Depending on the program students are applying to and/or the quality of the online university, admissions requirements can vary significantly. In general, though, basic admissions requirements include:

• Payment of the application fee
• Official high school and/or college transcripts
• 2.0 GPA or above
• Submittal of SAT or ACT scores
• High school diploma or GED

Depending on the online university's selectivity, other admissions requirements may include the submittal of resumes, personal statements, and other supplementary materials.

Because admission into online graduate programs is more selective than for undergraduate programs, admissions requirements may include:

• Submittal of GRE general and/or specialty scores.
• Official college transcripts
• 3.0 accumulative GPA
• Undergraduate prerequisites depending upon the specific program
• Statement of purpose or intent
• Submittal of TOEFL scores for those whose native language is not English
• Regionally accredited bachelor's degree

Many graduate programs have specific admissions requirements in addition to the university's general requirements. Therefore individuals should check with their respective departments' homepages in order to find out about specific qualifications.

Prospective students should keep in mind that some lenient online universities allow them to enroll in degree programs, even if they lack a high school diploma.