Online education now offers students the ability to access a greater variety of different degree programs no matter their location. Students who are considering online colleges in Arizona can select from any of these schools that operate entirely as non profits. These programs have been ranked based upon the cost of their tuition and the variety of online programs made available.
Ranking the Top Online Colleges in Arizona
#1. Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University
A private university, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University was founded with the motto “Real Education. Above all.” Established in 1926, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University has grown to encompass a variety of different campuses including its main campus in Prescott, Arizona. Founded by Talton Higbee Embry and John Paul Riddle, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University originally grew out of the Embry-Riddle Company. Established at the Lunken Airport in Cincinnati, Ohio, the Embry-Riddle Company soon established the Embry-Riddle School of Aviation which acted as the earliest precursor to Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University. The school soon merged with the Aviation Corporation the Embry-Riddle School of Aviation was closed. Nine years later, John Paul Riddle re-established the school in Miami, Florida. Partnered with the University of Miami, the school soon moved to Daytona Beach where it established itself as an independent entity. In 1968, the school was granted university status and was then renamed to Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in 1970. Eight years later, the Prescott campus was established. Today, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University enrolls a student body of over 31,000 students.
Featured Programs
Home to the Eagles, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University offers a wide variety of academic programs to its student body. Offering much more than aviation-related courses, students at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University can choose from almost twenty different Bachelor’s degree programs as well as two different Master’s programs. Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University also offers a selection of these classes to students online helping to the school to earn its ranking among the top online universities and colleges in Arizona. Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University is a private institution.
Accreditation: Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC).
Tuition: $375/credit
Click here for a list of Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University’s online programs.
#2. Northern Arizona University
Founded in 1899, Northern Arizona University is a public research university. Originally known as the Northern Arizona Normal School, Northern Arizona University was first established as a state-run normal school with the purpose of educating students to become teachers. Hoping to create more teachers for the state of Arizona, the Northern Arizona Normal School worked to educate those interested in teaching. By 1925, the school had been officially authorized to grant Bachelor’s degrees in education prompting the school to be renamed to Northern Arizona State Teachers College. Soon after this name change, the school was renamed again to Arizona State Teachers College at Flagstaff. As the Great Depression began to devastate the United States, Arizona State Teachers College at Flagstaff held strong and grew its enrollment numbers during this trying time. Through enduring this period, the Arizona State Teachers College at Flagstaff was ready to capitalize on a period of rapid-growth following World War II. Experiencing a surge in enrollment, Arizona State Teachers College grew its enrollment and added more academic programming resulting in the school being renamed to Arizona State College at Flagstaff, then Arizona State College, and finally Northern Arizona University in 1966. Today, Northern Arizona University enrolls over 31,000 students.
Students at Northern Arizona University are afforded the opportunity to select from a large catalog of academic programs offered at the school. Across the school’s Bachelor’s, Master’s, and Doctorate offerings, Northern Arizona University currently maintains almost 160 different degree programs. A large quantity of these programs are also made available to students entirely online. This commitment to online learning has helped Northern Arizona University to rank among our top online universities and colleges in Arizona. Northern Arizona University is a public institution.
Accreditation: Northern Arizona University is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission (HLC).
Tuition: $459/credit
Click here for a list of Northern Arizona University’s online programs.
#3. Ottawa University
Located in Surprise, Arizona, Ottawa University is a private Christian university. Established with the motto “The Truth Will Set You Free”, Ottawa University was established in 1865. Its original campus located in Kansas, Ottawa University was founded by a group of Baptist missionaries. Having settled the new town of Ottawa, Kansas, this group of Baptist missionaries began to work on the establishment of a school to serve the area known as the Roger Williams University. Over the course of the early 1860s, the Baptist missionaries went back and forth over where to locate the new school. The Baptist missionaries decided that they’d work closely with the Native Americans who were already inhabiting the area to come to an agreement on the best place to establish the new university. After discussing with the Native Americans, it was decided that a plot of 20,000 acres would be set aside for the construction of the school. Initially planned as the Roger Williams University, it was decided at this final moment that the school would be named Ottawa University. After operating successfully in Ottawa, Kansas for over 150 years, the school decided to open its second campus in Surprise, Arizona in 2017. Today, Ottawa University enrolls a student body of over 600 students.
