Online bachelor's degree universities are a relatively new phenomenon in the academic industry. As more and more adults choose to pursue higher education while working a full time job, the demand for flexible online or distance degrees grows. Ideally, these online universities would be held to the same standards as traditional campus-based institutions; however, the regulations are simply not yet in place. As a result, there is very little unbiased information available that compares online bachelor's degree programs.
One company that specializes in analyzing how these online schools stack up has developed a set of criteria for an objective comparison. By sorting through student reviews, academic costs, graduation rates, and alumni success, we are able to rank any accredited online bachelor's degree university. The major standards for comparison are described here:
1. Accreditation is a must for legitimate online bachelor's degree programs.
An institution with regional accreditation is acknowledged by other programs in the area as having rigorous requirements and a prestigious reputation. Your coursework is more likely to transfer between schools if you choose a bachelor's degree university that has met the accreditation standards. Additionally, any degree granting institution must be accredited, otherwise students can only earn certifications or complete professional training courses.
2. Get your money's worth: Calculate the total cost of a bachelor's degree university education
Overall cost is a factor that should weigh heavily in your decision to apply to an online university. Tuition, enrollment fees, textbooks, and other supplies can add up quickly, so make sure that the total is manageable, given your budget. You can expect to pay as little as $2,000, or as much as $24,000 to complete a program through an online bachelor's degree university. Keep in mind that cost is not directly related to educational quality or value.
3. Online bachelor's degree universities and student satisfaction
In addition to student feedback, which may be available online, graduation and retention rates are two good measures of student satisfaction with any bachelor's degree university. Retention refers to how many students who enroll for the first time, re-enroll for a second or third year to continue the program. The graduation rate tells you what percentage of students who enroll eventually graduate successfully - a low graduation rate should be a red flag that students are either dissatisfied with the program, or the bachelor's degree university is ineffective at producing qualified graduates.
4. Repayment rates indicate how well graduates of online bachelor's degree programs are faring in the job market.
The U.S. government releases data each year indicating what percentage of students from each university repay their student loans on time. If a particular online bachelor's degree university has a large number of graduates defaulting on their loans, you can assume that they are not faring well in the job market. You are better off studying at a school where graduates are integrating successfully into the workforce.
Keep in mind that the academic prestige and reputation of your degree granting institution will weigh heavily on your professional success. The ranking of online bachelor's degree universities is meant to help you make an informed decision about where to apply. As always, different institutions cater to different needs, so the top school in a formal ranking may not be the top school for you. Use the collection of statistics described here to properly compare the online schools available to you.
