For many people attending a traditional four year brick and
mortar college is neither practical nor possible for a variety of
reasons. In previous times this meant resigning oneself to accepting
only a high school education, to being stuck in a dead end career and
perhaps never pursuing the college education that one truly desires.
Fortunately, times have changed. These days anyone can obtain a college
degree in a wide range of subjects and make their dreams come true. But
with so many options and so much variation and quality in online
education, it can be a daunting task to decide not only what degree to
pursue but what online college to enroll in. This article should help as
we ask the question and try to come up with an answer of just what are
the best online colleges?
The three factors that should go into
the decision making process of choosing an online college are; the
quality of the education, the reputation of the school and the cost and
suitability of the program. Online colleges come in three variations.
The most plentiful are those online colleges that exist only in
cyberspace with all learning and course materials conducted purely on
the internet. The school does not have a bricks and mortar location
available and all questions, coursework and interaction is conducted
exclusively online. Some popular examples of some of the larger 'online
only' colleges are Capella University, American Public University,
Westwood College and Walden University, which was recently rated by US
News as a top choice in online education.
Online only colleges can
offer some of the most cost effective degrees but they also fall short
comparatively when it comes to reputation as well as quality of
instruction. Sometimes, depending on the degree being pursued, it can be
quite valuable to have at least some in person instruction or classroom
interaction with a trained educator. This is particularly true in those
disciplines where some of the learning is necessarily experiential or
hands on like nursing or social work and not purely academic or
theoretical like mathematics.
The second variation in online
colleges are those that are primarily online but offer at least a
partial brick and mortar experience that is either optional or required
for part of the degree program. These tend to be slightly more expensive
than the online only colleges but they also generally offer a better
known and more respected degree. Some examples of online colleges that
offer an optional in-person component include The University of Phoenix,
Kaplan University, DeVry University and American Intercontinental
University (AIU), which has campuses worldwide in addition to those in
the US.
The ability to add classroom instruction and to interact
with professional educators makes this a more fulfilling experience than
simply completing all your coursework over the internet with no
in-person interaction. In fact some believe that certain areas of study
necessitate in person instruction in order to fulfill the requirements
of the degree. While slightly more expensive than the online only
colleges, a good argument can be made that it is worth the extra cost.
The
last variation of online colleges are those that are adjunct or part of
an established, sometimes even famous and world renown brick and mortar
university or college. Some people are surprised to hear that such
famous institutions such as Syracuse University, Golden Gate University,
Boston University, and even MIT and Stanford offer online degree
programs in various disciplines. Some of these online degree programs
are very highly rated and the beautiful thing about obtaining one of
these degrees is that once you receive your diploma nobody except you
needs to know you pursued your degree online. The full reputation of
these prestigious schools can then go to work for you to obtain a great
career advancing job and to appear as a linchpin of your resume for
years to come.
Many of these top notch schools require some of
your education to be done on-site, but again this depends on the
specific course of study you are pursuing and information needs to be
gotten on a case by case basis. The one downside to pursuing your
education at a famous name online college is the cost. These schools are
very aware that their names hold tremendous value in the marketplace
and thus charge substantially more than similar degrees from lesser
known online schools. However, depending on the degree program, the cost
of an online degree can still be much lower than attending the school
full time, especially when savings of room and board as well as loss of
income if not working are figured into the equation.
With the
plethora of options available today there is really no excuse to not
obtain your college degree. Research shows that college graduates earn
more money and lead more satisfying careers than those without a higher
education. With options ranging from low cost online only to higher cost
famous name online universities, the only limit is your own drive,
determination and dreams. For much more great information on online
colleges and specific degree programs as well as links to some of the
leading schools please visit www.BachelorDegree.me.
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