Ottawa University offers students a focused selection of academic programs to enroll in. At this time, students enrolled in Ottawa University are able to choose from over twenty-five different Bachelor’s programs as well as over a half-dozen Master’s degrees. Of these programs, Ottawa University offers a selection of them to students entirely online. By offering these programs online, Ottawa University has ranked among our top online universities and colleges in Arizona. Ottawa University is a private institution.
Accreditation: Ottawa University is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission (HLC).
Tuition: $499/credit
Click here for a list of Ottawa University‘s online programs.
#4. University of Arizona
The first university to be established in the Arizona Territory, the University of Arizona is now the oldest public research university in the state. Founded on the motto “Bear Down, Arizona”, the University of Arizona was first chartered in 1885. Following the passage of the Morrill Land-Grant Act, people within the newly chartered Arizona Territory began planning for the creation of a university to serve the territory. By 1885, the Arizona Legislature called for the creation of a university to serve the region that was to be located in the city of Tucson. While chartered as a university, the school was actually to operated as a state normal school. However, citizens in the nearby towns began trying to woo the favor of the Arizona government in order to move the school to somewhere other than Tucson. At the same time, local funding for the school had seemingly fallen through and it looked as though the school would not be located in Tucson. Fortunately, two local gamblers and a saloon keeper were able to provide the money needed for the school at the last minute and construction on the Tucson campus began. Today, the University of Arizona has grown to become one of the largest universities in the state enrolling a student body of almost 44,000 students.
Home of the Wildcats, the University of Arizona has amassed a large collection of academic programs for students to choose from. Students at the University of Arizona are able to choose from Bachelor’s, Master’s, and Doctoral programs that total out to hundreds of different academic programs. A large selection of these academic programs is also made available to students entirely online. By offering these programs online, the University of Arizona has ranked among our top online universities and colleges in Arizona. University of Arizona is a public institution.
Accreditation: University of Arizona is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission (HLC).
Tuition: $500/credit
Click here for a list of University of Arizona‘s online programs.
#5. Arizona State University
One of the largest schools in the United States, Arizona State University is a public research university located in Tempe, Arizona with additional campuses located throughout Phoenix. Established in 1885, Arizona State University was first established as the Territorial Normal School. Also located in Tempe, the Territorial Normal School was created in order to provide a facility that would train students who would then go on to become teachers for the public education system within the state of Arizona. With classes beginning in 1886, the Territorial Normal School quickly began to grow. Over the years the school went through a series of name changes including Tempe Normal School of Arizona, Tempe Normal School, and then to Tempe State Teachers College in 1925. It was at this point in the school’s history that it had transitioned to providing college-level courses only. The school was renamed to Arizona State Teachers College in 1929 and then to Arizona State College in 1945. Finally, the school was renamed to Arizona State University in 1958. Since then, Arizona State University has become a hotbed for research. Making a name for itself in the field of academic research, Arizona State University has received “Highest Research Activity” designations by Carnegie. Today, Arizona State University enrolls over 73,000 students.
Students at Arizona State University are able to choose from a massive selection of academic programs offered at the school. Currently, students at Arizona State University are able to enroll in over 350 different undergraduate degree programs as well as over 400 graduate degrees. A large quantity of these programs is also made available to students entirely online helping Arizona State University to rank among our top online universities and colleges in Arizona. Arizona State University is a public university.
Accreditation: Arizona State University is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission (HLC).
Tuition: $520/credit
Click here for a list of Arizona State University’s online programs.
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