“Online students shouldn’t have to choose between access, affordability and quality,” said Melissa Allen, director of ����������. “Our students entrust us with their time, their goals and their futures, and these rankings affirm that we take that responsibility seriously.”

“Today, we celebrate these remarkable achievements and the extraordinary talent across the university community that makes it possible for our online students to thrive, launch successful careers and lead meaningful lives with a UF degree,” Allen said.

The 2026 rankings reflect the University of Florida’s innovative approach to providing the same exceptional education fully online at an affordable cost to students in Florida and around the world. The accolades mark ����������’s third time topping the list of online bachelor’s programs in the nation since 2022 and eighth year in a row among the top five overall online undergraduate programs. ����������’s psychology bachelor’s degree maintains its No. 3 ranking for the third consecutive year.

“���������� has improved the lives of thousands of Floridians and students from around the country over the past 12 years,” said Dr. Brian Harfe, associate provost for the Office of Teaching and Technology. “This would not have been possible without the support of our state legislators and UF Board of Trustees, whose vision of a fully online bachelor’s degree-granting program led to the birth of ���������� in 2014. While our rankings are impressive, ���������� is defined by the impact we have on our students — past, present and future Florida Gators.”

���������� was founded in January 2014 in accordance with the Florida Legislature’s directive for the Preeminent State Research University Institute for Online Learning to offer high-quality, fully online bachelor’s degree programs at an affordable cost. Since ����������’s founding, nearly 8,000 students have graduated with UF bachelor’s degrees, and students from 90 countries have enrolled in the program. Students earn the same UF degree, save about 40 percent on tuition and fees compared to on-campus students, and more than 70 percent of ���������� learners graduate without taking out loans.

The rankings recognize ����������’s dedication to providing an outstanding experience for military-affiliated students, including participating in the GI Bill and Yellow Ribbon programs to provide tuition assistance among other benefits, with coordinated support from a variety of departments including UF’s .  

The news also highlights UF’s Warrington College of Business’ dynamic online business administration bachelor’s degree program, which offers a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration degree and Bachelor of Arts in Business Administration degree with multiple specialization options.  

����������’s cutting-edge online education attracts a robust student body that includes aspiring Olympians, working parents, and first-generation college students. In the Fall 2025 term, ���������� enrolled students from 47 U.S. states, Washington D.C., Puerto Rico and 22 countries.

���������� students can access a host of student success resources, including OneStop enrollment services, personalized advising, faculty mentorship, career coaching and alumni networking. Additionally, students can participate in experiential learning opportunities, including study abroad, leadership development, immersive service opportunities and undergraduate research awards. ���������� graduates are invited to join commencement ceremonies and walk across the same stage in the Swamp alongside graduates who earned their degrees on campus.

“We hear again and again from our students that they need the flexibility of online learning, but they also want a degree they can truly be proud of,” said Allen. “���������� makes it possible to have both with one of the most affordable programs in the nation. At the end of the day, how you learn matters less than what you learn and, more importantly, how you carry that knowledge forward into your future to make an impact.”

The evaluated online bachelor’s and master’s degree programs across the country using metrics specific to online learning, including remote services and course delivery best practices. According to U.S. News & World Report, the rankings evaluate how well online degree programs meet the same academic standards as in-person programs while applying online learning pedagogy. The rankings only include programs administered by regionally accredited institutions.

Florida schools opened this fall with an – proof that training new teachers is more crucial than ever in the Sunshine State. 

The is meeting this challenge by offering a fully online program that helps equip current and future educators with a bachelor’s degree in early childhood education – along with options for certifications and endorsements in high-need areas, such as English for Speakers of Other Languages. The program’s first cohort started in August.  

“There’s such a critical teacher shortage, especially in early childhood education and special education,” said , a clinical assistant professor of early childhood education, who played a critical role in developing the Bachelor of Arts in Education in Early Childhood Education program. “Our Early Childhood Education degree has a Prekindergarten Disabilities Endorsement, so filling that need for the state is really important as well. We were thinking about what we could do to meet those needs, so we created an online degree.”    

The program promotes developmentally appropriate practices and evidence-based teaching strategies geared toward students ranging from age 3 (pre-kindergarten) to third grade (primary).  

A flexible, practical career pathway  

While initial teacher preparation programs are not the only route to certification in Florida, UF’s program offers students some of the most comprehensive instruction – and flexible scheduling – available in the state.  

