Like traditional schools, online programs and institutions can vary in quality. Researching schools is an important step in finding an excellent program that is also the right “fit” for a student’s learning style, future plans, budget, and scholarly interests. At first, the sheer number of online schools might be overwhelming, but top programs do have several qualities in common. Beginning with these general characteristics is an effective way to whittle down a list of potential schools.
The most important thing to look for initially is whether or not a school is accredited. Accreditation means that an institution has fulfilled externally defined criteria. It assures the student (and future employer) that the school meets defined standards of quality. Students should be sure to verify that a particular school is accredited by a recognized body. Some diploma mills, for instance, will post false accreditation information on their websites. The Department of Education manages a database of legitimate, accredited institutions against which prospective schools can be checked.
Once students have narrowed their choices down to accredited schools, many naturally turn to rankings and lists. Although these rankings can be helpful, they are not always transparent. Many online ranking systems do not provide criteria for their lists, so it’s hard to know exactly how different schools are being compared. There are some ranking sites that reveal their methodology, however, and these sites are good places to begin identifying respected programs. The Online Education Database, for instance, while not necessarily definitive, does detail how its rankings were obtained and can be a valuable resource for gathering information.
After these initial steps, identifying top programs requires the student to do some additional research. For each potential school, students should consider issues like types of degrees and classes, retention and graduation rates, amount of face-to-face time, flexibility of scheduling, job placement, reputation, student evaluation, and course delivery methods. Some of these issues are based on personal preference, but they are all very important factors to consider.
There are many online programs that have great reputations, offer a wide variety of degrees and certificates, and generally have high student satisfaction. The top school for any individual student can vary due to many factors, but here are a few of the many schools that are consistently ranked highly by multiple sources:
American Intercontinental University: Both online and residential campuses, 17,000 students and 50,000 graduates.
Capella: Over 30,000 students and 124 programs. 80% of the faculty have doctoral degrees.
DeVry University: High employment rate (90%) among graduates.
Grand Canyon University: Online and campus based programs, named by Fortune magazine as one of the top 5 online colleges for entrepreneurs.
Kaplan University: Wide range of programs.
Liberty University: Online Christian school with more than 40 programs.
Nova Southeastern University: Traditional school with 76 online programs.
University of Phoenix: Over 450,000 students, more than 200 locations. Large number of degrees and programs.
Walden: More than 37 online degree programs
Westwood College: Over 25 programs. Online or traditional classes.
These tips and suggestions should provide an excellent starting point for students considering online schools. Prospective students visit and tour traditional colleges, and should do the same kind of research when considering online schools. The websites of online schools provide a lot of information, but potential students should also contact school counselors to answer any questions.