Colleges in Alaska

Why go to College in Alaska?

More than 1,000 miles north of any other American college or university, Alaska’s institutions of higher learning provide students a truly unique experience. Students take advantage of the “Last Frontier” landscape for education, skiing, hiking, studying; and explore the endless wilderness that is home to the largest National Parks in the country. In the classroom or online, students earn degrees in fields closely aligned with Alaska’s biggest industries and resources, such as oceanic studies, petroleum engineering, mining, wildlife conservation, and biology. Going to college in Alaska allows students to combine a traditional college experience with all the aspects that make the largest state in the U.S. one-of-a-kind.

Population

Despite its enormous landmass, Alaska is one of the least populous states with approximately 800,000 residents. Nearly half of the state’s residents live around Anchorage, where the University of Alaska system’s largest campus is located with 20,000 students.

Climate

With some of the most diverse climates in the U.S., Alaska’s weather is all about where you are. There are tundra and ice-capped regions in the north, while the majority of the state is classified as subarctic, including Fairbanks. The most populous region, in the south, is oceanic, with high rainfall, short summers, and more mild winter temperatures than the rest of the state.

Number of Higher Learning Institutions

There are 35 institutions of higher education in Alaska, including three in the large University of Alaska System: Anchorage, Fairbanks, and Southeast.

Sporting Events

Alaska has fewer universities with athletic programs than most states. There are two major sports programs in Alaska at UA Fairbanks and UA Anchorage, where the Nanooks and Seawolves play, respectively. There are also semi-professional hockey and baseball teams in Alaska.

Nightlife

Although the sun doesn’t set until well into the early morning during the Alaskan summer, there are plenty of bars, restaurants, and entertainment options for college students. The areas near large state universities, such as Anchorage or Fairbanks, are particular draws for food and fun.

What Options are Available for Colleges in Alaska?

Popular Degree Programs in Alaska

Alaska is a vast and beautiful state, best known for its arctic wilderness and icy peaks. The Alaska landscape plays a large role in the state’s most important industries and the popular college degrees. The oil and gas, fishing, mining, timber, and agriculture industries are the state’s driving economic powers, and schools such as UA confer a number of degrees in each.

• Geology

  The study of rock formations and change is important for understanding Alaska and its unique ecosystem. Geology can be used in a number of the industries that thrive in the state, such as natural gas or oil drilling, engineering, and mining.

• Wildlife Biology

  Polar bears, black bears, caribou, and moose are a few of the many animals that make Alaska’s wildlife unparalleled in the U.S. Students at UA and other schools in the state can study these animals, as well as plant life and sea life up close and personal.

• Environmental Studies

  From oceanic to atmospheric studies, many Alaska university students focus on understanding the environment and how to conserve it. Alaska is home to a wide range of conservation groups, as well as industries that extract natural resources.

Best Online Colleges in Alaska for 2019

Students living in Alaska or the lower 48 can find some of the country’s best online colleges in Alaska. This section shows some of the best online colleges in Alaska, highlighting degree programs they offer and what advantages distance learning at these institutions has to offer. This list is a resource designed to help potential learners find online schools in Alaska that best fit their needs and requirements. This list focuses on how each program fulfills a student’s educational goals, as well as outlining financial and logistical components necessary for the decision making process.

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1	Alaska Pacific University Anchorage, AK		ADMISSIONS RATE 39% GRADUATION RATE 52% ONLINE ENROLLMENT 14% RETENTION RATE 56% DEFAULT RATE 7% Surrounded by Anchorage’s trail system, APU provides students with a personalized educational experience. Originally named the Alaska Methodist University, APU was the first private liberal arts college in Alaska and is still a Methodist-affiliated institution. One of the top online colleges in Alaska, the school offers two online business degrees: a BA in business administration in management and a combined accelerated business administration and management/MBA program. The BA in business administration and management emphasizes project-based learning with concentrations in nonprofit management and health care management. The combined program offers concentrations in finance and health services administration. This fast-track option allows professionals to reduce the time it takes to graduate without compromising program quality. Online programs at APU are delivered through the Blackboard LMS.	Visit Site
2	University of Alaska Fairbanks Fairbanks, AK		ADMISSIONS RATE 73% GRADUATION RATE 28% ONLINE ENROLLMENT 26% RETENTION RATE 75% DEFAULT RATE 12% With six campuses and a variety of eLearning opportunities, UAF provides students with access to a world-class education in multiple disciplines. UAF offers several fully online and hybrid programs in various fields, including business administration, early childhood education, justice, and paralegal studies. Among the school’s notable programs is the BA in justice, which is designed with a regional focus for students pursuing careers in the Pacific Northwest. It is an innovative program that provides students with the skills necessary to solve conflicts involving state, federal, and Native American issues. One of the top online colleges in Alaska, U.S. News & World Report included UAF in four of its 2017 best online program lists, including Best Online Bachelor’s Programs and Best Online MBA Programs. Prospective students can determine credit transferability from other institutions by using the university’s Course Transfer Tool.	Visit Site
3	University of Alaska Southeast Juneau, AK		ADMISSIONS RATE 49% GRADUATION RATE 23% ONLINE ENROLLMENT 51% RETENTION RATE 64% DEFAULT RATE 11% UAS has campuses in Juneau, Sitka, and Ketchikan. The school also offers several online bachelor’s degrees, including programs in elementary education, social science, business administration, and liberal arts. The BA in social science offers several concentrations, including economics, anthropology, psychology, and political science. The program, delivered fully online, requires students to study at least three social science disciplines. The BBA in business administration offers several emphasis areas, including accounting, human resource management, and management information systems. Students may also choose to pursue dual emphasis areas for this program. UAS is one of the best online schools in Alaska, offering distance students a comprehensive portfolio of resources, including admission counselling, tutoring programs, faculty advising, and career services.The school’s mascot is a humpback whale named Spike wearing rain boots (or as the school calls them, “Southeast Sneakers”).	Visit Site

Education Trends in Alaska

Nearly one in every five Alaska residents holds at least a bachelor’s degree by the time they’re 25, and one in 10 have a graduate degree. These rates are nearly in line with the U.S. average. The amount of money spent per full-time student -- and the percentage of tax revenue allocated for higher education -- in Alaska are both more than twice the national average.

