Introduction
Many prospective students approach the search for an online university backwards by looking for an online college first; then they choose a program. They may even be admitted to a program and sign up for classes before they realize they have not made a good choice.
The opposite is a better approach: First, determine what you are looking for in an online school; then find a school that meets your needs.
How can you find the best online college for you? This guide will help you answer that.
Step 1: Begin with yourself
Consider your own needs, wants, and goals
The first step in finding the best online college for you is to consider what you really want and need from your online school. Be honest with yourself and don’t make decisions for your future based on what your friends and family may be saying or doing, stories you may heard, or advertising you may have seen.
To do this, think about what you are seeking from your online education. Do you need to complete a GED first because you did not graduate from high school? Are you looking for job training or retraining? This may be the case if you are currently in a job, but are hoping to improve your skills or to advance further in your profession. For example, a Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) may be interested in becoming a medical assistant or a Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN); a hotel night auditor may be hoping to become a Certified Public Accountant (CPA). If you are in a similar situation, it may help to narrow your search to programs that will provide the needed training or retraining for your job.
Shorter-term Online Learning Options
Similarly, you may only need to take a few courses. Perhaps you are in a current job that you enjoy; however, you handle a lot of projects and your boss has suggested that taking four to five project management courses to get a certificate would be helpful. Maybe completing those courses and getting certified would allow you to advance up the company ladder a bit more. Most online universities have such “courses only” or certification options at both the undergraduate and the graduate levels. This may also be a good option if you want to further your education and career, but realistically, you know that with a job, family, and other responsibilities, you cannot currently commit to a longer program or work towards a degree full-time. Often, classes taken as “courses only” or as part of a certification program can be applied to a degree plan later on, but check on the time limitation because you may only be able to apply these credits toward a degree plan if you enroll within a certain number of years, typically five to seven.
Do be aware, however, that there are different types of certification. For example, an online college may offer a certificate in project management or they may offer courses intended to prepare students to take the exam to be certified by a professional organization like the Project Management Institute. You may want to pursue both educational and professional certification. It’s also helpful to consult with your direct supervisor on the preferences of your employer, especially if they have suggested you pursue certification.
Traditional Degree Plans
If you are interested in and able to pursue a degree plan and you are looking for the benefits that come with pursuing an education beyond simple job training, you should know that committing to a degree plan is not as scary as it may seem, nor is it as impossible to achieve as it sometimes feels when you’re juggling other responsibilities like work and a family. It is also well worth the effort.
There are options to help you. If you are feeling anxious about online learning, take a trial class or tutorial first to see how well you adjust to the delivery format. Many online colleges offer a form of introduction at no cost to students. For example, Kaplan University’s Kaplan Commitment allows new students to take courses for five weeks. If students don’t succeed or do not wish to continue, they are withdrawn and receive guidance on possible next steps. Students do not pay for these classes. On the other hand, if students do well, they continue on to complete the courses at the regular tuition rate. It’s worth finding out what course “test drives” may exist and what the refund policy may be at your institutions of choice.
You may have options to lessen the time commitment of a traditional degree plan so that you do not have to attend full-time (see next section). Most online colleges offer a variety of student services: learning centers that not only focus on academic tutoring and support, but also assist students with skills like time management and efficient/effective study methods; personal support like counseling services and childcare if there is a ground campus facility; assistance for military, disabled, and unemployed students. Be sure to check out the student services offered by any online college you are considering because even though you may not feel you need these services now, they may come in handy later.
Also, to stay motivated while pursuing a degree, consider the additional benefits this approach offers beyond simple job training/retraining. A degree plan, for example, will expose you to new ideas and options that you may not have even known about prior to starting your program; they will also provide you with the “soft skills” that most employers look for in potential employees that job training/retraining typically does not provide. The National Association of Colleges and Employers recently published its list of the five soft skills most employers are looking for. These include skills like good communication (oral and written), computer literacy (especially mobile), problem solving, and the ability to work well as part of a team.
