What Is ASU Online?

ASU Online is the online education arm of Arizona State University, offering more than 400 accredited online degree and certificate programs. It is designed for students who want an ASU credential without attending a campus in person — including first-year students, transfer students, graduate students, military learners, international students, and nondegree-seeking students. The key condition to understand up front: ASU Online is not a separate, lesser institution. The university states that its online degrees are accredited by the Higher Learning Commission and are recognized by employers and graduate schools as equivalent to its campus degrees.

Who runs it and what it offers

ASU Online is part of Arizona State University, which describes itself as the #1 university in the U.S. for innovation and ranks in the top 10 for online bachelor's programs (2026). The online catalog spans hundreds of programs across these interest areas:

• Arts, culture and society
• Business
• Education
• Engineering
• Health and nursing
• Law, compliance and public service
• Science
• Social and behavioral sciences
• Technology

Programs include bachelor's degrees, master's degrees, and certificates, so the catalog serves both students starting a degree and those adding a credential.

Is an ASU Online degree the same as an on-campus degree?

According to ASU, yes in the ways that matter most for recognition:

The practical takeaway: if your concern is whether an online format weakens the credential, ASU's position is that it does not. If your concern is the experience itself — networking, labs, clinical placements, time zones — those vary by program, so check the specific degree page rather than assuming all 400+ programs work identically online.

Who ASU Online is built for

ASU organizes admission information by student type, which is a useful map of who the programs serve:

• First-year students
• Transfer students
• Starbucks partners (a dedicated pathway)
• Homeschool students
• International students
• Graduate students
• Military students
• Nondegree learners

The military example ASU highlights is Margaret Stein, an MS in nursing education student (class of '26), who noted that her advisor's prompt responses assured her that military service would not block her degree or graduation. That is a specific case, but it illustrates the kind of flexibility online study is meant to provide for students with unpredictable schedules.

Cost and scholarships: what is actually stated

ASU says eligible ASU Online students are automatically considered for scholarships at admission after submitting a FAFSA, with no separate scholarship application required. That is the only cost-related commitment in the source material. Tuition rates, fees, and per-credit costs are not specified here, so treat any figure you see elsewhere as something to verify directly with ASU before budgeting.

How to decide if it fits you

Work through these questions before applying:

1. Is your target program offered online? Browse by interest area and confirm the specific degree or certificate exists in the online catalog.
2. Do you need the online format for a specific reason — deployment, work schedule, location, or caregiving? The flexibility is the main draw.
3. Will you file a FAFSA? If yes, you are automatically in the scholarship consideration pool at admission.
4. Are you a special-population applicant (military, international, transfer, Starbucks partner, homeschool, nondegree)? Use the matching admission page, since requirements differ.

If you want an accredited degree from a large public research university, delivered fully online, with the same credential as campus students, ASU Online is built for exactly that. If you need in-person labs, local clinical placements, or a specific program not in the online catalog, confirm availability before committing.