When researching colleges, rankings can come in quite handy. Some rankings list colleges by location. Other lists rank colleges according specialty. One of the best ways to research colleges, though, is by type of degree. When you initially enter college, you’ll likely be looking for an undergraduate degree program, so looking for rankings of just undergraduate options is a great way to narrow down your research. A number of organizations and publications rank undergraduate universities.

US News Rankings

One of the most popular lists is the one compiled by US News. This list has been compiled since the mid-1980s, and they have a number of categories, including one for just undergraduate schools. You can also search by national universities, liberal arts colleges, specialty schools, and more. They rank schools based on a number of factors including peer rating, class size, acceptance rate, average spending per student, standardized test scores of students, alumni donations, faculty salaries, and number of students who graduate within six years.

AUAP Rankings

If you’re an international student, the American Universities Admission Program (AUAP) rankings can help you determine which college in the United States is best for you. Some of the characteristics used to rank schools include selectivity, quality of education, and mean test scores. In addition, a panel of experts evaluates each school to give them a world image rank. They have not only a ranking for general undergraduate programs, but also rankings for women’s colleges, business programs, honor programs, scientific schools, and more.

OEDb Rankings

Online Education Database (OEDb) ranks a specific type of school – those available online. This website has not only a list of the best distance learning programs, but also full reviews of each school. There are over 85 colleges, many with multiple programs, represented in this database, which ranks schools based on factors such as number of students who graduate within six years, student-to-faculty ratio, links to the school from other online colleges, and more.

Of course, a number of other organizations and publications ranking undergraduate programs as well, and even more rank undergraduate programs alongside schools that offer other degrees. Use the three resources listed above as a start, and then branch out to learn more about the schools you’re considering through lists like those compiled by Times Higher Education, The Princeton Review, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, and more. You can even search by specific program types with lists such as the one compiled by BusinessWeek. Whatever resources you use, make sure that the college rankings you consider are just the start to your research. When trying to pick an undergraduate program, you should also talk to professors and students, visit the campus if at all possible, and more before you make your final decision. The school at the top of any list may not necessarily be the perfect school for you.

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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