Arizona State University review: best graduation record and brand in the group, at the highest sticker price

Our verdict

Arizona State University is our #2 pick in online degrees for October 2026, scoring 8.4 out of 10 against our weighted rubric. Entry pricing starts at $580/credit hour, 2026-27 undergraduate rate for most ASU Online programs, plus college and program fees that vary by major, and the highlights below are the specific findings that moved the score.

Best graduation record and brand in the group, at the highest sticker price.

The trade-off. College fees add $164 to $518 to a three-credit course in the Fall 2026 resident table, books are extra, the $75 application fee is nonrefundable, and full refunds end one week after a short session starts. That is the single factor most likely to change whether this is the right pick for you, so we surface it next to the price rather than at the bottom of the page.

Pros and cons

What you get

• Tuition is $580 per credit hour for most 2026-27 undergraduate programs; resident tuition is capped at $6,089 per semester.
• ASU lists more than 400 online degrees and certificates, and U.S. News ranked its online bachelor's programs sixth in its 2026 rankings.
• The College Scorecard shows a 68 percent graduation rate for ASU, against 44 percent at Liberty University and 19 percent at UAGC.

Pricing breakdown

Advertised rates verified on 1 October 2026. Always confirm on the vendor’s own pricing page before buying.

Source: Arizona State University published pricing.

Arizona State University in depth: setup, features, performance and price

A full breakdown of usability, core features, pros and cons, performance, pricing and payment, and how useful Arizona State University is in real use, written by the test desk that scored it.

Signing up is gated, and that is the point

Arizona State University does not take everyone who clicks apply. First-year applicants to ASU Online need one of four things: a top 25 percent class rank, a 3.00 GPA in the required high school coursework, an ACT of 22 (24 for non-residents), or an SAT of 1120 (1180 for non-residents), and the application page also lists a 2.00 floor in each subject area. The application costs $75, is nonrefundable, and the same page says it must be paid before you get a decision. The ASU Online FAQ says there is no standard fee waiver; it is case by case through an enrollment coach.

After admission the day-one experience is the least dramatic part. Bachelor's programs run on rolling admission, so there is no deadline to miss. Classes sit in sessions shorter than eight weeks or in full semesters. On scale, ASU says 119,300 degree-seeking students are enrolled online this year. We did not test its help desk or advising, so we cannot say how that scale feels from the inside.

What $580 a credit actually buys

The headline rate is $580 per credit hour for most undergraduate programs in 2026-27, plus program fees. Textbooks and computers are not included. We could only verify the resident table in the Fall 2026 fee schedule, so treat what follows as the resident view.

A three-credit course carries $1,740 of tuition. Fees then sit on top: a student-initiated fee of $48, an advanced technology fee of $50, and an undergraduate college fee that runs from $66 (the lowest group) to $420 (nursing, engineering and business). A three-credit business course therefore lands at $2,258. At 12 hours the resident tuition is capped at $6,089, and the all-in total ranges from $6,531 to $7,947 depending on major. Above 12 hours, extra credits cost $116 each up to $1,392.

What is missing from the quote: books, a decent laptop, the $1,100 each fall and spring that Barrett, The Honors College adds, and any separate program fees for nursing or flight. Priced across 120 credits taken three at a time, the degree comes to roughly $76,000 to $90,000 on our arithmetic. Taken full time as an Arizona resident, we get roughly $65,000 to $79,000 over ten semesters. Those are our calculations from the published table, not a number ASU quotes.

Where it beats the other four

Outcomes. The College Scorecard entry for ASU shows a 68 percent graduation rate against 59 percent for the typical four-year college. Compare that with 44 percent at Liberty University, 31 percent at Colorado Christian University, 28 percent at Purdue Global and 19 percent at the University of Arizona Global Campus. The caveat is real. The Scorecard figure belongs to the ASU campus record and the online unit has no separate number we could find, so it is a proxy for the institution, not a promise about your online cohort.

Breadth is the second win. ASU lists more than 400 online degrees and certificates, and U.S. News ranked its online bachelor's programs sixth in the 2026 rankings, second for online business. None of the other four brands matches that combination of range and rank. If a hiring manager looks at the diploma, ASU is the name that survives the glance.

Where it loses, and who should buy the rival

Price, plainly. Liberty charges $410 per credit hour full time and gives online undergraduates their course materials for free. On our figures a Liberty bachelor's costs about $52,700 against ASU's $65,000 or more. If the sticker is the whole decision, buy Liberty, provided the faith setting suits you and the conduct record below does not bother you.

Flexibility is the other loss. ASU is selective at the front door, while Colorado Christian University asks for a high school diploma or GED and an ID, and Purdue Global's FAQ asks for the same plus offers a three-week introductory period with no financial obligation. A returning adult with a patchy school record, no transfer credits and a fear of wasting a first term is better served by those two.

And ASU's per-credit meter is a poor fit for someone who already knows the material. Purdue Global's ExcelTrack charges $2,500 a term flat for select bachelor's programs, with a $345 resource fee on top. A disciplined professional who can clear competency checks fast can finish well under ASU's cost. The catch with ExcelTrack is that it is not eligible for VA benefits or tuition assistance.

Refunds, renewals and the public record

ASU's refund policy gives a 100 percent refund for sessions under eight weeks only through one week after the session starts. After that you owe the tuition and fees for the class. The payment deadlines page shows the Session B refund cutoff this fall as October 20, 2026, and says the $50 late-registration fee does not apply to ASU Online students. Miss the date and the money is gone, so put it in your calendar on the day you register.

Prices reset every year. ASU says tuition and fees are approved annually by the Arizona Board of Regents, and the cost of the next academic year is released by February. We found no tuition guarantee on the pages we read. A four-year plan should assume increases.

Ownership is simple: a public university governed by the Arizona Board of Regents, with no outside company taking a cut of revenue. On enforcement, we found no federal enforcement action against ASU in the pages we opened for this review. That is not an exhaustive legal search, and we did not run one. We also did not verify any specific complaint figures. The accreditor is the Higher Learning Commission, per ASU Online's FAQ.

Verdict

Buy ASU Online if the degree itself has to carry weight, if you can clear the admission bar, and if you can take 12 credits a semester as an Arizona resident, where the cap does real work. It is the strongest institution on this list, and our top slot.

Skip it if you are paying out of pocket at three credits at a time, if your major sits in the highest college-fee group, or if your priority is the lowest total bill. In those cases Liberty (for price) or Purdue Global's ExcelTrack (for speed with prior experience) can beat it. Whichever you choose, ask for the program-level fee sheet before you pay the $75, because the $580 headline is not the number that hits your account.

Frequently asked questions

How this review was produced

We assess every brand against the same weighted rubric and lock scores before any commercial review. See our rating methodology, or compare Arizona State University against the rest of the category in best online degrees.