Best Online Colleges in Texas of 2026

Why We Chose It: St. Mary's University offers three fully online law degrees, including the nation’s first fully online, ABA-accredited JD.

St. Mary's University is home to the nation's first fully online Juris Doctor (JD) program accredited by the American Bar Association (ABA). This is a three-year program that prepares lawyers for licensure to practice in most U.S. jurisdictions. 

The institution also offers two other law degrees: master of laws (LL.M.) and master of legal studies (M.L.S.). Students pursuing an LL.M. are typically looking to specialize in a particular area of law, such as U.S. legal studies, international criminal law, or cybersecurity. 

The M.L.S. program is designed for professionals who aren’t lawyers but are interested in gaining a deeper understanding of legal concepts to work in law-related fields — such as social work, criminal justice, and journalism. Both these programs take around two full-time semesters to complete. 

In addition to its online law school offerings, St. Mary's offers fully online master's degree programs in international relations, history, computer science, industrial engineering, and more.

What We Like About St. Mary's

• Transfer students who enroll full time are automatically considered for several academic merit scholarships. 
• Around 88% of St. Mary's law school graduates are employed in the field within 10 months.

What We Don't Like

• Online St. Mary's students have access to a limited selection of electives, as not all of them are offered online.
• St. Mary's law school's online programming is half synchronous and half asynchronous, presenting challenges for students with busy schedules. However, the opportunity for live interaction with professors and peers can be a significant academic advantage.

Why We Chose It: This college offers 29 online engineering master’s programs — plus several others in science and technology disciplines.

Texas A&M University is one of the state's largest and best-known schools, offering a broad selection of online master's degree programs in business, architecture, nursing, and law. But the university truly stands out for its extensive range of online programs in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). 

Within STEM, TAMU’s strongest area is engineering. The university offers 29 fully online master’s programs in engineering, including artificial intelligence (AI), nuclear engineering, and ocean engineering. It also offers six online doctoral programs in fields such as electrical and mechanical engineering. 

For comparison, the next school on this list with the most STEM degree programs is the University of Houston, and it offers just 10 online engineering programs.

Beyond engineering, TAMU’s other online STEM degree programs include animal science, geoscience, and epidemiology.

What We Like About TAMU

• Over 90% of students in TAMU’s online MS in analytics program graduate, highlighting the quality and effectiveness of the school's online programs.
• Between 2023 and 2024, 80% of TAMU graduate students received financial aid, averaging about $31,000 per year.
• Online learners have access to student support services like the online career center and tutoring at the school's writing center.

What We Don't Like

• TAMU offers only one online bachelor’s degree program, limiting options for undergraduate students.
• The school's 21-to-1 student-to-faculty ratio can make it challenging for online students to get tailored instruction from their professors.
• TAMU doesn’t offer flat-rate tuition for its online programs, meaning costs vary by program. Also, out-of-state students pay hundreds of dollars more per credit than in-state students.

Why We Chose It: UTA’s online catalog features over 30 programs focused on nursing and education subjects.

The University of Texas at Arlington offers nearly 20 online nursing degrees and 10 online education degrees, spanning bachelor’s, master’s, and post-master’s levels.

UTA offers an online bachelor of science in nursing (BSN) as well as a RN-to-BSN track. The university also offers five RN-to-MSN programs, each focusing on a specific practice area, including nursing administration, family nurse practitioner, adult gerontology acute care, and pediatric primary care.

Additionally, UTA provides a fully asynchronous doctor of nursing (DNP) program, meaning you can study at your own pace without attending scheduled virtual classes. 

What makes UTA's education offerings stand out is that the majority of the programs can be completed on an accelerated timeline. Courses last around 5-8 weeks, and most programs can be completed in as few as 18 months. 

UTA’s online accelerated education programs include master’s degrees in special education, leadership and policy studies, and curriculum and instruction. The curriculum and instruction program offers specialization options in literacy studies, mathematics, or science education.

What We Like About UTA

• The university offers multiple start dates each year for some online programs, including UTA's online BSN, which has six start dates.
• Since UTA's M.Ed. program in curriculum and instruction, focused on literacy studies, was established in 1998, 100% of students have passed the Texas Education Agency’s Reading Specialist exam.
• UTA’s online nursing students also have strong outcomes — over 90% graduate and pass the National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX) on their first attempt, one of the top rates in Texas.

What We Don't Like

• Outside of nursing and education-related programs, there are few degree options for online students.
• Not all of UTA's online nursing programs are recognized in every state, limiting eligibility for out-of-state students.
• Some of UTA’s online education programs don’t lead to initial teacher certification in Texas, so students who want to become certified teachers should contact the university for guidance on how to qualify.

Why We Chose It: UH offers 17 online business degree options spanning undergraduate and graduate levels.

The University of Houston stands out for offering affordable, flexible business programs entirely online at both the undergraduate and graduate levels

Through the UH Extend initiative, the school offers six fully online bachelor's and 11 master's programs in business. The programs cover subjects like corporate entrepreneurship, accounting, finance, business analytics, and marketing. Unlike at many other universities, programs within UH Extend charge everyone the same rate, regardless of residency status.

In addition to business degrees, UH offers online programs in fields such as cybersecurity, engineering, and psychology. Some programs fall under the Flexible Online model, which lets students take certain classes on campus and provides access to the school’s full range of student services.

What We Like About UH

• UH is the only school on this list that offers flat-rate tuition for its fully online programs: around $409 per credit for undergraduate degrees and $866 for graduate programs.
• Students can complete some courses faster through short, mini sessions, which are offered in a condensed format during the spring and fall terms.
• More than 85% of UH students choose to re-enroll the following year — a great indicator of student satisfaction.

What We Don't Like

• UH has two online initiatives: UH Extend and Flexible Online. The latter doesn’t feature flat-rate tuition, so tuition varies by program and residency status. 
• Unlike Flexible Online students, those enrolled in UH Extend programs can access only a limited range of on-campus services.