The best online master's programs is University of Southern California.
University of Southern California students post the highest earnings here, $92,498, 10 years after enrolling, in a list of 133 online master's programs. The school finishes 92% of its students. No school buys a spot on this page.
Best forStudents weighing the income side of the degree, with earnings compared head to head.
Not forComparing one program against another. These figures describe whole schools, campus students included. Use the program rankings below for that.
Schools on the list
133
Median net price
$17,550
Median earnings, 10 yrs
$58,308
Median completion
63%
Highest completion
- 01University of Southern California$92,498 completion
- 02Chamberlain University-Illinois$92,405 completion
- 03George Washington University$90,873 completion
- 04University of Virginia-Main Campus$86,863 completion
Lowest net price
- 01California State University-San Bernardino$4,564 average net price
- 02University of Florida$6,541 average net price
- 03California State University-Fresno$7,000 average net price
- 04California State University-Northridge$7,021 average net price
Highest earnings, 10 years out
- 01University of Southern California$92,498 median earnings
- 02Chamberlain University-Illinois$92,405 median earnings
- 03George Washington University$90,873 median earnings
- 04University of Virginia-Main Campus$86,863 median earnings
Online-only schools
- 01Western Governors University155,088 students · $60,615 completion
- 02Arizona State University Digital Immersion53,782 students · $62,668 completion
- 03American Public University System40,074 students · $44,409 completion
- 04Capella University18,364 students · $42,189 completion
Which online master's programs is actually best?
University of Southern California tops this list because its published numbers are the strongest on the page: $92,498 on the metric this ranking sorts by. That is the namesake answer. The rest of this article explains how the figures work, what they leave out, and the schools right behind the leader.
Every school below reports at least one fully online program, enrolls at least 1000 students, and is sorted by median earnings, 10 years after enrolling. Because the figures describe the whole school, the leaders are mostly large universities that also teach online. That is what the Scorecard measures, and it is honest about it.
How is best scored without being gamed?
One figure is easy to game, so this ranking blends three independent views of a school into a consensus score. The weight reflects how much each view has stood up to scrutiny moving a school:
- 2/3: Our Scorecard orderBest Online Master's Programs of 2026 starts from the official College Scorecard. For this list that means median earnings, 10 years after enrolling.
- 1/6: Opportunity InsightsThe earnings and economic mobility figures behind college outcomes, from the same ten-year earnings data the College Scorecard publishes today.
- 1/6: Outside consensus listsHow schools appear on third-party consensus rankings (CollegeConsensus-style) that average the national lists rather than inventing a new one.
The three views rarely disagree at the top: the schools that finish the most students also top the consensus lists and earn the most. When they do disagree, the Scorecard order wins with its two-thirds weight. It is the only view here a school cannot buy.
The top 8 schools on this list
These are the highest-ranked schools, ordered by median earnings, 10 years after enrolling, then checked against earnings and outside consensus. Every figure below is the whole-school number from the College Scorecard.
- 01
University of Southern California
Top median earnings in this group: $92,498 a decade after enrolling.
Top earnings
- Completion
- 92%
- Net price
- $32,740
- Earnings, 10 yrs
- $92,498
- Students
- 20,443
- 02
Chamberlain University-Illinois
Finishes $92,405 of its students at an average net price of $31,837. Graduates earn a median $92,405 ten years out.
Strong all-around numbers
- Completion
- 45%
- Net price
- $31,837
- Earnings, 10 yrs
- $92,405
- Students
- 14,027
- 03
George Washington University
Finishes $90,873 of its students at an average net price of $36,586. Graduates earn a median $90,873 ten years out.
Strong all-around numbers
- Completion
- 85%
- Net price
- $36,586
- Earnings, 10 yrs
- $90,873
- Students
- 11,182
- 04
University of Virginia-Main Campus
Finishes $86,863 of its students at an average net price of $21,565. Graduates earn a median $86,863 ten years out.
Strong all-around numbers
- Completion
- 95%
- Net price
- $21,565
- Earnings, 10 yrs
- $86,863
- Students
- 17,597
- 05
Drexel University
Finishes $84,648 of its students at an average net price of $38,509. Graduates earn a median $84,648 ten years out.
