As an undergrad, choosing your graduate school is one of the biggest decisions you’ll ever make. The right school can mean higher-paying jobs, a great alumni and career network, many financial aid programs, and a place you feel comfortable, while the wrong school can lead to academic problems and unfulfilled career goals. Rankings lists can help you decide which program is right for you.

There are a number of different organizations and publications that compile graduate school rankings. Some focus on schools in a certain location, while others look at specific kinds of programs. Still others rank graduate schools in general, without bias to type of program or location. All of these lists can help you determine which graduate schools are best for you.

US News Rankings

US News and World Report is one of the most respected sources for college rankings. Their annual ranking includes a graduate school list includes over 12,000 programs, and is divided according to type of study. They have lists for business schools, education schools, engineering schools, law schools, and medical schools, in addition to offering rankings for graduate schools that focus on the sciences, library and information studies, social sciences and humanities subjects, the fine arts, public affairs programs, and more.

BusinessWeek Rankings

If you’re interested in an MBA program, the list compiled by BusinessWeek is by far one of the best resources you can use to find out more about schools offering education in this area. They also have a list for undergraduate schools, as well as non-degree education, but as a graduate student to-be, you’ll likely be most interested in the part-time MBA program listing, the full-time MBA program listing, or the Executive MBA (EMBA) listing.

Law School Rankings

Along with US News’ rankings, you should also check out the Gourman Report and the Education Quality Rankings (EQR). While the Gourman Report doesn’t come out every year, it was the original ranking list for law schools, and it can still be useful, since many law programs are very old and haven’t changed much over the past several years. The EQR is also a list you should consider. Compiled by Professor Brian Leiter at the University of Texas law school, this listing looks at quality of faculty, quality of student body, and quality of teaching.

NRC Rankings

If you’re interested in school beyond a master’s degree program, check out the National Research Council (NRC) rankings, which lists doctorate programs in a number of subject areas. This list is only updated occasionally (the last report was in 1995), but it is by far one of the most comprehensive reviews of the doctorate programs available.

As an undergraduate student, you probably already realize that the right school can make or break your college experience and career success. You probably also already realize that the best school for you may not necessarily be the school at the top of any ranking list. Check out a number of colleges that offer graduate programs in your subject of choice, not only looking at their rank on various lists, but also talking to professors and students, visiting campuses, and more.

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.

Top 10 Online Universities Ranking

	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.
	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.
	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.
	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.
	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.
	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.
	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."
	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.
	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.
	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.
	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).
	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.
	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.
	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.
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