Accredited Online Colleges There are a variety of choices to consider when deciding on an online college, and chances are you’ve come across an equal share of both online intuitions and traditional brick and mortar schools. Online programs are popular due to their affordability, accessibility, and flexibility they offer students wishing to pursue a degree. However, as educational institutions begin to leverage more and more distance education programs, students are faced with the tough decision of finding the right school. Online schools are appealing since they offer the most flexibility, and courses can be taken from anywhere. In addition, there’s no difference in curriculum between an online program and an on-campus program. However, one of the key factors that students need to take into consideration when choosing an online college is accreditation. There are several types of accreditation including National Accreditation and Regional Accreditation. Online schools that decide to apply for Regional Accreditation are evaluated by the regional agency that oversees their home state. There are only six agencies that can award regional accreditation, and declare that a college is regionally accredited. The U.S. Department of Education and the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA) continuously recognizes these agencies as the only bodies that can award this type of accreditation. These six accrediting agencies each cover different sections across the U.S. In the list below, we’ve identified several Regionally Accredited, affordable, online colleges to help you search for quality online education. Click NEXT (below) to see the next segment UMass Online UMass has a variety of campuses but has centrally located their distance education program through its main campus. The school offers a variety of undergraduate programs, and many of them can be completed completely online. Tuition: $13,443 Boston University Boston University offers a range of degree programs from bachelors, masters, doctoral, and even professional certificates. The university also offers a variety of online degree programs at both the bachelors and masters levels. In addition, even online students can take advantage of student services such as tutoring, career center services, and the library. Tuition: $7,830 Western Governors University Western Governors University is a private institution that was founded in Salt Lake City, Utah after governor Mike Leavitt petitioned that a school be established to serve the northwest United States. The school is designed around distance learning which focuses on competency-based outcomes through high-quality education. Western Governors University’s emphasis on distance education allows the school to serve a larger portion of students. In addition to its main campus in Utah, there is a satellite campus located in Missouri, Nevada, Indiana, Texas, Tennessee, and Washington. Annual Tuition: $6,070 Baker College Baker College is a private school that offers students a large variety of programs of study to choose from. Baker College was primarily designed to serve adults looking to enter the workforce after completing their degree. The core components of the school focus on providing a solid education that’s geared towards authentic, high demand work skills needed in today’s labor market. Baker College continues to integrate experiential learning opportunities into their curriculum. Annual Tuition: $8,640 Bellevue University Bellevue University is a top contender making it difficult to compete against when searching for an online college. The school offers a wide variety of programs to choose from and has been ranked in the top 20 for online undergraduate programs. In addition, Bellevue has affordable tuition which makes it a quality choice for distance education programs. Tuition: $6,300 Thomas Edison State College As one of the most established online universities, TESC offers an enormous selection of bachelor’s degrees. TESC fully leverages cutting-edge technology to ensure that students are able to complete their degrees at an affordable online college. In addition, TESC permits students to transfer an unlimited number of credits providing flexibility for students who have credits from other intuitions. Tuition: $8,395 Great Basin College A regionally accredited college that serves over 3,400 students, and ranks in the top 100 “Best Online Colleges,” Great Basin College is a public, state-funded school. In addition, GBC has also named the #1 most affordable college. The school offers 13 associate degrees and seven bachelor’s degrees. Average Tuition: $2,805 American Public University American Public University has an enrollment of over 98,400 students. It has been ranked 58 th for best online bachelor’s degrees and has also been recognized as an affordable educational institution as well. Almost half of the student body are prior military members utilizing the G.I. Bill benefits to complete their choice of over 100+ academic programs. Average Tuition: $6,880 The University of Maine at Fort Kent UMFK is a liberal arts college that has a student enrollment of 1,500 students. The school has been ranked 13 th in top public schools in the northern part of the U.S., and distance education students can pursue 19 degrees completely online. Average Tuition: $7,575 West Texas A&M University West Texas educates around 9,400 students and is a co-educational research university. Nationwide the school ranks 35 th as a top public university, and it holds the honor of 11 th best for online bachelor’s programs across the nation. With its low tuition, students can take advantage of its 19 online programs as they pursue their education. Average Tuition $7,041 Although there are a wide range of schools that offer distance education, students should make accreditation a top priority when deciding on a college. The list above will help narrow the selection process without compromising educational quality.
