The Best Online College Rankings

The Internet has revolutionized the world of education so that now you can earn a degree entirely online from the comfort of your home or office. This is perfect for busy working professionals or anyone who wants to get ahead in a career without having to go to class on a physical campus everyday. Below we have listed the best schools offering accredited online degrees.

Associate's Degrees Bachelor's Degrees Master's Degrees Doctorate Degrees	University of Phoenix — Degree Levels: Associate's, Bachelor's, Master's, and Doctorate. The University of Phoenix is world-renowned for being the largest online university, which is one reason why we list it at the #1 spot here in our ranking. Unlike other onine universities which may only offer a handful of specialized degree programs to its students, Phoenix boasts dozens of different degrees at all levels that students can choose from.
Associate's Degrees Bachelor's Degrees Master's Degrees	Kaplan University — Degree Levels: Associate's, Bachelor's, and Master's. Founded in 1937 as Quest College, Kaplan University is based in Davenport, Iowa, but its online classes are open to everyone nationwide. Kaplan is organized into ten different academic schools, including Arts & Sciences, Business, Criminal Justice, Education, Health Sciences, IS & Technology, Legal Studies, Nursing, Continuing Education, and Concord Law School. As you can see, Kaplan offers degrees in numerous subjects.
Bachelor's Degrees Master's Degrees Doctorate Degrees	Walden University — Degree Levels: Bachelor's, Master's, and Doctorate. For students looking for flexible and affordable online education, Walden University offers both. Courses of study available include business, criminal justice, health science, and much more.
Associate's Degrees Bachelor's Degrees	Westwood College Online — Degree Levels: Associate's and Bachelor's. Westwood College has over a dozen campus locations throughout the US. The Denver North campus is responsible for their online division, in which all coursework is completed entirely via the Internet. Currently, over two dozen online degree programs are available in subjects including criminal justice, business administration, fashion merchandising, and more.
Associate's Degrees Bachelor's Degrees Master's Degrees	Ashford University — Degree Levels: Associate's, Bachelor's, and Master's. Ashford is a private liberal arts university based in Clinton, Iowa. But thanks to the World Wide Web, students from all over the world can access their online coursework. Originally founded in 1918 as Mount St. Clare College, Ashford has Catholic roots and today its NAIA-level athletic teams are known as The Saints, which compete in the Midwest Collegiate Conference in over a dozen sports.
Associate's Degrees Bachelor's Degrees Master's Degrees	Everest University — Degree Levels: Associate's, Bachelor's, and Master's. Formerly Florida Metropolitan University, Everest University was founded in 1969. Today, the university has campuses scattered throughout the state of Florida and offers classes online to any US citizen. Everest offers a special online learning programs for US servicemembers overseas. Military students of the university are able to complete courses in their off-duty hours at military installations in the US, overseas, and even on naval ships.
Bachelor's Degrees Master's Degrees Doctorate Degrees	Boston University — Degree Levels: Bachelor's, Master's, and Doctorate. Founded in 1839, Boston University is one of the oldest universities that offers online education. At Boston Online, students can study liberal arts, business, science, criminal justice, health, music, nursing, and more.
Associate's Degrees Bachelor's Degrees Master's Degrees	Liberty University — Degree Levels: Associate's, Bachelor's, and Master's. Liberty University has the reputation of being the largest online evangelical Christian university in the nation. Founded in 1971 by the late Reverend Jerry Falwell, Liberty's original name was Lynchburg Baptist College. Liberty obtained university status in 1984. In athletics, Liberty is a member of the Big South Conference for 18 sports, including football, hockey, and basketball. Academically, Liberty offers majors in over 70 subjects, including aeronautics, business, nursing, and more.
Bachelor's Degrees Master's Degrees Doctorate Degrees	Capella University — Degree Levels: Bachelor's, Master's, and Doctorate. Capella University was founded in 1991 by Stephen Shank, the former CEO of Tonka, who felt that working adults were underserved by traditional brick-and-mortar universities. While their offices are located in downtown Minneapolis, being an online university, the majority of learning takes place outside of campus and instead via the Internet. Their motto: "Knowledge is solving problems no one else can."
Associate's Degrees Bachelor's Degrees Master's Degrees	DeVry University — Degree Levels: Associate's, Bachelor's, and Master's. DeVry has dozens of campuses nationwide and delivers its coursework via the Web to thousands of online students studying for their degrees. At DeVry University, all degree programs are career-focused to ensure that proper training is given to students pursuing a specific job or career path.
Associate's Degrees Bachelor's Degrees Master's Degrees	Strayer University — Degree Levels: Associate's, Bachelor's, and Master's. In 1892, S. Irving Strayer founded Strayer's Business College. Today, this is known as Strayer University and has over 70 non-residential campuses with more than 50,000 students nationwide. Strayer is highly regarded as producing as many students with computer science degrees as any other school in the country.
Associate's Degrees Bachelor's Degrees Master's Degrees	American InterContinental University — Degree Levels: Associate's, Bachelor's, and Master's. American InterContinental University, also known as AIU, is a private school accredited by the Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association. Founded in 1970 as the American College of Applied Arts, AIU today has seven campuses in the US and UK and runs its online program out of its Chicago offices. AIU offers degree programs in several subjects, including healthcare, business, education, criminal justice, and more.
Bachelor's Degrees Master's Degrees	Grand Canyon University — Degree Levels: Bachelor's and Master's. Grand Canyon University was founded in 1949 as Grand Canyon College, an Arizona Southern Baptist school. (It reached university status in 1989.) Accredited by the Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association, GCU is typically featured among the Top 10 online colleges as ranked by The Online Education Database (OEDb).
Bachelor's Degrees Master's Degrees Doctorate Degrees	Argosy University — Degree Levels: Bachelor's, Master's, and Doctorate. Argosy University was formed in 2001 when the University of Sarasota, the American School of Professional Psychology, and the Medical Institute of Minnesota merged. Today, Argosy is headquartered in Chicago but has campus locations all over the United States and offers online degrees in psychology, business, and education.
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How are universities rankings determined?