Recognizing the need for accessibility, especially for students who cannot relocate to Gainesville or are already working as paraprofessionals in other regions, the leaders of the program developed a completely online curriculum to meet the demand.  

Students in the program receive a solid theoretical foundation, combined with practical application through coaching and guidance from expert faculty members. The program also offers a two-year option for applicants with an associate’s degree, which creates a faster entry point into the teaching profession. Applicants can enroll part-time or full-time, so they can continue to teach, work, and balance their busy lives while earning their degrees.   

“I think it is so important for UF to be known for rising to the occasion yet again as we meet the needs of our field,” Mathien said.   

To maximize engagement for online students, program leaders focused on using technology to enhance the learning experience – ensuring courses are flexible while giving students even more opportunities to demonstrate competencies and meet the objectives of the . 

The and the have approved the UF program as an initial teacher preparation program.  

Specially designed for new students and current professionals 

Students in the program are given distinct options to demonstrate their competencies and gain practical experience. For instance, if a student is working as a teacher in a classroom, they might have the opportunity to conduct small group instruction within their actual classroom, provided they obtain the necessary approvals and consent from families and school administration. This hands-on, real-life experience would then serve as a demonstration of their competency.  

In addition to earning a diploma, participating students are eligible for multiple Florida credentials. Students can earn a certification in Prekindergarten/Primary, which focuses on supporting the learning and development of young children (age 3 to third grade), including those with disabilities and those from socio-culturally and linguistically different backgrounds.  

Students can also earn endorsements in three key areas: English for Speakers of Other Languages, which helps educators effectively communicate with students whose home language is not standard English; Reading, which allows educators to employ evidence-based strategies to improve reading comprehension and retention in young learners; and Prekindergarten Disabilities, which gives educators the tools to teach and care for children in early childhood programs.���� 

“Our students will be very well-prepared, highly qualified teachers when they are entering the field,” Mathien said. “I feel like we have a very innovative and effective program that can be used as a demonstration for other programs. I’m so proud of what we created.” 

The University of Florida is proud to announce that  in 2024. This recognition reflects the commitment and resources devoted to making ����������’s affordable online bachelor’s programs accessible to service members worldwide.

“Gator Nation takes great pride in supporting our nation’s service members,” said UF President Ben Sasse. “We are dedicated to offering a world-class education that meets our students’ unique needs and equips them for a changing economy.“

���������� consistently ranks among the top online programs in the nation for military-affiliated students. This spring, U.S. News and World Report ranked ���������� as the top Online Bachelor’s Program for veterans for the second year in a row.

To arrive at its rankings, Forbes Advisor scored 3,836 accredited, nonprofit colleges offering online bachelor’s degree programs using 25 data points in the categories of student outcomes, affordability, student experience, credibility, and the application process. The 10 best schools on the list received a curved final score of 95% or higher.

“The University of Florida is honored to serve the men and women who serve our nation,” said UF Board of Trustees Chairman Mori Hosseini. “We are proud that Forbes has named us the #1 online college for military service members. We are committed to offering our students an elite and practical education that meets their needs and prepares them for future success.”

����������’s commitment to military students extends beyond rankings. With 28 fully online bachelor’s degrees and dedicated support services such as the  and the Office of Student Veteran Success, ���������� ensures that military-affiliated students have the resources they need to excel academically. The university also champions affordability for military students by participating in tuition and fee assistance opportunities such as the GI Bill and Yellow Ribbon programs.

���������� is a leader in Florida in promoting flexible, online learning options for military students. In November 2023, ���������� spearheaded a groundbreaking virtual education event for military-affiliated students in collaboration with 10 State University System of Florida institutions and education specialists from the Army National Guard, Veterans Affairs, and the Navy, offering crucial information on financial aid, academic success strategies, and educational benefits.

���������� is honored to provide service members and their family members with the best online educational opportunities in the nation,��said Senior Associate Provost Brian Harfe.

���������� currently supports over 4,000 students who learn and engage from 50 states and 24 countries around the world. More than 6,000 Gators have graduated from our online programs with a bachelor’s degree since 2014. The application deadline for the Spring 2025 semester is Sept. 3. For more information about ����������, please visit the website at ufonline.ufl.edu.

Jason’s Lifelong Passion for Math Led Him to the Gator Nation

From an early age, Jason knew he wanted to be a university math instructor. “I still remember the time I decided I wanted to teach math in second grade,” he said. “By the middle of second grade, I decided that university math was probably better. So, I decided that I was going to get a PhD. I’m notoriously single-minded when it comes to achieving goals.”

