Below is a list of colleges or universities that only offer virtual or online education programs and are accredited by an accrediting body recognized by the US Department of Education. [1] The Distance Education Accrediting Commission is the primary accrediting body that recognizes online schools, but not all schools on this list are accredited by that agency. During the COVID-19 pandemic, many of the colleges and universities in the United States offered classes entirely online, particularly facilitated via Zoom. [2]
Drexel University is a private space-grant research university with its main campus in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Drexel's undergraduate school was founded in 1891 by Anthony J. Drexel, a financier and philanthropist. Founded as Drexel Institute of Art, Science and Industry, it was renamed Drexel Institute of Technology in 1936, before assuming its current name in 1970. As of 2020, more than 24,000 students were enrolled in over 70 undergraduate programs and more than 100 master's, doctoral, and professional programs at the university.
A Master of Business Administration is a professional postgraduate degree focused on business administration. The core courses in an MBA program cover various areas of business administration; elective courses may allow further study in a particular area but an MBA is normally intended to be a general program. It originated in the United States in the early 20th century when the country industrialized and companies sought scientific management.
The World Association of Universities and Colleges (WAUC) is an institutional educational accreditation body not recognized by the United States Department of Education. It is run by Maxine Asher, director of the American World University, an unaccredited school. WAUC's website claims that "laws in the U.S.A. prohibit the recognition of global accreditation associations".
California Baptist University is a private Baptist Christian university in Riverside, California. Founded in 1950 as California Baptist College, it is affiliated with the California Southern Baptist Convention, an organization affiliated with the Southern Baptist Convention. CBU is accredited by the WASC Senior College and University Commission.
American InterContinental University (AIU) is a private for-profit university with its headquarters in Schaumburg, Illinois. It employs open admissions. American InterContinental University is a member of the American InterContinental University System. It is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission to award associate, bachelor's, and master's degrees. It is owned by the for-profit company Perdoceo Education Corporation, publicly traded on the NASDAQ under PRDO and formerly known as Career Education Corporation (CEC).
A Bachelor of Architecture (BArch) is a bachelor's degree designed to satisfy the academic requirement of practising architecture around the world.
The Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs (ACBSP), formerly the Association of Collegiate Business Schools and Programs, is a United States–based organization offering accreditation services to business programs focused on teaching and learning.
Stratford University was a private university based in Virginia. Founded in 1976, Stratford delivered online, classroom, and blended online/classroom programs. It closed at the end of the Fall 2022 semester after losing its accreditation.
The Yale School of Public Health (YSPH) was founded in 1915 by Charles-Edward Amory Winslow and is one of the oldest public health masters programs in the United States. YSPH is both a department within the school of medicine as well as an independent, CEPH-certified school of public health.
Virginia College was a private for-profit college located primarily in the southeastern United States. It offered classes, certificates, diplomas, and degrees related to specific professions such as health sciences, information technology, business, office management, and criminal justice. It also offered online degree programs.
Northcentral University was a private online university with its headquarters in San Diego, California. It was established in 1996 and is classified among "D/PU: Doctoral/Professional Universities"; it offers bachelor's, master's, specialist, and doctoral degrees. NCU was acquired by the National University System in 2019.
Walsh College is a private college in Troy, Michigan. Founded in 1922 by Mervyn B. Walsh, an accountant with the Thomas Edison Light Company, Walsh College is an upper division undergraduate and graduate institution that provides a transformative business and technology education that combines theory, application, and professional experience to prepare graduates for successful careers.
The International School of Management (ISM) is an international business school based in Paris, France and New York City. It allows students to study at partner institutions: St. John's University in New York, Fudan University in China, Amity University, Noida in India, HSM Educação in Brazil, The University of Cape Town in South Africa, and at its location in Paris. It awards International Master of Business Administration (IMBA), DBA and PhD degrees with International Business Management as its main curriculum. In 2014, ISM began offering program specializations in Entrepreneurship & Innovation, Finance, and Higher Education. The founder and chairman of the board of the institution is Dr. Jack Forget. The ISM Dean is Tobias de Coning.
American City University (ACU) is a private unaccredited distance education university headquartered in Pasadena, California. The school currently offers an online MBA program.
Higher education accreditation in the United States is a peer review process by which the validity of degrees and credits awarded by higher education institutions is assured. It is coordinated by accreditation commissions made up of member institutions. It was first undertaken in the late 19th century by cooperating educational institutions, on a regional basis.
Higher education accreditation is a type of quality assurance process under which services and operations of post-secondary educational institutions or programs are evaluated to determine if applicable standards are met. If standards are met, accredited status is granted by the agency.
National University is a private university headquartered in San Diego, California, United States. Founded in 1971, National University offers academic degree programs at campuses throughout California, a satellite campus in Nevada, and various programs online. Programs at National University are designed for adult learners. On-campus classes are typically blended learning courses, concentrated to four weeks or on weeknights with occasional Saturday classes. The university uses asynchronous learning and real-time virtual classrooms for its online programs.
The Lucas College and Graduate School of Business is one of San Jose State University's schools and colleges. Lucas College is the largest Business school in Silicon Valley with firms in the area employing more of its graduates than from any other university in the United States. 80% of graduates are employed in the Valley. In 2010, the school appeared in Forbes' ranking of the top 20 "Colleges that will make you rich".