5 Best Online Colleges for 2018

An online college or online university can help you achieve the education you want, often on your schedule and for less money. Fully accredited online colleges have become so attractive, the best campus-based schools now compete for students by offering online bachelor’s degree programs, along with online master’s degrees, and even online doctoral degrees.

5 Best Online Colleges for 2018

Because so many of the best schools now offer online college courses, we update our 5 Best Online Colleges ranking annually to help you find the best school online for you.

Maybe you’re on the fence: Are online schools a smart choice? Should you consider earning your degree at an online university?

Consider this: students attending college online report the highest level of satisfaction with their college education experience — twenty-one percentage points higher than students who attend traditionally! In other words: after weighing your options, if your decision hangs on whether you should enroll at an online school vs. on-campus, you’re more likely to happier choosing an online program.

Find the Best Online College for You

With 5 accredited online schools in our ranking of the Best Online Colleges for 2018, one is sure to fit your needs. And though online education knows no boundaries, attending an online college in your state or region can be a smart choice: you can be eligible for in-state tuition breaks, you may live close enough to access campus resources, and future employers may be more likely to hire graduates from known regional schools. So, alongside our list of the top 5 online schools, we’re also listing the top online colleges in each state.

The 5 best online colleges identifies those nonprofit online schools that are currently the best at delivering a high-quality online education. All are nationally or regionally accredited online colleges or accredited online universities. Note that traditional campus-based schools — however good their reputation — appear here only if they deliver online instruction effectively and offer a wide range of online college degrees.

The 5 Best Accredited Online Colleges

1. Penn State World Campus

Launched in 1998, Penn State World Campus is the online campus of the highly respected Pennsylvania State University.Penn State World Campus offers an impressive list of online programs, with more than 120 online programs leading to a variety of undergraduate and graduate degrees, as well as certificate programs.Online offerings include degrees in fields such as technology, engineering, education, healthcare, business, and more.Penn State World Campus enrolls more than 12,000 students. After their initial acceptance into the World Campus, students must receive acceptance into the appropriate college for their chosen major at Pennsylvania State University.

Online students receive instruction from the same world-class faculty members as on-campus students. Online students have access to academic advisers, career services, online tutoring, and library services.World Campus offers courses in an asynchronous format, so students can complete coursework on their schedule. Students must complete readings, assignments, discussions, and exams by set deadlines. Some of graduate degree programs require a residency period of from a few days to two weeks in length.

Penn State World Campus graduates earn the same degree as traditional Penn State students. Graduates can join the largest alumni network in the United States.

A member of the Association of American Universities (an association of excellent North American research universities), Pennsylvania State University is accredited by the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools (MSA). Pennsylvania State University’s Smeal College of Business also received accreditation from the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB International).

2. University of Florida DIstance Learning

The University of Florida (UFL), a public, Sea Grant, space-grant, and land-grant research university established in 1853, enrolls more than 49,900 students. Consistently ranked among the top universities in the United States, the University of Florida offers more than 300 undergraduate and graduate degree programs.A member of the State University System of Florida, the university has sixteen colleges and more than 150 research centers and institutes. The University of Florida has a membership in the Association of American Universities (an association of excellent North American research universities).

Recognized for providing high-value education to students, the University of Florida offers a variety of online programs leading to bachelor, bachelor completion, master,

specialist, and doctoral degrees. The university also offers a handful of international degree programs.

Undergraduate and graduate degree topics include environmental management in agriculture and natural resources, health education, biology, entomology, industrial and systems engineering, and Latin. Students also can pursue doctoral degrees in education, audiology, philosophy, classical studies, nursing practice, and pharmacy.Applicants must meet the university’s general admission requirements and those specified by the degree program.

Distance learning students can access a variety of support services, such as an online course management system, library resources, career services, and an online registration system. University of Florida Distance Learning graduates can join the large alumni network.

The University of Florida is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS) and the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB International).

3. UMass Online (Amherst, Massachusetts)

The University of Massachusetts (UMass), a public university system established in 1863, enrolls about 71,000 students across five campuses. The University of Massachusetts consists of four universities, a satellite campus, and a medical school.UMass Online, the online consortium of the highly respected University of Massachusetts system, offers a variety of undergraduate and graduate (including doctoral) degree programs.

Degree offerings include an associate’s degree in information technology and more than 30 bachelor’s degree programs, including degree completion programs in topics such as nursing, applied psychology, criminal justice, and more.

The university also offers nearly 40 master’s degree programs in topics including gerontology, security studies, and vision studies; a doctoral degree in nursing practice; and dozens of certificate programs.Online students receive instruction from the same faculty, earn the same degrees, and attend the same graduation ceremony as on-campus students. UMass Online students have access to a host of services, such as library help, fellowship advising, and academic counseling.

UMass Online received the Excellence in Distance Teaching Education award from the United States Distance Learning Association (USDLA).

The University of Massachusetts is accredited by the New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC). The Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB International) provides accreditation to the University of Massachusetts branches in Amherst, Boston, Dartmouth, and Lowell.

4. Boston University (Boston, Massachusetts)

Boston University, a nonsectarian, private research university established in 1839, enrolls about 33,000 students across 18 colleges and schools. Boston University, one of the largest independent, non-profit universities in the United States, boasts more than 250,000 alumni worldwide. Boston University operates one of the strongest private research programs in the United States.

The university offers a variety of bachelor, master, doctoral, and professional degrees. Boston University offers a host of online undergraduate courses, as well as a variety of online degree programs such as an online bachelor’s degree completion program; nine master’s degree programs, including management, taxation law, and art education; and doctoral programs in music education and occupational therapy. The university also offers more than a dozen certificate programs.Boston University’s online students have access to a variety of services, including library resources, career services, and tutoring.

A member of the Association of American Universities (an association of excellent North American research universities), Boston University is accredited by the New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC). Boston University’s School of Management holds accreditation from the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB International).

5. Northeastern University (Boston, Massachusetts)

Northeastern University, a private, non-profit research university established in 1898, enrolls about 20,000 students across nine colleges and schools, as well as graduate campuses in North Carolina and Washington State.

Northeastern University offers nearly 200 programs leading to a variety of undergraduate and graduate (including doctoral) degrees. The university is a leader in cooperative education and other types of experimental learning. Northeastern University’s offerings include more than 60 online degree programs, which give students the flexibility to earn their degree on their own schedule.

Northeastern University’s online programs include nearly 20 bachelor’s degrees in English, finance, and political science; more than two dozen master’s degrees, including taxation, respiratory care, leadership, and homeland security; and doctoral degrees in education and transitional physical therapy. The university also offers more than 20 certificate programs in a range of topics. Northeastern University is accredited by the New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC). Northeastern University’s D’Amore–McKim School of Business also holds accreditation from the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB International).

Source : thebestschools.org