, this explicit online delivery coverage is a meaningful distinction from institutions where CSWE accreditation applies only to campus-based programs.
Clinical Mental Health Counseling and Psychology
The MS in Clinical Mental Health Counseling serves students pursuing LPC licensure. Students considering this program for CACREP-specific licensure requirements should verify current CACREP status directly with Maryville before enrolling, as the institution’s accreditation page does not list CACREP as a current credential for counseling programs. The accreditation listing on Maryville’s official page covers HLC, ACBSP, CCNE, CSWE, and CAEP 鈥 not CACREP. Students who need CACREP-accredited counseling programs for their state’s licensure pathway should verify this explicitly before committing.
BLS Career Outcomes by Maryville Online Program Area
| Maryville Program Area | Representative Career Role | BLS Median Wage (2023) | 10-Yr Growth | Maryville-Specific Advantage |
| Cybersecurity (BS/MS, ACBSP) | Information Security Analyst | $120,360 | +33% | ACBSP accreditation on technology program (unusual); multiple national cybersecurity rankings; 12-month MS completion option |
| Data Analytics (MS, ACBSP) | Data Scientist / Business Intelligence Manager | $108,020 | +35% | ACBSP quality validation for analytics credential; strong demand for analytically credentialed professionals |
| Software Development (MS, ACBSP) | Software Developer / Systems Software Engineer | $130,160 | +26% | ACBSP-accredited MS Software Development at private nonprofit per-credit rate |
| Artificial Intelligence (MS) | Data Scientist / ML Engineer / AI Researcher | $108,020+ (data science median; AI roles command premium) | +35% | One of few dedicated MS in AI programs; named Best Master’s in AI 2024; emerging field with growing employer demand |
| Business Administration (MBA/BS, ACBSP) | Operations Manager / Financial Manager / Management Analyst | $101,280 / $156,100 / $99,400 | +5-16% | ACBSP; MBA in Financial Services: 6 annual starts, 12-month completion, Series 7 prep; St. Louis financial services employer network |
| Accounting (BS/MS, ACBSP) | Accountant / CPA / Controller | $79,880; significantly higher with CPA and experience | +6% | ACBSP; MS Accounting Bridge for career changers; Becker CPA review integrated in final 4 courses |
| Sport Business Management (BS, ACBSP + Rawlings) | Sports Marketing Manager / Operations Manager / Sales Director | $157,620 / $101,280 | +8% / +5% | Industry partnership with Rawlings Sporting Goods; unique curriculum anchor in sports equipment and licensing industry |
| Nursing (RN-BSN/MSN/DNP, CCNE) | Registered Nurse / Nurse Practitioner / DNP Leader | $86,070 / $126,260 | +6% / +40% | CCNE accreditation; U.S. News BSN recognition; NP pathways in highest-growth healthcare occupation |
| Social Work (BSW, CSWE) | Social Worker / LCSW (with graduate MSW) | $60,280 | +11% | CSWE explicitly covers online delivery; LCSW licensure pathway; graduate MSW required for clinical licensure |
| Healthcare Management (MS) | Medical and Health Services Manager | $110,680 | +28% | HLC accreditation; strong demand in healthcare management; connects to health professions college infrastructure |
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook and Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, 2023-24 Edition.
The data science and AI projection of 35 percent growth and the cybersecurity projection of 33 percent are the strongest labor market signals in Maryville’s portfolio. The nurse practitioner projection of 40 percent growth represents the healthcare ceiling. For students in these three fields, Maryville’s combination of ACBSP accreditation on technology programs, CCNE nursing accreditation, and competitive per-credit pricing positions it as a credible option in each market.
Tuition and Cost: Where Maryville Sits in the Market
Maryville’s undergraduate online per-credit rate of $575 is above the midpoint of the private nonprofit online market. It is higher than SNHU ($330), Liberty University ($390), and Strayer ($480-560), and lower than Penn State World Campus ($593). The tuition has been frozen since 2022, which moderates the comparison against institutions with ongoing annual increases.
