The university ranked No. 6 nationally in online bachelor’s programs in the 2026 U.S. News & World Report Best Online Programs report.
Jessica Battisti
UCF ranked No. 6 nationally in online bachelor’s programs in this year’s U.S. News & World Report Best Online Programs rankings released Jan. 26 — making it the highest in the university’s history, according to a recent release.
This marks the fifth consecutive year UCF’s online programs have been ranked in the top 10.
Last year, the university ranked No. 9 for best online bachelor’s programs. This year, UCF tied for the best online bachelor’s programs with Oregon State University and Arizona State University, according to the U.S. News website.
UCF ranked within the top 10 across several program categories for 2026, placing No. 3 for online psychology bachelor’s programs, No. 5 for online master’s programs in educational and instructional media design and No. 6 for both online bachelor’s programs for veterans and online business bachelor’s programs.
The university also ranked No. 10 nationally for online master’s programs in criminal justice for veterans, according to the release.
UCF Online currently offers more than 130 total programs, with more than 30 bachelor’s programs and 35 minor options offered fully online. For the 2025-2026 year, there are 7,068 UCF Online students, 3,820 of which are enrolled in undergraduate programs.
Vice Provost of Digital Learning at UCF, Dr. Thomas Cavanagh, said in the release that the university is a “leader in how to support learners who don’t fit the traditional academic mold,” providing inclusive learning opportunities for parents, working professionals, people with disabilities and more.
“This recognition from U.S. News & World Report affirms the excellence of a people-first, technology-driven approach refined over decades,” UCF President Dr. Alexander Cartwright said in the release. “It reflects a university that has consistently led with innovation, delivered quality at scale and continues to set the standard for what online learning can be.”