University of the People

The University of the People (UoPeople) is a regionally accredited private, nonprofit tuition-free online university based in Pasadena, California. Founded in 2009 by Shai Reshef, the university is accredited by the WASC Senior College and University Commission (WSCUC) and by the Distance Education Accrediting Commission (DEAC). As of 2025, UoPeople serves 152,933 students from over 209 countries and territories. The university enrols 19,000 refugees from countries like Ukraine, Afghanistan, Syria, Nigeria, Ethiopia, and Myanmar, and has pledged to educate 35,000 refugee students by 2030. The university uses an asynchronous online learning model and is dedicated to making affordable quality education accessible to learners from across the world.