Top Online Colleges & Universities 2018
Everything you need to know about online colleges
According to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), one in three students in the USA is now taking at least one class online. Online degrees have grown in popularity in the last few years and there is a rapid rise in the number of students choosing an online degree over a traditional on campus degree. Most of these programs are not in any way inferior to a program offered on campus. Colleges are under pressure to expand into the online domain and to improve their currently available online programs in order to meet the rising demand.
Despite the rapid increase in popularity, there is still doubt surrounding online degrees. A section of employers still prefer traditional degrees over online degrees. The good news is that this is changing fast. 75% of employers do not look at online degrees negatively anymore and some might even look at it positively as it shows the determination of an individual in successfully taking up a number of commitments.
Why choose an online degree?
Let us look at some reasons why students are choosing an online degree over an on campus acquired degree.
- The flexibility to study at your own pace. This is especially useful for people who have a job or a family to look after.
- The possibility to do a number of degrees simultaneously.
- You can cut the cost of relocating or commuting to the university.
- The possibility to learn anywhere and anytime you want.
- It is easy to review the lectures as they are always available online.
- It is possible to study at the university you like regardless of whether it is located in your country or close to where you live.
We have tried to give you a guide to the different online universities and answer the common questions related to doing an online program.
How to choose the right college?
As there are hundreds of providers to choose from, selecting the right one becomes a difficult task. Choosing the right college for your online degree is very important as there are a number of fake or bogus universities. Employers are careful about who they employ and as you might suspect, degrees from such institutions have little or no value in their eyes.
A symbol of legitimacy of the institute is the accreditation status. Accreditation helps to ascertain that the quality of institution and their degree programs are up to a certain mark. It is strongly recommended to consider attending an accredited institution. Accreditation status can have a big impact on the chances of receiving financial aid or to transfer credits to another degree or school, if needed. The information about accreditation is generally easily available on the website of the school.
Picking the right degree level and major
Choosing the right degree is an important task and depends on your career goals, current education levels, the field you want to venture into and other such things. There are a number of bachelor, master, certificate programs to suit your individual requirements.
It is important to think carefully about the major that you want to pursue as this has biggest impact on your job prospects in the future. You will learn about completely different skills as each major emphasizes on different things. Studies have shown that your major has a bigger impact on career prospects and earnings than where you do the degree.
It is recommended to carefully look at the top college websites and research about the specific courses you are interested in. Connect with students who have already completed their studies from the said college and learn about their personal views on the program. Compare the rankings between the colleges but in the end what is more important is that the course modules are aligned with your own interests.
Depending on the amount of flexibility you need, there are different types of programs such as:
- Synchronous: In the synchronous format, you have to follow the schedule set by the college and attend all lectures, do the assignments and projects at the same time as others. The time is set by a pre-made schedule.
- Asynchronous: It is similar to synchronous, the difference being that you have deadlines before which you have to complete certain tasks. You can do it as and when you want as long as it is within the set deadlines.
- Open schedule: Here you can start the program independent of traditional structure. Interactions with other students is minimum. Completion of assignments have deadlines according to your start date.
- Hybrid schedule: This can be a combination of any of the above forms.
The Financial Aspect
Like any college degree, an online degree also requires investment of money. Studies have however shown that a college education does pay off in the end.
- 35,000$ is the average income of a person with a high school diploma
- 41,500$ is the average income of a person with an associate degree
- 50,556$ is the average income of a person with a bachelor’s degree
- 77,591$ is the average income of a person with a master’s degree
The cost of a college degree can vary significantly depending on the college, the type of degree and the major. Tuition fees for online degrees aren’t really cheaper than on-campus degree programs, but you can save money in other aspects such as the cost of relocation or commutation and cost of materials. The flexibility offered by online degrees also gives you the chance to work alongside your studies.
Most students taking up online programs, pay out of pocket or by taking education loans from banks or by getting help from relatives. There are several online colleges that also allow tuition fee payment in zero interest installments under the condition that the entire sum must be paid off by the end of each term.
The Top Players
We’ve tried to provide you the list of top five online colleges and their distinguishing features.
1. University of Florida: There are over 200 online programs with different flexibility options and an alumni network of 415,000 Gators.
2. University of Central Florida: UCF currently caters to more than 63,000 students, many of whom are studying in online courses and degree programs. This school boasts of a robust distance learning program. The courses are taught by the same professors who take the classes in campus.
3. Northeastern University: Northeastern University caters to 25,000 students. It currently offers 10 online bachelor’s degrees. Northeastern also has strong partnerships with education institutions in over 100 countries.
4. University of Alabama at Birmingham: The University of Alabama at Birmingham was established in 1936 and was started as an extension center. It has added a robust virtual college internationally recognized for academic excellence, research and innovation. The school offers a number of fully online and some hybrid degree and certificate programs. The flexible learning options caters to working people who are looking for study programs.
5. Liberty University: Liberty University is a private, non-profit Christian doctoral research university located in Lynchburg, Virginia. The school’s distance learning program was started in 1985 and follows a non-traditional academic timetable. There are eight start dates each year and the classes are all eight week long. Almost all of their distance learning programs are nearly 100% online.
It is important to analyze your interests and to choose an online degree that is aligned with them. Some specializations are valued higher in the market than others. Before taking the plunge, it is important to evaluate whether the online degree is worth the time, effort and money and whether it will benefit your career.