Brenau provides discounted tuition to members of the military, their spouses, and civil servants. School Type : Private Concentrations Available : Dual enrollment, theology, philosophy, management, clinical psychology, Catholic studies, education, business administration, catechetics and evangelization. Founded in by Franciscan friars, Franciscan offers graduate and undergraduate online degrees.
These programs help form students in the Catholic tradition. The university also offers online courses for students who want to earn college credits while still in high school. Franciscan's online degrees include an associate in philosophy, a bachelor's in management, and a master's in Catholic studies. Admission requirements vary by program. In general, applicants need a high school transcript with a 2. Graduate applicants need a bachelor's degree.
Available Scholarships : Chancellor's Scholarship. School Type : Public Concentrations Available : Applied science, business, computing and technology, design, education, general studies, health and health sciences, humanities, informatics, labor studies, library science, mathematics, music, parks and recreation, philanthropy, physical education and tourism management, public affairs and administration, public health, science, social work.
IUPUI enrolls more than 27, students. The school offers online programs at the undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral levels. Some courses run entirely online. Others require in-person campus visits. Online learners may need to participate in synchronous live video classes. Each program establishes its own admission requirements.
Undergraduate applicants may transfer up to 64 credits from community college or up to 90 credits from a four-year college or university. IUPUI follows a traditional calendar. Students can begin in the fall, spring, or summer term. School Type : Private Concentrations Available : Business administration, criminal justice, Christian studies, education, general studies, communication, liberal arts and science, social work, nursing, English, computer science, accounting, sport management.
The school maintains its focus on developing Christian leaders while welcoming diverse perspectives. The school offers 71 college degrees online. Learners can also explore 13 certificates or endorsements. Programs include a bachelor's degree in social work, a master's in justice studies, and a specialist in educational administration.
CU accepts up to 72 transfer credits toward a bachelor's degree. New students can begin at one of six annual start dates. Available Scholarships : Academic Scholarship Award. School Type : Private Concentrations Available : More than online programs, including business, criminal justice, education, nursing, and counseling.
A Christian university located in Lynchburg, Virginia, Liberty enrolls more than , students. Learners can pursue more than online degrees at the associate, bachelor's, master's, and doctoral levels. Liberty also offers online certificate programs. Most courses run fully online and last eight weeks. Liberty's online college degrees cover academic disciplines such as nursing, counseling, and business.
Applicants submit official transcripts. Students can begin at one of eight annual start dates. Available Scholarships : Middle America Scholarship. School Type : Public Concentrations Available : Accounting, arts administration, business administration, communication, criminal justice, cybersecurity, education, family studies, history, interdisciplinary studies, library media, management, music education, music technology, nursing, online teaching, political science, public administration, sports conditioning and performance.
Learners can explore more than online undergraduate degrees. SUU also offers 21 graduate and certificate programs. The school features a to-1 student-to-faculty ratio. SUU owns a farm and ranch in addition to its acre main campus. SUU offers online degrees in fields such as aviation administration, communication, and cybersecurity. Online students can take advantage of the Finish Line Scholarship. Applicants can contact their admissions representative to learn program requirements. They can also study remotely to earn an associate in arts degree from one of the nation's best online colleges.
Some programs offer fully online classes. Others feature hybrid formats. Students can earn a bachelor's in health services management completely online. Business programs offer transfer pathways directly to all public colleges and universities in Texas. Online learners can access resources such as tutors available through the Student Success Center and E Graduates of Brazoswood and Brazosport high schools may apply.
Applicants need a minimum 2. Our ranking methodology combines data analysis with research into academic excellence, faculty, reputation, affordability, and range of degree programs.
It is also reviewed by our Academic Advisory Board. All of these online colleges and universities are regionally accredited and nonprofit. Our goal is to list the best accredited online colleges to help online students. Here at TheBestSchools. When making our school and program rankings, our top priority is ensuring that our readers get accurate, unbiased information that can help them make informed decisions about online education.
That's why we've developed a rigorous ranking methodology that keeps the needs of our readers front and center. Our proprietary, multi-criteria ranking algorithm analyzes key data indicators — as collected by the federal government — for each school or program.
What data we use depends on the focus of each specific ranking, but in all cases, our ranking methodology is impartial: Schools cannot buy better rankings at TBS. While specific criteria under consideration can vary by ranking, there are a few data points that we value most highly. They are affordability, academic quality, and online enrollment.
Below, we break down our algorithm to help you understand what you're getting when you use one of our rankings. The data used in TBS rankings comes primarily from the federal government, and much of it is provided by the schools themselves. We aggregate and analyze this data to build our rankings. Its data comes from annual surveys conducted by the U. Every college, university, or technical school with access to federal financial aid must participate in these surveys, which include questions about enrollment, graduation rates, finances, and faculty qualifications.
This is publicly available data, which you can access yourself through the College Navigator. Additionally, because we value a personal touch and the professional experience of our staff and Academic Advisory Board, we vet all results and adjust rankings as necessary based on our collected knowledge of schools and degree programs. Depending on the ranking, we may obtain additional input from AcademicInfluence. Here at TBS, we value what you value: quality education, affordability, and the accessibility of online education.