Additional Helpful Online Learning Options
Many online universities realize that beyond the obvious convenience and flexibility provided by the virtual delivery of courses, students may need other options. Most colleges allow you to begin your degree with the “courses only” option and continue part-time if taking one or two courses per term will help you be more successful. For instance, “Of the 39,864 undergraduate students at Strayer University, 90.0% are part-time. And 70.0% of the 14,461 graduate students are part-time.” You may be able to enroll in a special work force program that places working adults in cohorts, which you stick with and proceed through the degree plan together as a team, often focusing on two classes at a time. Emmanuel College, for example, offers some online options that are set up this way. You may be able to take a term off if an extenuating circumstance arises that will interfere with your progress. It is best to check with the admissions office and/or student support services to verify if these options are available to students, and find out what steps you may need to take.
On a related note, many online universities realize that incoming students may already have valuable life and/or work experience that has given them competency at the same skill level as a class would provide. Therefore, it’s worth looking into the ways you may receive credit for your own experience. There are at least five: 1) challenge exams (also known as testing out), 2) academic portfolios, 3) corporate training, 4) professional licenses/credentials, or 5) military training.
Do be aware, however, that legitimate colleges typically only award a few credits based on well documented experience. You should not expect to obtain an entire degree with credits for life experience. On the other hand, if you are still in high school and plan to pursue a college degree, online or not, you could jump ahead a bit by successfully completing advanced placement (AP) courses or by taking dual credit courses. Each of these options provides both high school credit in a subject plus the related college level credit. Students taking AP English or a dual credit English course, for instance, will start college with those credits already completed.
A Proven Ladder to Success
No matter what stage of your education and/or career you are at now, the education/career ladder approach is a proven strategy for success. This means that once you have defined your goals and the approach that is best for you, you climb a rung at a time — maybe completing a few courses initially to help you land an entry-level position in your field of interest first. Then, you continue on to a certificate program, an associate degree, a bachelor’s degree, and maybe even graduate school as you simultaneously move up in your chosen field. An example would be a student who completes an online legal secretary certification course so that she may begin working in a law office, before going on to complete a bachelor’s degree in paralegal studies so that she can move up into a position as a paralegal in the office. Finally, she may pursue her juris doctorate (JD) so that she may become a practicing attorney.
If any of these scenarios sound like you, then these are some of the wants and needs you should consider when finding the best online college.
Consider Your True Interests
A second major consideration is to discover your true interests. You may have heard advice like: “Major in accounting because people will always need accountants” or “Nursing’s a great field to go into now.” While such statements may be true and certainly both careers are worthy, the fact is that neither may be right for you. What if you dislike working with numbers, and the thought of searching for that elusive penny that will balance the books drives you batty? What if you find out that nurses really do have to change a bed pan or clean up some vomit and that very thought makes you queasy? Do you still want to pursue those jobs?
Although the typical college student changes majors as they learn more about the field, a recent study showed that those who start college set on a certain career change their major three to five times, whereas those who enter college without a specific major in mind only change once or twice. If you want to avoid the extra time, expense, and hassle, consider why this may be true. It seems likely that many new students listen to anyone or anything more than themselves; they also probably don’t take the time to learn about careers of interest and the education required to obtain them. Therefore, before deciding upon a major, take the time to discover your interests and abilities; make the effort to research potential majors and the careers that go with them. The Value of Assessments and Exploration
There are many career interest and aptitude assessments available, and they are well worth the minimal vestment of time and money. Some only take about 15 minutes and are totally free; others have a minimal charge. Most are known for being accurate a good percentage of the time, so they are worth the time and effort involved in completing them.
In addition to a career assessment, it’s helpful to explore your career options carefully before choosing an online university. Using the results of your assessment as a guide, see what jobs exist within each field of study. For example, if your interests and abilities suggest a career in counseling may be a good choice for you, consider some of the variations and specializations within this field. For instance, are you interested in working as a school guidance counselor, a substance abuse counselor, or therapist? If your career aptitude test suggested a career in publishing may be of interest, decide if you wish to be a writer, editor, or proofreader. Or maybe a print or new media publishing job would interest you more.
