Online Colleges Without Proctored Exams in Michigan 2026

Most states with a proctor-free option are limited to one small private college willing to buck the trend. Michigan flips that script: two campuses within the University of Michigan system have taken an official, public stance against exam proctoring altogether, making this one of the more clear-cut states in this series. That's a rare thing to find at a major public university system, and it's worth understanding exactly what that policy covers before you enroll.

Beyond those two campuses, the rest of Michigan's online landscape looks fairly typical, with most private universities relying on secure remote proctoring or LMS-based lockdown tools for at least some coursework. This article walks through what proctored exams involve, the assessment styles that replace them, and both the Michigan schools and a wider set of nationally available online universities without proctored exams. 

What Is a Proctored Exam?

A proctored exam is a test administered under supervision meant to confirm your identity and prevent unauthorized help while you complete it. On a physical campus, that supervision traditionally came from an instructor or teaching assistant walking the room. Online, it's usually handled by software such as Respondus Monitor or Honorlock, which uses your webcam and microphone to scan your surroundings, verify your photo ID, and flag anything that looks like it might be a violation.

That kind of monitoring can turn a manageable test into a genuinely stressful event, even for students who know the material cold. Securing a private, quiet space at the exact scheduled time, worrying that an ordinary glance away from the screen will get flagged, and sometimes paying a proctoring fee on top of tuition all add pressure that has nothing to do with actual mastery of the subject. Programs built around other kinds of assessment let students direct that energy toward the coursework itself rather than the logistics of being watched.

Alternative Assessment Methods Used by Online Colleges

Instead of concentrating everything into a single, high-stakes monitored exam, many programs spread assessment across formats you complete independently. Here's what shows up most often.

• Projects: Project-based learning asks you to apply what you've studied to a real or simulated challenge, such as a marketing plan or a case analysis, so instructors can evaluate applied thinking rather than memorized facts.
• Research papers: Written assignments require you to investigate a topic, build an argument, and support it with sources, giving faculty a clear window into your reasoning and writing ability.
• Open-book exams: These allow you to reference notes, textbooks, or course materials while testing, shifting emphasis from recall toward interpretation and application.
• Discussion boards: Many courses grade the depth and consistency of your participation in online forums, rewarding sustained engagement with classmates and course material.
• Presentations: Delivered live over video or submitted as a recording, presentations require you to explain your understanding in your own words, which is difficult to fake.
• Portfolios: Common in education, design, and health-related fields, portfolios collect your work across a term as visible evidence of skill growth.
• Competency-based assessments: These measure whether you can perform a task or apply a concept correctly, often through posttests, case scenarios, or hands-on demonstrations tied to real job requirements.

Best Online Colleges Without Proctored Exams in Michigan

Both schools below are public University of Michigan campuses that have taken deliberate steps to move away from proctored testing in their online courses.

1. University of Michigan-Dearborn

University of Michigan-Dearborn (UM-Dearborn) stands out for one specific reason: its Office of the Provost has an official policy prohibiting exam proctoring in any online form, a decision reached after its Digital Education Subcommittee reviewed concerns about privacy, equitable access, and the added stress proctoring software places on students. Instructors are instead encouraged to redesign assessments around open-book exams, randomized question banks, and other formative approaches, with instructional designers available to help faculty adapt their courses.

UM-Dearborn offers online and hybrid programs across business, engineering, education, and the health sciences, backed by the same faculty and academic reputation as the broader University of Michigan system. Because the no-proctoring policy is set at the university level rather than left to individual instructors, students can count on this approach holding steady across nearly every online course rather than varying by professor. The university holds accreditation through the Higher Learning Commission (HLC), giving it the same institutional credibility as any University of Michigan campus.

2. University of Michigan-Flint

UM-Flint reports no proctored exams for its online bachelor's programs, relying instead on anti-plagiarism screening for written assignments to maintain academic integrity. The university has offered online bachelor's degrees since the early 2000s, and most of its online classes are recorded and archived so students can revisit lecture material whenever their schedule allows.

