Best Online Masters Programs: Our Top Picks for 2022

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A master’s degree builds on your existing education and experience to give you an advanced understanding of your field. With a master’s degree, you have the opportunity to move into leadership and management roles in your current profession. Having a master’s degree can lead to career progression, and some roles require a master’s degree.

Online master’s degrees have similar curricula and requirements to on-campus programs. And an online program allows you to earn a degree on a schedule that suits your personal and professional needs. Online master’s degree programs can also be more affordable than a physical option.

If you’re considering an online master’s program, we’ve identified our top picks for 2022 below.

Top 5 Online Masters: Quick Facts

Middle School

Program statistics

How many?

University of California, Los Angeles

Los Angeles, CA

  • Acceptance rate: 14%
  • Graduation rate: 92%
  • Project or full exam options available
  • Additional certificate programs available

Per credit hour: $1,400

Registration fees: $120

Ohio State University

Columbus, Ohio

  • Acceptance rate: 68%
  • Graduation rate: 77%
  • Education programs include internship courses
  • Four nursing specializations available

Per credit hour: $1,595 resident

$1,795 non-resident

Registration fees: $60

University of Florida

Gainesville, Florida

  • Acceptance rate: 31%
  • Graduation rate: 88%
  • Three forest resources and conservation specializations available
  • More than 13 pharmaceutical science degrees offered

Per credit hour: $525 to $1,500

Registration fees: $30

duke university

Durham, North Carolina

  • Acceptance rate: 8%
  • Graduation rate: 95%
  • Accelerated degree in quantitative management available
  • On-campus requirements for some programs

Per credit hour: $3,346

Registration fees: $95

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Chapel Hill, North Carolina

  • Acceptance rate: 23%
  • Graduation rate: 91%
  • Internship as part of a digital curation and management program
  • The Master of Public Administration includes a professional work experience requirement

Per credit hour:

$586.23 resident

$1,602 non-resident

Registration fees: $95


Checklist for applying to higher education

Applying to graduate schools is a complex process, but advanced planning can help it go more smoothly.

Departments and programs may have different deadlines than institutional deadlines. Be sure to check the deadlines for the programs you are interested in and give yourself plenty of time to complete your application.

You should also gather documents, note admission requirements, explore tuition and funding options, and contact admissions offices with any questions you have.

  • Here is a checklist of what you need to do to prepare for and apply for graduate school.
  • Choose a type of program
  • Choose the schools you plan to apply to
  • Review admission criteria
  • Take the GRE, GMAT, or other admissions exam
  • Complete the FAFSA to Qualify for Federal Student Aid
  • Send transcripts of your undergraduate degree and any previous graduate courses
  • Contact potential writers for letters of recommendation
  • Research funding options like assistantships and stipends
  • Apply for private, departmental, and field-specific scholarships.

The Best Online Masters Programs

To produce this list, we began by collecting federally reported data, programmatic and professional results, and information from industry experts. Next, we applied ZDNet’s ranking methodology to find the best of the best. We’ve broken down the details to help you decide which college is right for you.

Unless otherwise specified, data are taken from the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System and the College Scorecard. Note that for public colleges, the average annual net price shown is for in-state students.

1. University of California, Los Angeles

Los Angeles, California

About the School: With more than 14,000 graduate and professional students, UCLA’s online master’s degrees include one in health care administration and 15 engineering programs.

  • Acceptance rate: 14%
  • Graduation rate: 92%
  • Avg. annual net price: $15,023
  • Completion time : two to three years
  • Minimum GRE score: No minimum
  • Minimum MPC: 3.0
  • Registration periods per year: Of them
  • Course delivery method: Asynchronous

2. Ohio State University

Columbus, Ohio

About the school: OSU offers 20 online master’s degrees. The Online MBA is designed specifically for working professionals.

  • Acceptance rate: 68%
  • Graduation rate: 77%
  • Avg. annual net price: $16,845
  • Completion time : Two years
  • Minimum GRE score: No minimum
  • Minimum MPC: 3.0
  • Registration periods per year: Three
  • Course delivery method: Synchronous and asynchronous course

3. University of Florida

Gainesville, Florida

About the school: With more than 80 online master’s degrees available, UF also offers college programs in dozens of locations across the state.