Paying for College in Alaska

One of the most important factors for prospective college students is the cost of tuition. Cost is a critical concern with either in-person schools or online colleges in Alaska. From tuition and fees to books, housing, and transportation, paying for college can be intimidating. However, in-state tuition for public schools in Alaska is actually much less than many other public universities, and lower than the national average.

Tuition Prices

Alaska is home to some of the lowest public four-year tuition rates in the United States. An Alaskan can earn a bachelor degree for just about $7,000 a year in tuition and fees, well below the national average. There are only a handful of states in the U.S. that feature lower public four-year rates.

*Public Two Year Average In-State Tuition and Fees data unavailable for Alaska

Financial Aid

Every U.S. college student can apply for financial aid through the government by completing the FAFSA, the Free Application for Federal Student Aid. This form, which can be completed online, allows students to see what funding opportunities they may be eligible for from the federal government and their school. Grants and scholarships, such as the Pell Grant, are given to students who have financial need or merit in a specific field. These financial gifts pay for tuition or other school costs and do not need to be repaid.

Students can also receive work-study funding, where the government pays students a stipend for work they do at their school. Direct, subsidized, and Perkins loans are several of the other types of financial aid that can be given to help cover school costs. However, unlike grants or scholarships, these loans must repaid.

Cost for Online Programs in Alaska

Federal funding isn’t only awarded to students who study on campus. Those at online schools in Alaska are eligible for the same funding and financial aid opportunities -- from grants to loans -- as their on-campus peers.

While online colleges in Alaska often have tuition rates comparable to on-campus learners, the entire learning experience may still be less expensive. Online students can save on costs traditionally associated with college, such as transportation, housing, meals, childcare, and books.

Cost of Living by Region

The cost of college varies greatly depending on where you live. Most of the schools are located in the state’s larger cities: Anchorage, Fairbanks, and Juneau. Comparing their rent prices, it is clear that Fairbanks is the least expensive, but also the most remote. All three cities have rent and housing prices that are fairly similar. Other U.S. cities popular for Alaska college students include Bozeman and Seattle. Seattle is far more expensive than Alaskan college towns, but Bozeman is much less.

Scholarships for Alaska College Students

Horatio Alger Alaska Scholarship

$10,000; must be a high school senior in the U.S. with at least a 2.0 GPA and headed to college the following fall.The scholarship is for U.S. citizens who demonstrate financial need.

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Henry and Joyce W. Sumid Scholarship

$5,000; open to high school and college students with a 3.0 GPA, this need-based scholarship is available to students in Alaska and other northwestern U.S. states.

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BBB Foundation Students of Integrity Scholarship - Northwest

$10,000; must be a high school junior or senior who demonstrates the real world ethics the Better Business Bureau represents. Open to students in Alaska and other northwestern U.S. states, students compete for the award through applications.

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Alaska Space Grant Program Undergraduate Fellowship

$5,000; must be a full-time Alaska college student in good standing who is a U.S. citizen and studying a STEM discipline.

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AlaskAdvantage Education Grant

$3,000; must complete FAFSA, show need, and academic excellence. The grant was created by the Alaska state legislature.

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Can all Scholarships be Used for Online Programs?

Most scholarships or grants can be used at a traditional brick-and-mortar campus or at online schools in Alaska. Often the application requirements are more taxing than using them. Eligibility may be based on a number of factors, however, including full-time status. Students should ensure that a scholarship is valid for their university or online degree program before applying or accepting. There are degree-specific scholarships for online learners as well.

Employment Outlook in Alaska

Alaska is among the least populous states in the country, and therefore has a less diverse and extensive economy. However, Alaska is still home to several thriving sectors. The unemployment rate in Alaska is close to the national average and below 5%. Similarly, the annual average wage is close to the national mean salary across sectors. The U.S. annual mean wage is $49,630, while the Alaska state wage is slightly lower at $44,030.

Top Employers and Industries in Alaska

State Exchange Programs for Alaska College Students

Students at online colleges in Alaska can take advantage of state-to-state exchange programs. Directed at students from states with few higher education opportunities, these state-to-state programs allow students to enroll in another state’s program with a reduced or in-state tuition price. These programs are perfect for online learners who want to expand their educational horizons without paying out-of-state tuition rates.

Accreditation for Colleges in Alaska

A school’s accreditation is important for students to consider before selecting in-person or online school in Alaska. When a school is accredited, it means that other peer institutions, regulatory bodies, and government agencies certify the school as having met a set of criteria for a degree-granting institution. An accredited school’s degree carries the weight of academic rigor and prestige that employers and peers respect.

Schools are accredited either nationally or regionally. Most colleges and universities are accredited regionally by one of six accrediting agencies, depending on the school’s location. Regional accreditation is more popular and seen as more prestigious. It can apply to brick-and-mortar schools and online schools; private as well as public institutions. The six agencies are composed of peer institutions and recognized by the Department of Education and the Council for Higher Education Accreditation. These two organizations set standards for accreditation, but do not accredit schools themselves. National accreditation is less common and typically applies to small religious, vocational, and some online schools. Alaska schools are regionally accredited by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities.

In addition to school accreditation, individual programs can be accredited by a professional association. For example, the American Bar Association accredits specific law programs.