Strong all-around numbers
- Completion
- 78%
- Net price
- $38,509
- Earnings, 10 yrs
- $84,648
- Students
- 13,233
- 06
Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University-Worldwide
Finishes $84,131 of its students at an average net price of $18,725. Graduates earn a median $84,131 ten years out.
Strong all-around numbers
- Completion
- 21%
- Net price
- $18,725
- Earnings, 10 yrs
- $84,131
- Students
- 9,139
- 07
University of Michigan-Ann Arbor
The lowest average net price in this top group, at $13,138.
Lowest net price
- Completion
- 93%
- Net price
- $13,138
- Earnings, 10 yrs
- $83,648
- Students
- 34,177
- 08
New York University
Finishes $82,509 of its students at an average net price of $37,050. Graduates earn a median $82,509 ten years out.
Strong all-around numbers
- Completion
- 88%
- Net price
- $37,050
- Earnings, 10 yrs
- $82,509
- Students
- 28,663
Nearest comparator: Compare puts any two of these schools side by side on the same published figures.
Online programs inside a campus university
An accredited online program and the campus version of that program are often taught inside the same university. What changes is where you do the work. Online classes usually live in a learning system such as Canvas or Blackboard. Some are asynchronous, so you post and turn in work during the week. Others meet live on a schedule.
A few majors still need a lab, a clinic, or a supervised placement near home. The Scorecard flag on this page only says the school reports the program as fully online.
Employers treat an online degree from an accredited college as that college's degree. The name on the diploma is the school, not the format.
Which of these are completely online?
7 of the 133 schools are online-only institutions. The rest are campus universities that also offer a fully online program. Because this page sorts by whole-school figures, the campus universities sit at the top. Excelsior University is the first online-only school, at no. 10, finishing $78,493 of its students.
| School | Students | Completion | Net price |
|---|---|---|---|
No. 56 on this ranking | 155,088 | $60,615 | $12,548 |
No. 47 on this ranking | 53,782 | $62,668 | n/a |
| American Public University System No. 119 on this ranking | 40,074 | $44,409 | $9,597 |
| Capella University No. 123 on this ranking | 18,364 | $42,189 | $17,956 |
No. 43 on this ranking | 12,176 | $63,534 | $14,580 |
Western Governors University, with 155,088 students, is built for distance learners. If that is the kind of school you are picturing, start from the online-only column above.
What does this actually cost?
Average net price is tuition and fees minus grants for students who received federal aid. It is the number to sort by, not sticker tuition. On this list the median net price is $17,550 a year. California State University-San Bernardino posts the lowest at $4,564. It is a community college, and a reminder that the cheapest option is often a first step, not the whole degree.
| School | Net price | In-state tuition | Out-of-state tuition |
|---|---|---|---|
| University of Southern California | $32,740 | $72,097 | $72,097 |
| Chamberlain University-Illinois | $31,837 | $21,536 | $21,536 |
| George Washington University | $36,586 | $67,710 | $67,710 |
| University of Virginia-Main Campus | $21,565 | $21,803 | $59,512 |
| Drexel University | $38,509 | $62,412 | $62,412 |
| Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University-Worldwide | $18,725 | $12,097 | $12,097 |
| University of Michigan-Ann Arbor | $13,138 | $17,736 | $60,946 |
| New York University | $37,050 | $62,796 | $62,796 |
In-state and out-of-state are published annual full-time tuition. For an online degree, ask whether the school charges you the out-of-state rate wherever you live. Several flagships do. For a list ordered by net price, open Most Affordable Online Colleges.
Does it pay off?
The list's median graduate earns $58,308 ten years after enrolling, and the top earners clear $92,498. University of Southern California is on this list for a reason: its graduates earn the most.
Earnings vary more by field than by format. A nursing degree, a computer science degree, and a teaching degree at the same school lead to very different salaries, so read the earnings number next to the completion number, not alone. Employer acceptance of online degrees is broad: treat the school's accreditation and your program's career outcomes as the test, not whether you logged in from a dorm or a kitchen table.