Programs at UM-Flint span business, health sciences, education, and criminal justice, among other fields, with the same faculty teaching both on-campus and online sections of many courses. The university carries accreditation through HLC, and its status within the University of Michigan system gives graduates a widely recognized name to put on a resume. For Michigan residents who want a public, in-state option with this specific combination of flexibility and reputation, UM-Flint is hard to top.

Nationally Available Online Colleges Without Proctored Exams

Michigan's own list is short, but a wide range of nationally available universities enroll Michigan residents just as readily as anyone else and follow the same paper-and-project approach to assessment.

Western Governors University

Western Governors University’s (WGU) model runs on competency-based education, meaning you advance by demonstrating mastery through projects, papers, and performance tasks rather than moving through a fixed semester calendar. Most courses skip the proctored exam altogether in favor of this project-driven structure.

Tuition is billed by six-month term instead of by credit hour, so students who move quickly through material can complete more without paying more. WGU is accredited by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities (NWCCU) and offers programs in business, IT, teaching, and health professions built around this same self-paced format.

Southern New Hampshire University

Southern New Hampshire University (SNHU) has grown into one of the largest online universities in the country on the back of an asynchronous model that rarely calls for a proctored exam. Most degrees rely on quizzes, projects, and open-book assignments instead, letting students work whenever fits their schedule rather than around a fixed testing window.

With more than 200 online degree programs, SNHU spans a wide range of fields, from business to healthcare to the humanities. The university holds accreditation through the New England Commission of Higher Education (NECHE), and its scale means most students find a program that matches their goals without much searching.

Capella University

Capella University's FlexPath format lets students move through material at their own speed, proving competency through hands-on projects and assignments rather than sitting for a scheduled exam. A more structured GuidedPath track exists for students who prefer set deadlines, and both formats minimize traditional proctored testing.

Popular fields include nursing, psychology, social work, and information technology, with pricing that tends to undercut many private university rates. Capella carries HLC accreditation, and its ability to switch between FlexPath and GuidedPath mid-program is useful if your schedule changes unexpectedly.

Liberty University

Liberty runs one of the largest online programs among faith-based universities, and its assessment style favors open-book exams, projects, and homework assignments over proctored testing. Students aren't required to sit for placement exams either, keeping the entry process as low-friction as the coursework itself.

Popular majors span aviation, nursing, communications, and human services, reflecting a breadth well beyond Liberty's religious studies foundation. The university holds accreditation through the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC), giving Michigan students a faith-based option without the usual proctoring requirements.

Walden University

Walden has spent decades building programs specifically for working adults, and its courses generally assess students through ongoing papers and assignments rather than monitored testing. When exams do appear, they tend to be open-book rather than locked down by proctoring software.

Fields of study include health sciences, communications, and criminal justice, with tuition charged by quarter credit hour, typically between $256 and $350 depending on the program. Walden holds accreditation through HLC, worth checking against your transfer or licensure plans if you're comparing it to a Michigan-based option.

Colorado State University Global

Colorado State University Global (CSU Global) holds the distinction of being the first fully online, independent public university in the country, and its curriculum leans on discussions, critical thinking assignments, and portfolio projects rather than exams. Where tests do appear, they're uncommon enough that many students finish an entire degree without encountering one.

Tuition is transparent and locked in from a student's first course to the last, with no student fees regardless of home state. CSU Global operates within the Colorado State University System, giving graduates a recognizable institutional name, and it accepts a generous number of transfer credits for students arriving with prior coursework.

University of Maryland Global Campus

University of Maryland Global Campus (UMGC) was built more than 75 years ago to serve working adults and military families, and that mission carries through into how courses are assessed. Exams tend to be untimed multiple-choice tests students can take on their own schedule, research papers, or projects, rather than anything requiring a webcam or live monitor.