To help you discover options, the online Occupational Outlook Handbook may be helpful. It contains many of the main career options with suboptions, as well as detailed information about the needed requirements, skills, and salary of each one.
Once you have discovered some career options that interest you, use these to help search for the best online college offering these fields of study.
Check Out Supporting Services
A third stage in finding an online college that is right for you is to consider the support needed. Pursuing postsecondary education online, especially if this is somewhat new to you, may make you feel a bit anxious. Therefore, consider what supporting services would be helpful for you and your situation.
For example, the cost of education in time, energy, and money are a concern for most students. You probably want to pursue your goals as quickly and successfully as possible. For example, do you want to find some opportunities for academic preparation to learn basic skills like time management, study tips, and tutorials on the technology needed for your courses? Do you feel you would benefit from an initial assessment of your skills in math and English, two core subjects? Would you like to know there are learning centers and what options they offer for assistance if you do have trouble in a class?
You may not need these safety nets the entire time you are in school, but they can be very helpful at least in acclimating you to online education, and many have been proven to aid in student success in the long run.
Course Delivery Preferences
Equally important is the online learning environment itself. How would you prefer classes be set up? Some online classes are ‘synchronous,’ meaning there are times the course meets in real time for an audio or visual seminar, live chat, or some other type of learning activity. The advantage is that students typically have direct access to their instructor so they can ask questions and get any needed assistance. The disadvantage is that just like a face-to-face (F2F) class on a campus, students must attend during that session. Other online classes are ‘asynchronous,’ meaning they do not have live activities; therefore, students may access the class and complete assignments 24/7 according to their own needs and schedules. The convenience and flexibility of an asynchronous course delivery makes them attractive to most students. However, be aware that this requires increased self-discipline and preparation on the part of the student. For example, it’s advised that they start assignments early because they may not be able to get an answer from a professor for 24-48 hours if they have any questions.
Additionally, some online courses are self-paced, allowing students to move through the course as they have the time, without the pressure of deadlines. Some online programs allow students up to one year from the start date to complete a class. Similarly, some online universities are competency-based, meaning students progress through a class as they demonstrate various skills. Finally, an increasing number of online courses are making use of adaptive learning where students progress at their own pace, but they are also given opportunities to start at various levels. For example, in a composition class, there may be a grammar and mechanics diagnostic that students take until they reach a required percentage to pass.
You should be aware that some online courses have blended/hybrid options or requirements. This means that a course taking place mostly online may require students to come to a physical campus for labs, clinical experiences, internships, exams, or other curriculum related activities. These face-to-face components should be carefully weighed when finding the right online college, as typically students are required to attend in order to pass the class.
It’s likely that your online course will make use of several of these methods, but there is usually one main approach employed, and you want to make sure you are comfortable with the delivery method of your school of choice.
Create an Online College Checklist
If you were making another major life decision like buying a new home, you would probably have a list of your wants and needs. Similarly, in searching for the best online college for you, the last stage involved with discovering your own wants, needs, and goals is to create a checklist with which you can compare/contrast various schools and programs. If you have other thoughts on your preferences for an online university — maybe you want it to have a nearby ground campus, for example — feel free to add that to your checklist. Your checklist may take any form that you are comfortable with, but it helps to have some sort of table set up so you can quickly compare/contrast your options to find the best fit to your criteria (see page 18).
Step 2: Match your goals to an online college
How to search for the best online colleges:
Now that you have a firm idea of what you are looking for in an online college, it’s time to begin searching for the universities that match your wants, needs, and goals most. There are several good ways to search for colleges:
- Online databases provide information and links for online schools. These are some good examples to get you started:
- Council for Higher Education Accreditation
- U.S. Department of Education
- BestCollegesOnline.com
- Peterson’s College Guide
- U.S. News University Directory
- Intelicus
- Online Learning Database
- Best Online College Rankings
- Search individual university websites. Most have a college catalog online that you may download in its entirety or by section. These electronic versions are wonderful to have because you can search easily search them for information on programs, admission requirements, and other policies.
- Send for more information on schools and programs of interest. Although most information is available online, it can be helpful to get on the mailing list of programs and universities that interest you. You may, for example, receive invitations to special introduction or orientation sessions aimed at prospective students.