| Cost Comparison (UG) | Maryville Online | SNHU | Liberty University | Penn State World Campus |
| Approx. per-credit (2025-26) | $575/credit | $330/credit | $390/credit | $593/credit |
| Tuition frozen? | Yes, since 2022 | No | No | No |
| Full program cost (120 credits, no transfer) | ~$69,000 | ~$39,600 | ~$46,800 | ~$71,160 |
| Full program cost (60 credits remaining) | ~$34,500 | ~$19,800 | ~$23,400 | ~$35,580 |
| ACBSP (technology programs)? | Yes 鈥 unusual coverage | No (ACBSP for business only) | Yes (ACBSP business only) | No (AACSB for business) |
| CCNE nursing? | Yes | No | Yes | Yes |
| CSWE social work (explicit online)? | Yes | No | No | No |
| HLC accreditation? | Yes | No (NECHE) | No (SACSCOC) | No (MSCHE) |
For technology programs specifically, the ACBSP accreditation on Maryville’s cybersecurity, data analytics, and software development programs creates a quality signal that justifies comparison with higher-priced alternatives. Most private nonprofit online institutions at $575 per credit do not carry programmatic accreditation on their technology programs at all. The relevant comparison for a cybersecurity student is not just Maryville against SNHU on per-credit rate, but Maryville’s ACBSP-accredited cybersecurity degree against SNHU’s non-ACBSP cybersecurity program, which may or may not matter to their specific employer or career target.
For standard business and nursing programs, where ACBSP and CCNE are widely available at lower per-credit rates (SNHU, Liberty, IWU), the cost comparison becomes less favorable for Maryville. Students in those fields who are not specifically drawn by the Rawlings partnership, the financial services MBA focus, or other Maryville-specific features should calculate the total program cost differential explicitly before committing.
For a complete strategy on minimizing total program cost through financial aid, employer assistance, and transfer credits, see: How Adult Students Can Graduate With Minimal Debt
The Cybersecurity and Technology Programs: Maryville’s Strongest Differentiator
Maryville’s investment in cybersecurity and technology programs is the most strategically coherent element of its online portfolio and the area where its market positioning is most difficult to replicate at comparable price points. The BLS projects 33 percent job growth for information security analysts through 2032 at a $120,360 median, making cybersecurity one of the two or three strongest labor market bets available in online education today.
The combination of ACBSP accreditation on both the BS and MS Cybersecurity programs, multiple independent national rankings from CyberDegrees, Forbes Advisor, and Intelligent.com, and the 12-month completion option for the MS means that Maryville’s cybersecurity programs carry more external quality validation than most online cybersecurity programs at private nonprofits. For students whose career goal is information security and who want more than institutional accreditation alone on their credential, Maryville’s ACBSP coverage is a meaningful differentiator.
The MS in Artificial Intelligence is a forward-looking bet on a field whose labor market has not yet fully crystallized in BLS occupational data but whose employer demand is accelerating rapidly. AI engineering, machine learning engineering, and related roles are being created faster than labor market statistics can track them. Maryville’s early commitment to a dedicated MS in AI positions it to serve students targeting this emerging field from an institution with established online delivery infrastructure rather than from newer entrants building AI programs without that operational foundation.
For a full breakdown of cybersecurity career pathways and which credentials produce the strongest career outcomes at different experience levels, see: Which Online IT Degree Has the Best Career Outlook?
Social Mobility and Access: A Distinctive Institutional Commitment
U.S. News recognized Maryville University as a Top Performer on Social Mobility, a ranking that measures how well institutions serve students from lower-income backgrounds relative to their academic profile. This recognition is relevant for prospective online students because it signals institutional practices around financial aid, student support, and completion that extend beyond marketing claims.
The 14:1 student-faculty ratio, relatively small for an institution with a majority online student body, suggests that the online learning experience at Maryville is designed around smaller cohort sizes and more direct faculty interaction than institutions with ratios of 20:1 or higher. The tuition freeze since 2022, combined with the social mobility recognition, reflects institutional prioritization of accessibility that is not universal in the private nonprofit online market.
Maryville also participates in federal Title IV financial aid fully, accepts VA education benefits, and has earned Military Friendly Silver designation. For working adult students who are navigating education while managing financial obligations, these institutional commitments to access and affordability carry operational meaning beyond the per-credit sticker price.
Who Maryville Online Is Best Suited For
Students Most Likely to Thrive at Maryville Online
- Cybersecurity professionals and students who want ACBSP-accredited online cybersecurity credentials at the bachelor’s and master’s level from a private nonprofit institution, where the independent programmatic quality validation from a recognized accrediting body adds to the institutional HLC credential in ways that most competitors do not provide for technology programs.
