While relatively isolated from the rest of the United States, due to Alaska's size and widespread population, four-year schools in the state have plenty of reason to offer online courses as an alternative to on-campus enrollment. The sole provider of such online offerings is the University of Alaska system, which is split into three campuses: Anchorage, Fairbanks, and Southeast, each with its own distance programs and resources.
But before we take a closer look at online colleges in AK, let's start with the current state of higher education and online education in the state.
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Overview of Online Colleges in Alaska
A Brief Overview of Higher Education in Alaska
Alaska remains tied with Delaware for the fewest higher education institutions in the country with nine, according to data from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES). This count includes three public, four-year universities and one two-year public school. The Last Frontier also has two private nonprofit universities, one private nonprofit college, and two for-profit schools. The NCES estimates that these nine schools educate 28,446 students. While this number shows a decline since 2010, Alaska's schools continue to offer rigorous and exciting opportunities.[dataviz-stats public="4" non-profit="3" for-profit="2"]The College Board reports that the average public, four-year university in the United States charges in-state residents $10,230 per year in tuition and fees. Alaska's average is lower at $7,820 per year at comparable schools. The nationwide average at two year institutions is $3,660 per year for tuition and fees. The University of Alaska at Fairbanks, one of the state's flagship schools, charges $8,087 per year to Alaska's residents; out-of-state students pay $24,257 annually.Students often do not have to pay tuition out of pocket. The National Association of State Student Grant and Aid Program reports that during the 2015-2016 school year, the Alaska Education Grant awarded $5,286,667 to 2,725 learners. About 3,379 degree candidates received non-need-based grants that year for a total of $11,047,616. These grants were in addition to $7,093,744 in state-backed loans.
Higher Education in Alaska
Featured Online Programs
The State of Online Higher Education in Alaska
A recent online education survey found that higher education institutions in Alaska had 31,331 students in the 2015-2016 school year. About 15,084, or 48.1%, of these learners, take at least one class from online colleges in Alaska. Across the United States, the average percentage of degree candidates taking some online courses is just 29.7%.[dataviz-nces online="21.6" undergrad="84.5" in-state="87.2"]
Tuition Breaks for Out-of-State Students
Online learners who live out of state but attend classes at online schools in Alaska do not always pay high tuition rates. The Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education (WICHE) gives students from participating states opportunities to pay reduced tuition rates at participating institutions. The member states in this organization are Alaska, Hawaii, Washington, Oregon, California, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Idaho, Wyoming, Nevada, Utah, Colorado, Arizona, and New Mexico. Students from Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands may also participate. Instead of paying several times the resident rate, these out-of-state learners pay 150%. While the commission began to help in-person degree candidates, the WICHE also designed plans for online learners.The commission's Internet Course Exchange allows participating institutions to offer online courses for one another, allowing learners from schools in other states to take courses from online colleges in Alaska. This infrastructure keeps costs down for students and schools. These degree candidates pay for the courses through their own schools and at the same rate as their other classes. The courses go on their transcripts and count toward their degree. Students should check that their desired schools and programs participate in this exchange.
Best Online Colleges in Alaska
Below, you will find our rankings of the best online four-year programs in Alaska. Our profiles look at how schools approach online education and then list out their services for distance students and their popular, fully online degrees. After reviewing the best online schools in Alaska, explore our state resources, like a database of every college and university in Alaska or our index of popular in-state scholarships.
Ranking Methodology
To determine the best online colleges in each state, we examined the factors most important to prospective students: Academic quality and reputation, online program strength, and cost and student aid. At the most basic level, we use the following formula to determine the best online colleges: Academic Quality + Online Offerings + Cost and Student Aid = Final Score. Of course, there's more to these calculations than meets the eye. Visit our methodology page to discover the data points that shape our formula and to learn more about the process we use to rank schools.
Most Affordable Online Colleges in Alaska
Below you'll find Alaska's online undergraduate programs sorted by affordability.
Affordability Methodology
Our list of the most affordable online colleges is based on in-state yearly tuition, or annual tuition rates if a school does not differentiate between in-state and out-of-state students. Tuition rates are based on a full course load each semester or term. All online schools in Alaska on our list offer at least one bachelor's degree completion program available entirely online.Those institutions with the lowest tuition are ranked highest, providing prospective students with a true list of the most affordable online colleges in their state.
College Graduate Outlook in Alaska
Job Outlook for College Graduates in Alaska
The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) estimates that the unemployment rate in Alaska is 6.5%. This percentage is significantly higher than the national unemployment rate of 3.7%. However, the Alaska unemployment rate is on a downward trend and fell almost 1% in just six months. The BLS estimates that average full-time workers in the state earn $57,750 per year, or $27.77 per hour.The highest-paying jobs in Alaska are usually healthcare, like pediatricians, surgeons, and dentists. Engineering managers and petroleum engineers are just below the top-10 earning professions in Alaska. In addition to salary, students should consider projected growth rate for their prospective careers.