Online colleges are prevalent now more than ever before, and it’s no wonder. Completing a college degree online is a very attractive prospect, offering flexibility and often, a financial advantage. Online colleges are quickly being adopted by more and more students who want a learning environment that fits their needs, and as a result, online degree programs are gaining in credibility and enjoying a more mainstream status.

But before you sign up to become a student of an online college, you’ll need to know exactly what you’re getting into. Does the school fit your education philosophy? Do they offer the classes you want? And does the school have the level of quality you seek? Unfortunately, online colleges are harder to judge than traditional ones, because you can’t just stop by and visit-you have to become enrolled before you get to take the classroom for a spin. That’s where online college rankings come in, and they can be very helpful.

Although there are a number of ranking services for traditional colleges, there aren’t many to be found for online colleges. This is troublesome, because it’s incredibly important to get an honest, third party review of what an online college offers before you get started. There are a handful of trustworthy online college rankings sites available, however, there are still a number of troublesome organizations online that offer rankings that are often completely fabricated and unhelpful. Often, these rankings sites are nothing but a fabricated front, created for the sole purpose of promoting "diploma mills" that offer very little in the way of education, and are generally just out to take your money.

So what should you look for when finding an online college rankings site to trust?

• Make sure there is transparency in the rankings. Does the organization explain how they came to determine their rankings? Most reputable college rankings organizations will explain their methodology. One particularly helpful online college ranking site, Online Education Database, offers a full explanation of the way they have determined their rankings. Theirs is a good standard to hold other online college ranking sites to.
• Research the ranking organization’s ties to online colleges. It is entirely possible that an online college rankings site is little more than an attempt to fake credibility for a sub-par online college, so make sure that you’re getting advice from an independent third party. Things to look for include shared addresses, employee names, and other similar characteristics. You can even look up Whois information to find out if the sites have been registered by the same company.
• Find out if the schools being ranked are legitimate. First things first, be sure to look for accreditation details for the online colleges each site lists. It’s also important to find out if the schools are listed in other online college ranking sites, as well as authoritative sites such as the US Department of Education’s College Navigator. The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) also offers a state-based college search, so you can look for the colleges in the state in which they were founded. Above all, a good general rule to follow is if you can’t find the ranking site’s schools anywhere but the online college rankings site, chances are you’re being duped.

Armed with this knowledge, you should be able to find a wealth of helpful resources for online college rankings on the Internet. These useful websites will be able to guide you in the right direction, and help you find a legitimate, accredited school that you can both trust and enjoy attending.