2020 Best Online Colleges in Utah

Founded in 1888, Utah State University (USU) is a public land-grant research university headquartered in Logan. The institution offers more than 30 fully online degrees — both bachelor’s and master’s — and hundreds of online courses. Popular online degree fields include agribusiness, family life studies, psychology, aviation science, horticulture, and veterinary public health. Courses are offered in seven-week sessions. Online student resources include e-tutoring, academic advising, testing services, career services, a disability resource center, a library, a center for women and gender, IT remote help, student software discounts, and financial aid counselors. USU is continually developing and adding new online programs to its offerings, making more degrees accessible online with a greater degree of flexibility for busy students.
 

Founded in 1889, Weber State University is a public university located in Ogden. More than 25 online degree and certificate programs are available from WSU, including associate, bachelor’s, and master’s degrees. Popular degree fields include computer science, nutrition, radiological science, professional sales, and respiratory therapy. The associate and bachelor's programs are available fully online, while a small amount of face-to-face coursework may be required in the master’s programs. Classes can be started at any time, and students can take up to six months to complete a course. The university uses the Canvas online learning management system to deliver coursework. Most online learning is asynchronous, giving busy students maximum control over their schedules.
 

Western Governors University (WGU) is a private, nonprofit, online university based in Salt Lake City. The university is comprised of four different colleges specializing in business, teaching, information technology, and health professions. Both bachelor’s and master’s programs are offered, with about 70 online degrees available. Popular degree fields include business management, healthcare management, data analytics, special education, cloud and systems administration, cybersecurity, and nursing. All degree programs at WGU are competency-based, where learning, not class time, is measured. Students advance by demonstrating that they’ve mastered the course subject matter — whether they learned it at the university or through years of work experience. It’s an ideal approach for busy students who also have non-academic obligations to meet.
 

Westminster College (WC) is a private liberal arts college located in Salt Lake City. The college is comprised of four schools that are dedicated to arts and sciences, business, education, and nursing and health sciences. The business school offers two online degrees: a Bachelor of Business Administration and a Master of Business Administration. Additionally, WC offers an online Master of Strategic Communication and an RN to BS in nursing. Online learning is competency-based and not governed by time restrictions; students can move on once they have met the desired requirements in their knowledge, skills, and abilities. Project-based and hands-on learning give students real-world experience that they can apply in their future careers.
 

A public university located in Orem, Utah Valley University (UVU) offers a variety of degrees online. Associate, bachelor’s, and master’s programs are available, and courses are designed with built-in flexibility, following a semester schedule but with 24/7 access. Popular online degrees at UVU include aviation management, aviation science, professional pilot, business management, dental hygiene, and criminal justice. Two online master’s programs are offered — nursing and public service — and a number of online certificate programs are also available. Online classes at UVU begin and end in concert with the regular semester. Most courses have deadlines throughout the semester. Coursework is delivered via the Canvas online learning management system, and most courses are asynchronous.
 

Founded in 1897 as a normal school, Southern Utah University (SUU) is a public university located in Cedar City. The university offers over 20 online degrees in associate, bachelor’s, and master’s programs. Online programs available at the university include bachelor’s degrees in accounting, business management, communication, and nursing; master’s degrees in business administration, cybersecurity, and music; and an associate degree in legal studies. A number of general education courses are offered online as well. Coursework is delivered via the Canvas online learning management system; a help desk and tutorials are available to assist distance learners to get acquainted with the system and use it effectively. Both asynchronous, fully online courses and hybrid courses are offered at SUU.
 

Founded in 1911, Dixie State University (DSU) is a public university located in St. George. DSU currently offers online degree programs in a couple of different fields. Among the online degrees offered are a Bachelor of Science in health sciences and an RN-BSN (nursing). A number of other online programs are in various stages of development. Several certificate programs and more than 170 individual courses are also offered online. Some of the courses can be taken in a blended format, but many of DSU’s distance learning opportunities are available fully online.