These factors guide all of our program rankings. Each of these factors are further broken down into weighted subfactors. For example, retention rates are weighted more heavily than availability of program options because they are a better indicator of student success.
We chose the following factors for our rankings because of their influence on learning experiences and graduate outcomes. However, students should always balance our rankings against their personal priorities. For instance, a learner who needs a fully online program may prioritize online flexibility more than our rankings do.
Our rankings are designed to help you make a decision — not to make a decision for you. In all our school rankings and recommendations, we work for objectivity and balance. We carefully research and compile each ranking list, and as stated in our advertising disclosure, we do NOT permit financial incentives to influence rankings.
Our articles never promote or disregard a school for financial gain. If you have questions about our ranking methodology, please feel free to connect with our staff through contact page. Students considering an online degree can attend college in any state, regardless of where they live.
Learn about the best online schools in every state. Online learners can pay for school through scholarships, grants, and loans. Online students qualify for many of the same financial aid as traditional students, including federal financial aid.
Students can also find scholarships and grants from their schools or use employee tuition reimbursement programs. Learn more about how to apply for student loans or fill out the FAFSA to apply for federal financial aid. Joanna Bauer is vice president of academic affairs and chief academic officer for Claremont Lincoln University. She believes in the value of learning and the intersection of ethical leadership, sustainable solutions, and social change.
She teaches communication, leadership, critical thinking, and conflict resolution. She also teaches research, marketing, sociology, and behavioral science. Bauer has held a variety of academic administrative positions, teaching on campus and online for 20 years.
She has developed faculty mentoring programs, teaching and learning centers, and student success initiatives. Online education that has a robust, peer-to-peer learning environment, such as what we provide at Claremont Lincoln University, gives students a unique opportunity to immerse themselves in the content and participate in cohorts. The flexibility of when and where to learn is literally at their fingertips.
Students can travel, work, parent, set their own timelines and agenda, organize and prioritize their time, build relationships with classmates, and apply studies right away into professional and personal contexts.
Online learning allows students to earn the same credentials and degrees as they would with face-to-face learning and often helps to improve writing, critical thinking, and professional skills in organization, time management, and self-motivation. Potential online students should research schools that develop courses based on sound online teaching practices peer-to-peer exchanges, innovative course design, leveraging instructional design practices, etc.
To be an effective online student, learners must have the ability to synthesize information individually, which happens predominantly through reading or watching videos. Some questions learners can ask themselves include: How much do I like being with other people? Do I need face time with my instructor? Am I self-motivated? How do I handle challenges? Am I comfortable building community in online spaces? Can I communicate well through email and Zoom? It is important to note that whether online or face to face, students still have access to student and academic support resources, along with support from the faculty member.
One of the best aspects of online learning is the flexibility and how busy people can mold their schedules to fit daily life. For organization of the coursework, it is helpful to have a course calendar and add everything in the calendar with reminders not forgetting reading and reflection time. Beyond the programmatic content, there are specialized skills that online learners develop because of the increased diverse nature of the cohort, as well as the professional skills needed to be successful.
Online degrees show employers that students are patient, motivated, self-directed, independent, and self-disciplined. Online students need to be able to communicate in a variety of ways to diverse audiences, including written and presentation skills, and this translates directly to the workplace in meetings, emails, videos, and the like.
Another big one is collaborating with peers and teams in the workplace. They can also learn skills such as self-starting, encouraging innovation, willingness to embrace change, willingness to grow as a writer, willingness to be in community with diverse viewpoints, and a high motivation to follow through.
All of these make for exceptional, creative, and collaborative team members, no matter the context. Instead of a classroom with students from the same campus, online students have the opportunity to actively interact with a much broader group. There are several costs associated with commuting to campus , including the cost of gas and parking. Learning fully online may not be well-suited to everyone, especially if you get distracted easily at home and struggle to stay motivated.
However, in-person learning can't compete with the flexibility provided by an online school. Whether you decide to attend school online or on campus , there are many high-quality, accredited colleges and universities to choose from. Learn about start dates, transferring credits, availability of financial aid, and more by contacting the universities below. In the world of online education, there is no overall best online college or best online degree program.
But there is a best option for you. Ask yourself these five questions to begin the search for the best online colleges and universities for your situation:. By understanding what you want out of a particular degree, you can make educated choices about which online universities and colleges have the best chance to give you an acceptable return on investment. To help get you started on researching your degree options, check out these popular degree program rankings:. The first step is to think about what area of study you'd like to pursue in order to meet your career goals.
Different college majors teach different skills and have different points of emphasis. Examine the different majors offered by a variety of top online colleges that relate to the field of study you're interested in. Research what specific courses are required in each major. Also consider what specific hard and soft skills will be most valuable to the work you want to be doing.
You can explore our collection of academic program rankings to learn more about the best online degrees in various fields of study. Source: National Center of Education Statistics undergraduate and graduate degree fields. Once you've determined what area you're interested in studying, determine which degree or degrees you'll need to meet your professional goals. Also be sure to double-check for required prerequisites.