- Visit or talk to schools and programs of interest. Given the importance that finding the right online college has for you, it is also wise to reach out schools and programs of interest directly. Try to set up a meeting. Most schools are prepared to discuss the needs of students; however, you may have some individual questions or concerns. It also doesn’t hurt to start getting acquainted with the personnel at a potential school and to get a feel for how well they work with students.
- Make use of social networking. Make everyone aware of your educational goal because someone will know someone who has attended that university, majored in that program, and/or worked in that career. Often by word of mouth, you can discover some leads on good online colleges to explore. If others whose opinion you respect had a positive experience at an online college, it would be worth it for you to look into it.
Explore Your Options
Keep in mind that you don’t need to choose a big name college, the most expensive school, or the one that you see advertised the most. Many regional or local options may provide an equitable learning experience that will match your needs and goals. It may be helpful to start by looking at the local/regional colleges first, then gradually expanding your search to the larger, more global schools like the University of Phoenix or Kaplan University. Increasingly, schools are offering ground and online options and/or transitional programs to help students adjust from the traditional face-to-face classroom to the online learning environment. Finally, if you do wish to attend a prestigious university’s online program like the health informatics program at of Boston University, a bachelor’s degree in biology at Harvard University, or an IT Benchmarking certificate at Stanford, don’t let issues like expense or distance dissuade you from applying. In fact, while searching and applying for online programs, it’s usually best to apply to a couple of schools that seem more like long shots, some that you may get into, and a couple that you are confident will accept you. Casting a wide net of possibilities like this will help to ensure you find the online program and school that is right for you.
General Considerations to Narrow the Search
There are some general considerations which all potential students should consider especially with online colleges. Here are the main ones:
Accreditation
One of the most important considerations in finding the right online school for you is making sure the school and program are accredited. Just as you would make sure a doctor had the appropriate credentials before seeking services, you should also check that the schools and programs you are considering have received accreditation.
‘Accreditation‘ means that a private organization like the North Central Association has investigated the school and/or program based on various criteria like curriculum content and student service, and found them to be acceptable. While accreditation doesn’t ensure you will have a good experience with the school or program, it does increase the chances.
According to the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA), there are four main types of accrediting organizations to look for:
• Regional accreditors. Accredit public and private, mainly nonprofit and degree-granting, two- and four-year institutions [Middle States, New England, North Central, Northwest, Southern, and Western Associations]
• National faith-related accreditors. Accredit religiously affiliated and doctrinally based institutions, mainly nonprofit and degree-granting [e.g., Commission on Accrediting of the Association of Theological Schools in the United States and Canada (ATS)].
• National career-related accreditors. Accredit mainly for-profit, career-based, single-purpose institutions, both degree and non-degree [e.g., Distance Education and Training Council Accrediting Commission].
•.Programmatic accreditors. Accredit specific programs, professions and freestanding schools, e.g., law, medicine, engineering and health professions [e.g., Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs].
The CHEA also provides a complete list of current accrediting organizations in the United States that you can use as you check both programs and colleges of interest to you.
An easier way to find out if a school or program is accredited is to search the “Databases and Directories” section of the Council for Higher Education Accreditation’s website or the database at the U.S. Department of Education’s website. The DOE also offers downloadable accreditation information. You may even want to begin your search at these two sites.
Admissions Requirements
Another consideration is to review the school and program’s admission requirements. Colleges may be open admission, meaning anyone with a high school diploma may seek admission, or they may narrow the field of potential students by requiring a certain GPA, certain test scores, etc. There may be additional requirements like writing an essay to explain why you wish to attend that particular school or program, or requiring letters of recommendation. If you do not meet one of these admissions requirements, it would be best to not apply until you do. For example, if a university of choice requires a 3.0 GPA, but yours is lower, you could begin at another school to bring your GPA up to a 3.0+ and then apply at your school of choice.
