The UW Flexible Option has been ranked among the top 50 programs in Newsweek’s American’s Top Online Colleges 2026.
The competency-based UW Flexible Option, offered by the Universities of Wisconsin, placed 45th among 250 online universities in Newsweek’s fifth annual ranking, announced in November. It is UW Flexible Option’s first time earning a ranking, which is based on an online survey of 10,000 students.
UW Flexible Option offers six online degrees, five certificates and one microcredential in partnership with three Universities of Wisconsin campuses: UW-Milwaukee, UW-Parkside, and UW-Madison.
“This is a significant honor for the UW Flexible Option program,” said Jay Rothman, President of the Universities of Wisconsin. “We see an opportunity for growth in competency-based education, especially for adult students, and being nationally recognized illustrates the value of the UW Flexible Option.”
“This recognition is a remarkable achievement for the UW Flexible Option and reflects our dedication to student success,” said Johannes Britz, Senior Vice President for Academic and Student Affairs for the Universities of Wisconsin. “It highlights our ongoing commitment to expanding these programs and making higher education more accessible for working professionals.”
Americans’ Top Online Colleges 2026 were identified through an independent survey conducted by Statista, which included over 10,000 participants. Colleges and universities that offer online degree programs and learners who want to obtain an academic degree (including hybrid programs with online and offline courses or exams) participated in the survey, which highlighted the following: Overall Satisfaction, Institutional Indicators, Overall Recommendation, Organization & Accessibility, Support & Service, Cost of Program, Organizational Reputation, Expected Success, and Practical Relevance of Contents.
UW Flexible Option programs include:
Degrees
UW-Milwaukee Associate of Arts & Sciences
UW-Parkside Bachelor of Science in Business Administration
UW-Milwaukee Bachelor of Science in Nursing (RN-to-BSN)
UW-Milwaukee Bachelor of Science in Biomedical Sciences: Diagnostic Imaging
UW-Milwaukee Bachelor of Science in Biomedical Sciences: Health Sciences
UW-Milwaukee Bachelor of Science in Information Science & Technology
Certificates
UW-Milwaukee Health Care Informatics (undergraduate)
UW-Parkside Business Analytics (undergraduate)
UW-Parkside Agile Project Management Certificate (undergraduate)
UW-Parkside Agile Project Management Certificate (non-credit)
UW-Madison Substance Use Disorders (non-credit)
Microcredential
UW-Milwaukee Interprofessional Leadership in Healthcare
The Universities of Wisconsin (UWs) is a constellation of 13 public universities providing unlimited opportunity. Our universities, which serve approximately 164,400 students, are Wisconsin’s talent pipeline, putting graduates in position to increase their earning power, contribute to their communities, and make Wisconsin a better place to live. The UWs award about 36,000 degrees annually, with nearly 90 percent of in-state graduates staying in the state five years after earning a degree. The Universities of Wisconsin contribute to the richness of Wisconsin’s culture and economy with groundbreaking research and innovation, community engagement, and boundless creative intellectual energy.