Ideal For: Those who have a high school diploma and want to quickly gain practical career skills. Ideal For: Those who have a high school diploma or some college credits and want to start a new career path or increase their earning potential. Ideal For: Those who already have a bachelor's degree but want to switch careers , qualify for more advanced leadership roles, or increase their earning potential.
Ideal For: Those who already have a bachelor's or master's who want to be an expert in their field or pursue positions in research and academia. There are many factors to consider when judging the quality of an online program and determining whether it's the right fit for your educational goals. Take time to consider each of the aspects mentioned below. The degree you decide to pursue will help determine the type of institution you need to attend. The most common types of colleges and universities fall under the following categories.
Always verify that an online university or college is accredited. Accreditation matters because it sets quality standards meant to ensure that online degrees are legitimate and hold value.
The accreditation status of your college can also impact your ability to apply for financial aid or transfer credits. A school's accreditation status should be mentioned on its official website. Students can also verify a school's status through the U. Department of Education or the Council for Higher Education. Both maintain lists of recognized regional, national, and programmatic accrediting agencies. Many of the best online schools are regionally accredited as regional accreditation is considered the most prestigious.
In the U. Some states also have their own accrediting bodies that are independent of regional agencies. You can learn more about each individual agency, as well as its jurisdiction, through the Office of Postsecondary Education.
National accreditation is more commonly found in trade and vocational schools. Students considering a nationally accredited online college should research the school's reputation and understand how its academic standards might differ from regionally accredited schools. It's important to note that most nationally accredited schools will accept transfer credits from regionally accredited colleges and universities, but the opposite is not always true.
Students should also be wary of accreditation mills that offer genuine-looking but ultimately phony endorsements to schools. In some cases, individual programs may also be accredited by an independent board. One example is the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology, which evaluates academic programs in applied science, computing, engineering, and technology. Independent agencies assess the competence and rigor of both on-campus and online degree programs, giving students peace of mind that their school's department offers a reputable program.
Some state-level professional credentials require that students graduate from a program with specific programmatic accreditation. Online college courses come in a variety of formats, such as synchronous and asynchronous options, allowing students to choose a structure that works best for their learning style and lifestyle. Determine what kind of flexibility you'll need in an online program by considering the common online course formats below.
The true cost of a program can be one of the most important factors when deciding on the best online university or college for you. When comparing the costs of online vs. In some ways, that may be true — online learners who don't plan on using campus-based services can typically skip costs associated with in-person attendance, including activity, parking, and health fees. Additionally, at some schools, all online students pay in-state tuition, and other online student discounts and fee waivers may be available.
However, many who opt for online college courses encounter fees specific to distance learning, such as certain technology fees. These may be flat fees or charged by the credit hour. Although a significant advantage of a fully online college or university is the fact that you can take courses anywhere with an internet connection, most online students actually take classes from a school located within miles of where they live.
Online degree programs offer a great deal of flexibility, but enrolling in an online degree program close to your home can offer additional advantages.
If you enroll in an online degree program close to home, you may be able to save money by paying in-state tuition. You could also more easily access campus resources e. Interested in learning about the best online degrees available in your state? Explore the map below to find the best online school in each state. Each online program differs in the support it offers to students , so make sure you'll be getting the resources you need to feel comfortable and confident in your studies.
For some, that might mean resources for student parents , students of color , or undocumented students. Student services can also come in the form of writing assistance, coaching and counseling from an academic advisor, and career services for online graduates. Earning an online college degree typically requires a substantial investment. While some students choose to pay for college out-of-pocket using savings or family contributions, many need to seek financial aid to help make college more affordable.
Some online schools also allow students to pay for tuition and housing in monthly installments, rather than paying one lump sum for each semester or quarter term. These deferred payment plans may carry little to no interest, but the balance must be paid off by the end of each term. Financial aid opportunities are available through various sources, including the federal government, nonprofit organizations, and private companies, as well as the online college or university a student attends.
Submitting the FAFSA is recommended for undergraduate and graduate students who qualify, and students should complete this process each year they're in school. It includes questions about the applicant's financial background — including their family's income, tax history, and current assets — to determine how much financial aid a student may qualify for. Students may seek college loans from the federal government or private lending institutions, such as banks or credit unions.
Federal loans carry a fixed interest rate, and the interest may be tax-deductible. Federal loans do not need to be repaid until the student graduates or leaves school.
Online graduates who struggle to repay their loans may be able to postpone or reduce their monthly payments. Students are often required to begin repaying these loans while still in school. Private lenders may also place restrictions on how the aid money is spent. However, if you cannot afford your monthly payment for your private student loan, refinance and consolidation options may be available. The Federal Work-Study Program is designed for students who demonstrate financial need. The program allows them to work part time while enrolled in college courses.
Students attending a college online that participates in the Federal Work-Study Program are eligible to join.
This includes those seeking undergraduate, graduate, or professional degrees. Part-time and full-time students may be eligible. Federal Work-Study jobs are often related to the student's field of study.
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