Jason never lost sight of his childhood dream when it came time for him to pursue higher education. Originally from New Hampshire, he received his bachelor’s and master’s at the University of New Hampshire. The chair of the math department at UNH happened to be a former Gator who encouraged Jason to consider the University of Florida for his ongoing studies. After being accepted to numerous graduate programs, Jason knew that UF would be the best fit for him and his career goals. Once he was accepted into the program, he moved to Florida in 2013 to earn his PhD in Mathematics at the University of Florida.

During his PhD program, UF invited Jason to teach a course and he decided to rebuild the course from scratch, ultimately developing a hybrid course that paired live lectures with the added benefits of online resources and homework. This experience kicked off his transition to working at UF full time. “I was hired as part of a pilot program by ����������,” Jason said. “���������� wanted to get people who had experience in online education and technology but were still members of their actual department. My role is to serve as the embedded content expert in the math department that’s there to get all the online coursework developed that ���������� wants to do.”

The Evolution of Online Education

Over the past decade, Jason has observed the evolution and transformation of online education and how it benefits students. “There have been huge changes from a technological standpoint,” he said. “There’s been a lot of advancements in what can be done, especially in terms of interpreting student answers.” However, Jason believes the most important change happened in public perception of online education. “Online education has gained a lot of validity in education culture over the last five years, especially since COVID. It’s now considered to be on a similar footing to live instruction.”

One of the greatest benefits of online education is the additional flexibility for students to review material at their own pace. Online instructors can provide student assistance through the creation and development of online resources. These resources give students remarkable access to remedial skill reviews without the limitations of an instructor’s finite time during live lectures. “[Online instruction] is much more inclusive in trying to help students catch up,” Jason said.

One of the primary obstacles that remains for online instructors is the lack of real-time feedback from their students, but Jason is determined to solve this problem. “Videos don’t have real-time feedback. An instructor in a classroom can tell a lot of times by body language that they’ve lost a significant portion of their audience, which allows you to stop your planned lecture, backup, and go back over the material,” Jason said. He is working to replicate this adaptability within online instruction by creating shorter videos and linking them as additional resources for students. “It gives a lot of ability to the student. It actually engages them as being a more active participant not only in the learning process, but in being responsible for the learning process. It’s one of the best skills we could give them as a lifelong learner.”

Developing Xronos to make Online Math Flexible and Affordable at UF

In 2015, Jason began exploring the Ximera project — an undertaking started by Jim Fowler and Bart Snap at Ohio State University to create a process where content authors could share information online while simultaneously making a textbook from the same files to generate open educational resources (OER). These resources are free and open to educators and students to use. Built upon the typesetting language called LaTeX, the standard in mathematics, Ximera offers a familiar content development platform for educators.

The project also addresses frustrations Jason and his colleagues shared about lackluster online math courses rooted in costly products that felt outdated. By 2016, Jason was on Ximera’s development team and working toward hosting a server at UF for the project. “We ended up successfully deploying the actual server and then we started trying to onboard pilot programs for various math courses that were really popular,” Jason said. Gradually, Jason and his colleagues ramped up courses using Ximera tools to provide innovative math education at a more affordable cost to students.

Jason and his team continued to refine the platform to address UF’s unique needs, which led to the development of Xronos, a tool that Jason spearheaded and continues to oversee. The Xronos project continues to provide open education resources that are free for students. Jason estimates that since spring 2018, approximately 56,800 UF students have used Xronos resources.

Jason’s leadership played a pivotal role in the success of Xronos, leading to recognition and support for the Ximera project, including a grant of $2,125,000 over three years from the Department of Education to make the tool accessible for more mathematics educators. This funding will fuel efforts to refine Ximera’s next iteration, aiming to streamline technical requirements and eliminate hurdles for instructors who want to use the tool. This significant grant is allocated towards building additional tools for content authors, improving code security, and increasing the accessibility of the content, marking a massive investment to improve online mathematics education.

Addressing Current Challenges to Online Mathematic Instruction

Jason’s relentless dedication to improving online math instruction extends beyond his work on the Xronos project. Continuously seeking new approaches, he endeavors to simplify and enhance mathematics learning for online students. Currently, he collaborates with the mathematics department’s online instruction committee at UF to promote the advantages of utilizing shorter, more focused videos instead of traditionally long lectures. “Research has suggested that students learn better with shorter videos rather than long ones,” he said.