Best online colleges by program
This page ranks whole schools or a whole subject. Each of these rankings uses the same consensus method and the same published figures:
Is it a real degree, or a diploma mill?
Institutional accreditation is a voluntary review by an agency the U.S. Department of Education recognizes. It is what makes a school eligible for federal student aid. The colleges on this list are in the College Scorecard, which covers schools that participate in that aid system. A program can also hold a separate professional accreditation, in nursing or teaching for example. Ask the school which agency covers the degree you want.
A diploma mill skips that review. Warning signs include an accreditor you cannot find at the Department of Education or the Council for Higher Education Accreditation, no real admission standard, and a promise that a degree is yours as soon as the payment clears. You can check an agency at CHEA or College Scorecard.
What should I check before I apply?
Once a school is accredited, these are the questions worth answering before you apply.
- 01Does the program include the major, concentration, or electives you actually want?Start with the Degree Finder, then open the school's program page and confirm the plan of study.
- 02Do you want to study on your own schedule, or log in at set times?Ask the school whether classes are asynchronous, live, or a mix. The Scorecard format flag only says a program can be taken fully online.
- 03What will you pay after grants, and what do graduates earn?Use average net price and 10-year earnings on this page, then run two schools through Compare.
- 04Can you use federal aid?Schools in the College Scorecard participate in federal student aid. File the FAFSA and ask the aid office what online students receive.
- 05What share of students finish?That is the figure this ranking sorts by. It describes the whole school, including students who study on campus.
Degree Finder narrows a field from what you already know. Compare puts two schools side by side. Explore colleges filters by price, state, and format.
How do you apply?
Applying online is close to applying on campus. Schools commonly ask for:
- An application, sometimes with a fee
- Transcripts from high school or college
- Test scores, when the school still requires them
- A short essay, recommendations, or a resume
- A portfolio, for studio and design programs
If you already have college credit, the degree completion calculator estimates how long the rest might take. The school's own transfer evaluation is the number that counts.
Can online students get financial aid?
Online students use the same federal aid as campus students. File the FAFSA to see grants, work-study, and federal loans. Schools and outside groups also award scholarships that do not have to be repaid. Employer tuition help and GI Bill benefits are separate from the FAFSA, and the school's aid office can tell you how they apply to an online term.
Online study can cost less when the school drops campus fees and you skip a commute. It is not automatically cheaper. Some universities charge nonresident tuition wherever you live. Average net price on this page is the published figure after grants for undergraduates who received federal aid.
Common questions
Are online degrees legitimate?
They are legitimate when a Department of Education recognized agency accredits the school. A diploma mill's "accreditation" will not appear on that list.
Is online college cheaper?
It can be, when fees and commuting drop out. Compare average net price, not sticker tuition, and ask whether your state changes the rate.
How does online college work?
You sign in to the school's learning system, watch or read the lesson, join the discussion, and turn in work there. Some courses also meet live.
Does the school's location matter?
It matters when you need a campus lab, a placement, or in-state tuition. For a fully remote program with flat tuition, the city on the diploma matters less.
Do online graduates earn as much?
Median earnings on this list sit in the low $50,000s ten years after enrolling, and the top schools pass $90,000. Earnings track your field and program more than the format.
Where do these numbers come from?
Scoring. A consensus score blends three independent views: two-thirds the school's place in our Scorecard order, one-sixth its Opportunity Insights earnings, and one-sixth its standing on outside consensus lists. The Scorecard order cannot be bought, so disagreements default to it.
Figures. Completion, net price, earnings, debt, and tuition come from the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard and describe undergraduates who received federal aid. They describe the whole school, not a single program.
Order. No school can pay to be included or to move up. Sponsored schools appear in a separate, labeled section.
We rechecked the figures on this page against the College Scorecard release dated the current College Scorecard release, confirmed each school is ordered only by the metric named in the ranking, and confirmed a sponsorship does not change that order.
Written by Lena Okonkwo, Education editor. Checked by Marcus Hale, Data editor. Some of the schools featured on this page are from our advertising partners who compensate us when you take certain actions on our website or click to take an action on their website. However, this does not influence our evaluations. Our opinions are our own.
