If you are trying to gain an education, it has quite simply never been easier. Now you can easily get educated online in a wide range of subjects and topics, and often for a fraction of what it used to cost – and sometimes, entirely free of charge. But if you are going to do this, you will want to make sure that you go through the right institution – not all are made equal, and you are going to have a fuller and better experience with some rather than others.

With that in mind, here are some of the best online universities in the world ranked in 2025. All of these are worth looking into, and any could provide you with the experience you are hoping for. So let’s take a look and see which you might want to consider in particular.

1. UNSW Online

The University of New South Wales is one of the world’s best all-round educational institutions, and certainly one of the best for online education through the UNSW Online program. This university has a high calibre of teaching, a broad diversity of subjects to study, and a huge number of successful and happy students in its history, so you can be sure of getting the education you need, regardless of your goals or what subject you might be considering. It’s absolutely the top choice for an online education in 2025.

Best For:

• Strong regional and global engagement. UNSW has a lot of genuinely powerful partnerships with institutions and businesses across the globe, helping to promote lasting knowledge.

2. University College London

UCL stands out among the best online universities in the world, offering an impressive portfolio of approximately 20 complete online degree programs, across a wide range of areas. Mostly, they focus on education, medicine, social sciences, and related fields, but they also have humanities and other branches to consider too. It is a genuine leader in distance education, with deep academic roots and a strong international student community, meaning that you will feel part of something larger even when you are studying from home.

Best For:

• A historic and approachable means of offering an online education that lasts. A strong reputation.

3. Penn State World Campus

The Penn State Online website offers one of the most sought-after online education experiences in the world, and has a powerful track record for past students too. There are 25 programs here ranked by US News in 2025, including top spots such as the number one bachelor’s online in psychology and the number three online master’s in engineering management. As you can see, there are a lot of different kinds of subjects you can study here, and all in all it’s a well-rounded and very complete online learning opportunity.

Best For:

• Extensive offerings with strong support and also a veteran-friendly approach to many of its online services. A little something for everyone.

4. Western Governors University

You may not have heard of the Western Governors University (WGU), but it is one of the best online universities in the world, and well worth considering if you want to get an online education that is going to last. This is a private, competency-based online university with around 157,000 students, so you will feel that you are both part of a community and in a pretty esteemed company if you do choose to study online through WGU. it’s an absolute must-consider and something of a best-kept secret in the world of online education.

Best For:

• Flat-rate tuition per 6-month term which encourages a genuinely self-paced progression. That means that you can learn at the pace you need to, which makes for a better all-round experience and stronger learning potentials.

5. University of London

This is obviously a famous and historic university, but did you know that it is also fast becoming one of the world’s best online institutions in the world of education too? In fact, the University of London has an estimated 50,000 students studying online, from around 190 countries at present. Most of these are through Coursera, although it does also offer a lot of courses through VLE. It offers a lot of different topics too, from law to business and computer science, and even health, so you should certainly not rule it out.

Best For:

• Strong academic support and incredible networking opportunities rarely seen in online educational programs.

6. Georgia Institute of Technology

Otherwise known as Georgia Tech, this US-based university is fast becoming one of the best online universities in the world, and with good reason. It offers around 21 online master’s in engineering, computer science and more, and is a public research powerhouse making STEM education accessible and more affordable online to all. This is a truly democratic endeavor, and one that you are bound to be able to benefit from.

Best For:

• A rigorous and committed approach to science education marks it out as a real contender in the world of online learning.

7. Oregon State University Ecampus

This institution is already gaining ground, having been recognised by US News in 2025 as a top-10 online bachelor’s provider for an 11th consecutive year. There is clearly a lot of reason to trust Oregon State University Ecampus, therefore, and many great qualities to admire about it. There are also just a huge number of courses there, including around 100 degrees and micro-credentials, with high veteran and business bachelor program rankings as well. There is a lot to love about this lesser-known but powerful university.

Best For:

• The sheer range of courses on offer, all of which are incredibly powerful and taught by real professionals. This means that you can trust the course you go for, whichever that might be, and that you’ll get a great course education every time.

Any of the institutions featured among the best online universities in the world are going to provide you with an excellent online education. So why not check out their listings now and see if there are any courses you may want to consider? It could be the best next step for your education.