He advocates for the integration of brief videos that cover a single concept or problem in online math courses. These shorter segments also allow instructors to create and modify new videos more easily as a course progresses. “The hope is that this modular approach will motivate and foster building more and more content over time,” Jason said.

Jason also emphasizes the importance of redefining the role of teaching assistants (TAs) in online courses to enhance the student experience. “One of the big conversations that I’ve been having with ���������� and they have been having with everybody else is how we reimagine the role of a TA in an online course, not just so that we’re getting better use out of their time, but also so that they get the professional development that they deserve to get as PhD students,” he said. To move this goal forward, Jason is working with ���������� and the math department to develop a voiceover recording studio where TAs can execute practice problems and example videos.

Looking Toward the Future of Online Math Instruction

With ���������� as a dedicated supporter, Jason is hopeful that his continued endeavors with Xronos and other initiatives will significantly influence the future of online mathematics instruction. “The great thing about ���������� is they don’t just give you the space and opportunity to do innovation, but they very actively encourage it,” Jason said. “[���������� is] spreading the results of new ideas widely in the community, which I think is invaluable, especially at this point and where we are in the process of developing online education.”

Jason remains optimistic about the trajectory of online education and the progress being made to enhance the teaching and learning processes for all stakeholders. These advancements in technology and procedures continue to bolster the learning experience for online students at the University of Florida and beyond. Even with these significant breakthroughs, there is still work to be done to make online education more accessible and seamless to students. ���������� takes pride in supporting the steadfast efforts of Jason and other faculty members dedicated to improving the online education landscape for present and future online students.

For the second year in a row, U.S. News & World Report has ranked ���������� as the #1 program in the country for veterans and active-duty service members seeking an online bachelor’s degree. It also named the Warrington College of Business online bachelor’s in business administration as the #1 online business bachelor’s program in the nation for yet another year, and the UF College of Liberal Arts and Sciences online Psychology bachelor’s degree has risen to #3 in the nation! ���������� overall is holding strong in the top 5 for the 6th year in a row at #2. Go Gators!

This continued recognition of our value for veterans and service members is in part due to the University’s commitment to honoring the many opportunities for tuition and fee assistance available through the GI Bill and Yellow Ribbon programs, as well as the ability for these students to receive academic credit for military service, among other ranking criteria. The UF Collegiate Veterans Success Center,��Office of Student Veteran Success, and the Collegiate Veterans Society all provide services and supports to these students.

“Our programs, faculty, advisors, staff, and specialized teams give our all to online students,” said ���������� Interim Director Dr. Rhiannon Pollard. “We know life pulls our students in many different directions, and it is a testament to the strength of our support that so many Gators continue to choose to study online and graduate without missing a beat. We are proud of the momentum and the outright success of our fully online bachelor’s programs in helping to launch ���������� students toward and beyond their goals.”

Our reputation is only part of the story – your journey inspires the rest.

����������’s fully online program currently includes over 24 different bachelor’s degree options from 10 colleges, with many academic specialization options and minors available. These academic pathways are designed for flexibility and affordability no matter where our students are in their lives or around the globe. We welcome online students into our community as they pursue their individual journeys, whether that means having their first college experience, earning their second bachelor’s degree, or finishing their education where they left off previously.

Students in our online program learn from and engage with the same expert UF faculty who teach in residential classrooms, with the added bonus of having their courses intentionally designed for an online experience. Academic advisors, dedicated to each of their student’s success, provide personalized support and guidance from the start of the degree through graduation day. These are just a few of the reasons why ����������’s high quality, affordable undergraduate education is consistently recognized as one of the top online bachelor’s degree programs in the country.

Overall, ���������� received the #1 spot among online programs within each of the subcategories of the US News & World Report rankings indicators focused on:

• Services and supports for online students
• Student access to technologies
• Faculty with highest credentials and expertise
• Assessing student learning, engagement, and satisfaction
• Technical and teaching support for faculty

The Gator Nation is everywhere

���������� currently supports over 4,000 students who learn and engage from 47 states and 25 countries around the world. More than 6,000 Gators have graduated from our online programs with a UF degree since 2014.

Who are #GatorsOnline? Our students are everywhere, at every age, in every circumstance, with every possible reason for furthering their education, building a growing community of:

Dreamers. Questioners. Professionals. Performers. Thinkers. Learners. Newcomers. Caregivers. Teachers. Problem Solvers. Scientists. Makers. Innovators. Challengers. Game Changers.

Where will your momentum lead you?