2022 Best Online Colleges by Salary Score

Despite private and for-profit schools’ strong overall performance, the top school by salary outcomes was a public nonprofit college. Thomas Edison State University, located in New Jersey, moved up two points to a Salary Score of 96. The school's most popular programs are Interdisciplinary Studies and Registered Nursing. Other large programs for the school include Business Administration and Social Sciences. All of these programs had salary outcomes in the 95th percentile or better. And though it is a smaller program by enrollment, its Health Professions program earned a Salary Score of 100. All of this helped propel TESU to the top of the rankings.

The for-profit, West Virginia-based American Public University System gained three points to earn a Salary Score of 92 this year. APUS is made up of American Military University (AMU) and American Public University (APU). Its most popular majors are Business Administration (92), Criminal Justice (99), Computer/Information Technology (84), Health and Physical Education (100), and Natural Resources Conservation (97).

Minnesota's for-profit Capella University moved up a point to a Salary Score of 92. The two programs that vacuum up the most students are Registered Nursing (80) and Business Administration (99). They are followed in popularity by Psychology (91), Health Administration (95), Human Resources (90), and Computer/Information Technology (99).

Colorado State University Global is the second public university on this list, and is slightly smaller than TESU. The school gained barely a point from last year, but it was enough to get it a Salary Score of 90. Its largest program by enrollment is Business Administration (98). Its second and third-largest programs, Computer and Information Science (60) and Accounting (70) earned much lower, though still above-average, Salary Scores. Other popular programs include Human Resources (94), Health Administration (86), and Communications (99).

The University of Maryland Global Campus is the second public university in the top ten, and the biggest of the three public schools by far, with an online enrollment of nearly 36,000, representing 78% of the school’s total enrollment. The school moved up a point for a Salary Score of 87 this year. Its most popular program is Business Administration (89), followed by Computer and Information Sciences (67) and Criminal Justice (96). Its Communication bachelor’s program has a Salary Score of 100.

Western Governors University, based in Utah, is by far the largest school in the top ten, and, by smaller margins, the largest among all eligible online schools. It has an online enrollment of over 98,600 students. WGU gained 3 points to get to a Salary Score of 84. The most popular major for its bachelor's students is Registered Nursing (80), followed by Business Administration (97). Other top majors include Computer and Information Sciences (90). But some of its popular programs, such as Education (57), have low, but still above-average salary outcomes.

Iowa-based Waldorf University's top majors suggest a strong leaning towards law enforcement and public service careers. Its top program, with an exceptional Salary Score of 99, is Criminal Justice and Corrections. Waldorf graduates of the Fire Protection (81) and Homeland Security (67) programs also earned above-average salaries. Other strong programs are Human Resources Management (98) and Health and Medical Administration (95).

Bellevue's most popular programs are Business/Commerce (76) and Business Administration (98), though other business-related majors such as Accounting (28) and Marketing (35) offer uncompetitive salary outcomes. Education, though a smaller program, earned a Salary Score of 100, always an impressive feat. Other strong programs at Bellevue are Sales and Merchandising (96) and Criminal Justice (91).

Southern New Hampshire University, one of the largest schools on this list with about 87,000 students, had popular programs in Business Administration (88), Registered Nursing (76), and Psychology (83). But its strongest programs are Business, Management, and Marketing (98), Liberal Arts (98), and Health Services (97). Its large size means it offers a wide array of majors, including many more that lead graduates to above-average salaries for their field, from Natural Resources Conservation (88) to Design and Applied Arts (68) and more.

Granite State College, based in New Hampshire, offers particularly strong salary outcomes for Health and Medical Administration (97) and Criminal Justice and Corrections (96), as well as Psychology (83). Some of its more popular programs weren't as exceptional when it came to salary outcomes, but still offered Granite College graduates above-average salaries. These include Registered Nursing (73), Interdisciplinary Studies (66), and Business Administration (64). It is also the last of the three public colleges in the top ten.