Touro University Worldwide (TUW) is a private not-for-profit online university based in Los Alamitos, California, and the online branch of the Touro University system, a private Jewish university system headquartered in New York City. Its pros are WASC Senior College and University Commission (WSCUC) accreditation, fully online programs from the associate to the doctoral level, moderate tuition and a 10 to 1 student-to-faculty ratio. Its cons are a small undergraduate program, limited campus life and limited published outcome data for its mostly part-time, adult students.
Here are the pros and cons in detail, based on the federal College Navigator database and published information about the Touro system.
Touro University Worldwide at a Glance
- Type: 4-year, private not-for-profit.
- Location: Los Alamitos, California; programs are delivered online.
- Founded: 2008, as the online branch of the Touro University system.
- Degrees: associate, bachelor’s, master’s and research doctorate.
- Enrollment (fall 2024): 2,358 students, 469 undergraduate and 1,889 graduate.
- Student-to-faculty ratio: 10 to 1.
Pros: What Touro University Worldwide Does Well
- Regionally accredited. TUW is accredited by the WASC Senior College and University Commission, with its next review listed for June 2033. Regional accreditation generally makes credits and degrees easier to use for transfer and graduate admission.
- Part of an established university system. The Touro system was founded by Bernard Lander in 1971 and serves over 19,000 students across 36 schools.
- Predictable tuition. Undergraduate tuition and fees were $14,600 a year in every year from 2021-2022 to 2024-2025, and average graduate tuition was $9,000 in 2024-2025.
- Small classes. A 10 to 1 student-to-faculty ratio is low for an online university.
- Graduate focus. Most students are in graduate programs, so the university is built around working adults pursuing master’s and doctoral degrees.
- Federal aid and grants. Eligible students may receive Pell Grants and federal loans, and in 2023-2024, 71% of full-time beginning undergraduates received institutional grants.
Cons: What to Weigh Before You Enroll at Touro University Worldwide
- Very small first-year cohort. College Navigator’s aid data for 2023-2024 covers only a handful of full-time beginning undergraduates, so graduation and retention figures describe very few students.
- Net price is not low. The average net price for full-time beginning undergraduates was $19,522 in 2023-2024.
- No campus experience. There is no campus housing, and the experience is entirely online.
- Limited undergraduate menu. With 469 undergraduates, the bachelor’s program list is narrower than at large online universities.
What Touro University Worldwide Costs
Undergraduate tuition and fees were $14,600 for 2024-2025, and average graduate tuition was $9,000. Among full-time beginning undergraduates in 2023-2024, 94% received some aid, 76% received Pell Grants and 47% took federal student loans. The three-year cohort default rate was 3.3% for fiscal year 2019 and 0.0% for 2020 and 2021.
Is Touro University Worldwide a Good School? What the Numbers Say
TUW is a legitimate, regionally accredited nonprofit, and it suits working adults, especially graduate students, who want an online degree from a university system with a long history and a stable price. Undergraduates who want a wide choice of majors, published outcome data on large cohorts or a campus experience may be better served elsewhere.
Who Accredits Touro University Worldwide?
TUW is accredited by the WASC Senior College and University Commission (WSCUC), one of the regional accreditors recognized for colleges in California and the western United States. College Navigator lists the accreditation as active with a next review date of June 24, 2033. Because the accreditor is regional, TUW credits and degrees are treated the same way as those of other regionally accredited universities by most employers and graduate schools, although each receiving school sets its own transfer rules.
Who TUW Suits, and Who Should Look Elsewhere
TUW suits working adults who want an online master’s or doctorate from a nonprofit university system, value a stable price and prefer small online classes. The Touro system’s long history, including professional schools in medicine, law and other fields, gives the degree a recognizable name. TUW suits students less well if they are recent high school graduates looking for a campus, a large menu of undergraduate majors or detailed outcome data from large student cohorts.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Touro University Worldwide accredited?
Yes, by the WASC Senior College and University Commission.
Is Touro University Worldwide nonprofit?
Yes. College Navigator lists it as private not-for-profit.
Where is Touro University Worldwide located?
Its address is in Los Alamitos, California; classes are online.