- Students pursuing the MS in Data Analytics or MS in Software Development who want ACBSP-accredited technical credentials and who have compared Maryville’s per-credit rate against alternatives, factoring in the ACBSP coverage that competitors at lower price points typically do not hold for these programs.
- Early movers into the AI credential market who want an established private nonprofit institution’s MS in Artificial Intelligence program from an institution with proven online delivery infrastructure rather than a newly launched program at an institution with limited online track record.
- Financial services professionals targeting the MBA in Financial Services, particularly those in the St. Louis metro area or targeting positions at financial services employers with Maryville alumni relationships, who value the 6-annual-starts flexibility and the Series 7 licensure preparation integration.
- Sport management and marketing students who want the Rawlings partnership’s applied industry curriculum and the ACBSP accreditation, particularly those with career targets in sporting goods, sports marketing, or sports operations where the Rawlings brand connection carries specific network value.
- Social work students who need a CSWE-accredited BSW with confirmed online delivery coverage for eventual LCSW licensure, where Maryville’s explicit statement that CSWE accreditation applies to all delivery methods eliminates the ambiguity present at some competitors.
- CCNE-accredited nursing students who want a private nonprofit institution with U.S. News nursing recognition and who have compared Maryville’s per-credit rate against CCNE alternatives and found the program structure and support model to be a differentiating factor.
Students Who May Want to Consider Other Options
- Students primarily motivated by per-credit cost minimization for standard online programs in business, nursing, or general professional fields where ACBSP or CCNE is widely available at lower price points. SNHU at $330 per credit with NECHE accreditation, Liberty University at $390 per credit with SACSCOC accreditation and CCNE nursing, and IWU-National & Global at $313 per credit with CCNE, CSWE, and CACREP all offer comparable accreditation at lower cost for students who do not specifically need Maryville’s technology program ACBSP coverage or its specific institutional programs.
- Students who need CACREP-accredited counseling programs for LPC licensure in states requiring CACREP. Maryville’s clinical mental health counseling program should be verified for CACREP status before enrollment by any student whose state licensing board requires CACREP. The institution’s accreditation page does not list CACREP as a current credential, which warrants direct verification with Maryville and the relevant state board before committing.
- Students targeting highly ranked online MBA programs where institutional prestige is a differentiating factor in hiring. Indiana University’s Kelley Direct (#1 U.S. News online MBA) and Penn State’s Smeal MBA (AACSB) carry higher employer name recognition in MBA-specific hiring contexts than Maryville’s ACBSP-accredited MBA.
For adult learners returning to school after time away who want to understand the full institution selection framework, see: Returning to College After 30: What to Know
Final Assessment
Maryville University Online is a HLC-accredited private nonprofit institution that has made a strategically coherent institutional bet on technology programs as its primary market differentiator. The extension of ACBSP accreditation to cover not just the business school but also BS and MS Cybersecurity, MS Data Analytics, and MS Software Development is genuinely unusual in the online private nonprofit market and provides external quality validation that most competitors at comparable price points do not offer for their technology programs. Combined with CCNE nursing accreditation, CSWE social work accreditation with explicit online delivery coverage, and the Rawlings sports business partnership, Maryville has assembled a distinctive program portfolio for its size.
The per-credit rate of $575 is above the midpoint of the market, and for students in standard programs where multiple lower-cost alternatives offer comparable accreditation, the cost differential requires specific program justification. For students in cybersecurity, data analytics, AI, and the Rawlings sport management program where Maryville has specific market positioning, the comparison against alternatives looks more favorable. For nursing and social work students, the CCNE and CSWE coverage is genuine, and the comparison against alternatives should be made on total program cost and support model rather than accreditation alone.
The tuition freeze since 2022 and the U.S. News social mobility recognition signal an institutional culture that prioritizes student access and value in ways that are meaningful beyond marketing claims. Students who choose Maryville Online based on its technology program ACBSP coverage, its specific MBA or sports management programs, or its nursing and social work accreditations will find an institution that has made deliberate structural investments in the fields that matter to them.
For a complete financial planning guide before enrolling at any institution, see: How Adult Students Can Graduate With Minimal Debt