College Rankings/Reputation
It may be helpful also to consult some of the college ranking lists like those published by U.S. News. However, keep in mind that these rankings are developed from both subjective and objective input, so they are not without controversy, but they can provide a helpful guideline when searching for the right postsecondary school and program. These rankings often closely reflect both the reality of how well a school does its job (the objective part) as well as the opinions and beliefs (the subjective part) that others may have about a school. Considering this may help later on as employers may value a degree from one institution over another.
Student/Faculty Issues
Next, you may want to look at some student and faculty issues. Do you want to attend a large or small school? Even in the virtual world, you may want to think about whether you would prefer a smaller online school like Harrison College, or whether you like the thought of attending a large school like Liberty University. Also, you may want to find out the faculty-to-student ratio and class sizes. Again, your preference may be to attend an online school where classes are limited to 18 students with one instructor vs. an online college where there may be 30 students and one instructor. Finally, check the credentials of the faculty. Legitimate online colleges will allow you to access a list of faculty members, what degrees they hold, and possibly other professional biographic information (e.g., work experience and publications). Faculty at the postsecondary level should hold at least a master’s degree in the subject area for undergraduate programs, and a doctorate for graduate level courses.
The College’s History with e-learning
You should also research the institution’s history in online learning. Has the college been in existence for a time, or is it a recent start-up? How long have they been delivering online classes and programs? You not only want to avoid some of the degree mills that pop up for a short time, but you also want to make sure that the online college you are considering has had the time to become an experienced, successful education provider. Even a college that has been around for a century will have a learning curve as it adds online learning to its delivery system. Keep all of this in mind to ensure that you will have a good experience with the school of your choice.
Job Placement Rates
Additionally, you should try to discover the job placement rate of the schools and the programs you may be interested in attending. New regulations going into effect will allow individuals to search for this information on the U.S. Department of Education’s website for the private, for-profit colleges. Public colleges are not yet required to release their data, but many of them do make this information available.
Socialization
A final general consideration is the social aspects of the online college. Especially in the virtual world, it is easy to feel isolated and alone. You may not think this is important for you, but research into online learning has consistently shown that a strong sense of community improves students’ chances of success. This is true inside and outside of the classroom. Therefore, see what clubs, organizations, and social networking opportunities exist for your schools of interest. Do they have Facebook pages you can follow? If they have ground campuses near you, are they inviting to online students who may want to come in for tutoring and other events?
The above general considerations should help you identify potential college options; however, from the list that remains, you should use your individual preferences to narrow the list further to find the best online college for you.
Here’s how:
Individual Considerations to Narrow the Search
To help you make the personal decision on what online college is right for you, turn the checklist you devised in Step 1 into a table you can use to narrow the general search for a good online college (see below). As you fill in the checklist with the answers and information you discover for each potential school, you may want to rate the schools’ overall customer service as to how friendly, helpful, and responsive they are in communicating with students. A school that does not provide good service and easily accessible information to potential students will most likely not be any better at providing services to existing students.
Also, it would be helpful once you’ve finished your search for an online school to rank your choices in the first column of your checklist. For example, are you a working parent for whom the “options for working adults” category is most important? If so, which school offers the best options in this criterion? Based on the information, which school you have found would be your first choice? Place a “1” in the “rank” column. Which school would be your second choice? Place a “2” in the “rank” column. Don’t be afraid to cross any schools off your list at this point or to pursue one that may seem hard to get into. Likewise, don’t be afraid to consider your gut reaction to a school For instance, if it has everything you’re looking for; yet, you felt a bit uncomfortable after speaking to someone in the program area there, don’t be afraid to rank it lower or to even remove it from your list. Finally, consider applying to more than one school and don’t rule out any schools of interest. Applying to more than one college will help you to obtain the best online college experience for yourself.
Step 3: Pursue your goals!
As you gain acceptance to a college and begin your postsecondary education, keep the information you’ve collected in this process handy in case you need a bit of encouragement or a reminder of what resources may exist to help you achieve your goals. Take full advantage of the opportunities provided, and remember that you bring your own unique experiences and perspectives, so don’t be afraid to share these with others. Finding the best online college for you is just the first step in an exciting, prosperous journey for you.