There are many different factors that go into the various formulas for determining university ratings. Elements such as graduation rate, student to teacher ratio, newly graduated students gainfully employed, variety of degree programs, and more. Additionally, different countries use varying metrics to rank their respective universities. How American university rankings compare to international university rankings can vary significantly because of the unique factors being evaluated. Finally, there are many institutions that offer excellent online university ratings. These institutions include BusinessWeek, US News & World Report, and many more.

How is obtaining a degree from an accredited online university different than a traditional campus education?

Many students have significant concerns about pursuing a degree from an online university instead of from a brick-and-mortar school. Concerns about the quality of education and logistics are often unfounded. Understanding what exactly is different between online and traditional campuses, as well as the advantages of an online education, can help assuage some fears.

• Very flexible schedule: One of the biggest differences between traditional and online learning is the flexibility of the schedule. Students in online classes are able to have much more flexibility when it comes to their education. Online classes will usually not have too many set meeting times, and information can be accessed throughout the day. This is beneficial for students who have other work or family commitments.
• Lack of commute: Traditional campus learning requires students to sometimes travel significant distances in order to attend classes. Online universities make learning possible from almost anywhere. Without a commute, learning can be a lot more manageable, as travel time is eliminated.
• Lower costs: Students learning online are often able to benefit from lower overall costs. The lack of commute can save students money on gas, parking, and other fees. Additionally, many traditional schools have fees for certain facilities on campus. Online students generally don't have to pay such fees, since the facilities they use are online.
• Many degree options: While traditional schools do offer many different degrees, students are often limited by what is offered in their area. Some schools offer unique degrees, and these schools may not always be easily reachable. Online schools remove this distance issue. Students can work towards degrees even if the school offering them is in a completely different part of the country.

What type of salary can someone with an online degree expect to obtain?

Anyone who obtains an advanced education should see their earning potential increase. This is no different for someone who obtains a degree from an online university. Salary variation comes into play when one considers the many different degree programs available. Generally someone who has an associate's or bachelor's level degree has an earning potential in the $30,000-$40,000 range. Those who have advanced degrees, such as master's and PhDs, can see their earnings go up to as much as over $100,000. All of these are far above the average salary of someone without a post secondary degree, which is closer to $20,000.

What schools offer accredited online university degrees?

The amount of schools offering online degree options is significant, and still growing. Additionally, some schools that have traditionally only offered on-campus degree programs have started to institute online degree programs. The following schools are often highly ranked in a variety of key areas when it comes to the online educational services they offer.

• University of Phoenix: The largest online university, The University of Phoenix provides students with high quality programs in a variety of areas. These include associate's, bachelor's, and masters degrees in business, health, science, technology, and more.
• Kaplan University: Kaplan University offers a multitude of excellent degree programs across a variety of degree levels, including Associate's, Bachelor's, and Master's Degrees.
• Ashford University: Founded in 1918, Ashford University has been offering quality education for nearly a century. Its online programs are very well regarded in professional fields and can give students the opportunity to finish their degree in as little as 12 months.
• Capella University: Capella offers Bachelor's, Master's, and Doctoral degree programs that are designed specifically to fit the variety of needs students have. Online programs at Capella offer greater flexibility than traditional on-campus programs.
• Grand Canyon University: GCU focuses on providing students with a number of opportunities to pursue different Bachelor's and Master's degree programs. Additionally, the Christian background of the university enables students to have a unique perspective in their learning.
• Liberty University: Liberty University students can obtain degrees in many subjects, including business, communications, and humanities. LU is a Christian university that has degree levels ranging from Associates to Master's degrees.
• Walden University: Walden University is geared towards students who want an education that is both flexible and affordable. Degree levels that students can pursue include Bachelor's, Master's, and Doctorate.
• Westwood College: Westwood College degrees are well respected and highly ranked in many essential areas. Students can pursue either Associate's or Bachelor's degrees from this accredited online institution.
• DeVry University: A DeVry University education can help students to reach for the sky. DeVry offers a variety of technology degrees that are great for advancing careers and increasing earning opportunities.
• Boston University: Boston University is a traditional school that has recently entered the exciting world of online education. Students can earn a degree from this well respected university that was founded in 1839.

What kinds of financial aid are available for online universities?

If a student is able to demonstrate an appropriate need, then financial aid in the form of loans, grants, and scholarships will almost always be available. Online students are no exception to this fact. Any student of an accredited university should be eligible for some financial aid. Filling out a FAFSA form is the essential first step to take on the road to obtaining additional funding for an education. Students may also benefit from a variety of unusual scholarships. For example, the Frederick and Mary F. Beckley Scholarship, is given to someone who is left handed. The Sophie Major Memorial Duck Calling Contest is awarded to a student who can do the best duck call. The amount of scholarships is limitless, and students can qualify for more than they think. To this end, research is essential to finding all the available funding opportunities.

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