With more than 135 degrees and certificates and no SAT or ACT required for admission, UMGC stays accessible to a wide range of students, including those with significant prior coursework or military training. Out-of-state students, Michiganders included, pay a flat rate that remains competitive with many private options, and the university carries accreditation through the Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE).

Post University

Post University keeps its online courses assessment-light by design, relying on discussion boards, case study reviews, papers, and group projects instead of exams across most degree programs. Small class sizes let instructors get familiar with each student's writing style, supporting academic integrity checks without needing a webcam involved.

Based in Connecticut but enrolling students from every state, Post offers career-focused bachelor's and master's degrees taught by faculty with real-world industry backgrounds. Courses run in accelerated eight-week terms, and the university's reliance on electronic course materials in most classes helps keep costs manageable for working students.

How We Rank Schools

To create this list, we review data from the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard and the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), along with program-level details published by each university.

Rankings are based on factors such as:

• Assessment flexibility: We prioritize schools where projects, papers, and competency checkpoints replace proctored testing across most or all coursework.
• Online program availability: We look at how many degree levels and fields of study a school offers in a fully online format.
• Accreditation: We confirm that each school holds regional or national accreditation recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.
• Student support: We consider the advising, technical support, and career resources available to distance learners.
• Value: We weigh tuition against the flexibility, transfer policies, and outcomes each program delivers.

Learn more about our ranking methodology.

FAQs About Online Colleges Without Proctored Exams in Michigan

A few practical questions tend to come up once you start comparing programs in more detail. Here are answers to some of the ones we hear most often.

Why Did a Public University Like UM-Dearborn Decide to Ban Proctoring Software Entirely?

UM-Dearborn's policy grew out of a committee review that weighed research on proctoring's mixed effectiveness against real concerns about student privacy, unequal access to quiet testing spaces and reliable internet, and the added stress webcam monitoring places on test-takers. Rather than banning testing altogether, the policy pushes faculty toward redesigned assessments, like open-book exams and randomized question banks, that preserve integrity without the surveillance.

Do Both Undergraduate and Graduate Programs Avoid Proctored Testing at These Schools?

At UM-Dearborn, the no-proctoring policy applies broadly across online courses at both levels, since it's set by the Office of the Provost rather than left to individual departments. At UM-Flint, the no-proctored-exams reporting specifically covers its online bachelor's program, so it's worth confirming directly with the graduate admissions office if you're considering a master's or doctoral program there.

How Does NC-SARA Affect Enrollment if I Live Outside Michigan?

Michigan participates in the National Council for State Authorization Reciprocity Agreements, which means its public universities, including UM-Dearborn and UM-Flint, can generally enroll students from other participating states without extra state-by-state authorization hurdles. It's still worth confirming your home state's participation and any program-specific licensure restrictions before enrolling from outside Michigan.

What Should I Ask an Advisor About Group Project Expectations Before Enrolling?

Since many of these programs replace exams with collaborative projects, it's worth asking whether group work happens synchronously or asynchronously, how grading handles uneven participation among teammates, and whether you can request an individual project option if scheduling across time zones becomes a real obstacle. Getting these details early can save you from an unpleasant surprise once the term is already underway.

Does Michigan Offer State Financial Aid for Residents Attending Out-of-State Online Schools?

Michigan's state-funded grant programs are generally limited to students attending eligible Michigan institutions, so residents choosing an out-of-state online university would typically rely on federal aid, institutional scholarships, and employer tuition assistance instead. Filing the FAFSA remains the right first step no matter which school you choose, since federal grants and loans apply at every accredited institution on this list.

Explore More Online Colleges in Michigan

Skipping the proctor doesn't mean skipping rigor, just measuring progress through a different lens. Whichever program you land on, Learn.org's articles are built to help you keep comparing the fine print until you find the Michigan option that actually fits your life.