University of the People

University of the People (UoPeople) is an online higher education institution that offers tuition‑free degree programs. It provides associate, bachelor’s and master’s degrees in disciplines such as business administration, computer science, health science and education. The university delivers instruction through a virtual learning environment that relies on open educational resources. Courses are facilitated by volunteer instructors and academic leaders from around the world. Its primary market consists of students seeking affordable, accessible education, especially those from underserved or low‑income backgrounds. Although the headquarters is located in the United States, the student body is drawn from countries across the globe.

A distinguishing attribute of UoPeople is its tuition‑free model, which removes financial barriers to degree attainment. The institution’s accreditation by the Distance Education Accrediting Commission (DEAC) affirms the quality of its academic offerings. Its use of open educational resources and volunteer faculty enables scalable delivery of instruction without traditional tuition costs. Structurally, University of the People operates as a nonprofit organization; no public parent or subsidiary relationships are disclosed in the available sources. In January 2022, an unauthorized party accessed the university’s SharePoint platform, compromising confidential student and applicant information such as names and Social Security numbers. The breach was identified during an internal investigation supported by a third‑party security firm, leading to notification of affected individuals and regulatory authorities.