  • Acceptance rate: 31%
  • Graduation rate: 88%
  • Avg. annual net price: $5,135
  • Completion time : Two years
  • Minimum GRE score: Varied
  • Minimum MPC: 3.0
  • Registration periods per year: Three
  • Course delivery method: Asynchronous

4. Duke University

Durham, North Carolina

About the school: Affiliated with The United Methodist Church, Duke enrolls nearly 10,000 graduate students each year, including those enrolled in the institution’s 10 online master’s degree programs.

  • Acceptance rate: 8%
  • Graduation rate: 96%
  • Avg. annual net price: $32,459
  • Completion time : One to two years
  • Minimum GRE score: Required in some departments; no minimum set
  • Minimum MPC: N / A
  • Registration periods per year: Three
  • Course delivery method: Asynchronous, synchronous and hybrid

5. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Chapel Hill, North Carolina

About the school: Along with online doctoral, undergraduate, and certificate programs, UNC-Chapel Hill offers 12 online master’s degrees.

  • Acceptance rate: 25%
  • Graduation rate: 90%
  • Avg. annual net price: $12,469
  • Completion time : Two years
  • Minimum GRE score: 50th percentile or better recommended
  • Minimum MPC: 3.0 recommended
  • Registration periods per year: Four
  • Course delivery method: Asynchronous and synchronous programs available

6. University of Michigan

Ann Arbor, MI

About the school: With 19 schools and colleges, UM offers 15 online master’s degrees among its more than 275 online programs through Michigan Online. Through UM, students can earn an online master’s degree in healthcare infrastructure and learning systems.

  • Acceptance rate: 26%
  • Graduation rate: 92%
  • Avg. annual net price: $14,878
  • Completion time : One to two years
  • Minimum GRE score: No minimum; mean is 80th to 90th percentile
  • Minimum MPC: Varied
  • Registration periods per year: A
  • Course delivery method: Asynchronous

7. Stanford University

Stanford, California

About the school: Stanford offers 13 online master’s degrees. Along with numerous engineering options, programs include master’s degrees in education, statistics, physics, and computer science.

  • Acceptance rate: 5%
  • Graduation rate: 96%
  • Avg. annual net price: $12,894
  • Completion time : two to five years
  • Minimum GRE score: Varied
  • Minimum MPC: N / A
  • Registration periods per year: Four
  • Course delivery method: Asynchronous and synchronous programs

8. Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, Maryland

About the school: Founded in 1876, Johns Hopkins is home to nine academic divisions. Johns Hopkins welcomes part-time and full-time students with more than 50 online master’s degrees.

  • Acceptance rate: 11%
  • Graduation rate: 93%
  • Avg. annual net price: $23,428
  • Completion time : two to five years
  • Minimum GRE score: Varied
  • Minimum MPC: 3.0
  • Registration periods per year: Three
  • Course delivery method: Asynchronous and synchronous programs available

9. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

About the school: Through Penn’s online learning initiative, students can complete one of four master’s degrees online. Programs include Nonprofit Leadership, Computing and Information Technology, Animal Welfare and Behavior, and Healthcare Innovation.

  • Acceptance rate: 9%
  • Graduation rate: 97%
  • Avg. annual net price: $25,046
  • Completion time : two to five years
  • Minimum GRE score: Varied
  • Minimum MPC: Varied
  • Registration periods per year: Varied
  • Course delivery method: Asynchronous and synchronous programs available

10. New York University

New York, New York

About the school: With three campuses and 11 academic centers and research programs around the world, NYU offers 24 online master’s degrees at nine of its academic schools.

  • Acceptance rate: 21%
  • Graduation rate: 84%
  • Avg. annual net price: $38,569
  • Completion time : two to five years
  • Minimum GRE score: Varied
  • Minimum MPC: Varied
  • Registration periods per year: Varied
  • Course delivery method: Asynchronous and synchronous programs available

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