Why This Matters

  • 9 COLLEGES IN ALASKA

    Alaska has nine colleges that offer four-year bachelor’s degrees. These public non-profit, private non-profit, and private for-profit schools offer many degree programs.

  • $8,590 AVERAGE IN-STATE TUITION & FEES

    This is the average tuition and fees for public colleges in Alaska according to College Board for the 2020-2021 school year.

  • FINANCIAL AID FOR U.S. STUDENTS AVERAGES $14,940

    The average financial aid package was $14,940 during the 2019-2020 school year for full-time students in the U.S.

Our Research

Our list of the best colleges in Alaska contains large universities, midsize colleges, and liberal arts colleges. The criteria we used to rank schools includes the cost of tuition, how many credits a degree requires, and whether courses are offered on campus and/or online.

We also only reviewed accredited institutions. Being accredited is important for ensuring a standardized curriculum. Many of the colleges we researched are accredited by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities (NWCCU), although a few are accredited by the Alaska Commission on Postsecondary Education (ACPE), the Association for Biblical Higher Education (ABHE), or the Alaska Vocational Technical Center (AVTEC).

We evaluated each program on the basis of flexibility, faculty, course strength, cost, and reputation. Then we calculated the Intelligent Score for each program on a scale from 0 to 100. For a more extensive explanation, check out Our Ranking Methodology.

  • 74 hours to write this article
  • 53 universities and colleges we assessed
  • 177 education programs we compared

The Top 50 Colleges in Alaska

Best Colleges In Alaska
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What You Should Know About Graduating From College in Alaska

When selecting a college in Alaska, you should consider how the school’s degree program will prepare you for a future career in the state. As of October 2020, the five largest industries for employment in Alaska were government; trade, transportation, and utilities; education and health services; goods-producing; and retail trade.

For workers who hold a college degree, the five fastest growing careers in Alaska are farmworkers and laborers, home health aides, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) technologists, chiropractors, and machine setters, operators, and tenders. Selecting a degree that’s relevant to one of these fields could make you competitive in a quickly expanding job market.

Many of Alaska’s major employers are in the above-mentioned industries and need workers qualified for those career paths. A few of the state’s top 50 employers are Elmendorf Hospital, Alaska Native Medical Center, Corrections Department, and Alyeska Resort.

What’s Next?

As you research the best colleges in Alaska, take into account how you’ll pay for a degree. There are many financial aid opportunities that you may qualify for. Here are a few state and federal resources to help with your search for grants, scholarships, and other forms of financial aid:

  • Alaska Commission on Postsecondary Education. The Alaska Commission on Postsecondary Education has a wealth of state-specific information available, including details about state grants, scholarships, and education loans.
  • Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). Every year, the U.S. Department of Education gives out more than $120 billion in financial aid. These funds are primarily distributed via the FAFSA, which you can both check your eligibility for and apply for online.
  • CareerOneStop. Sponsored by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, CareerOneStop provides information about scholarships and grants. The awards can be sorted by amount, deadline, and criteria, and you can browse ones that are available within Alaska.