UPDATED 2009 Rankings:
Below you will find the top 10 online universities for 2009. Students interested in a particular school can request free information directly from the online university by clicking on the ‘More Info’ links:
1.
Kaplan University –
Kaplan is nation’s overall top ranked online university, with the highest number of #1 ranked associates, bachelors, and masters degree programs.
2.
University of Phoenix –
The most recognized online university, Phoenix offers highly ranked accredited online degrees for almost every career goal.
3.
Liberty University –
The Christian college with the highest online university ranking, Liberty combines Christian values and a strong academic reputation to achieve a consistent top 10 online university ranking.
4.
AIU Online –
The most prestigious online university due to its post-graduation employment statistics, AIU is a top choice for students looking for career advancement.
5.
Capella University -
Capella’s national reputation in the job market for producing talented students, gives it a consistent top 5 online university ranking.
6.
Devry University –
The nation’s first online university, Devry maintains a top online university ranking, especially for students interested in taking dual online and campus classes.
7.
Westwood College Online –
Westwood’s top 5 rated associates and bachelors programs bring it within the top 10 overall online university rankings. Excellent choice for online associates or bachelors degrees.
8.
ITT Tech –
ITT is the best ranked online university for most technicians programs. ITT offers both online only or blended online / campus degrees in a wide array of technician degrees and programs.
9.
Grand Canyon University –
The fastest growing online Christian university, GCU offers the best online interface and top masters degrees programs particularly in education and criminal justice.
10.
Baker College Online –
One of the best online universities for working adults looking for affordability. Baker offers many scholarships and financial aid working students.
In the past few years, one mode of education that has surprised everyone with high growth potential is online higher education. There is little doubt that it growing in full flow, but lack of transparency has prevented online higher education from reaching the zenith of its growth. The Online University Rankings 2007 produced by OEDb, a database of accredited online education programs shows how some of the most important degree-granting undergraduate online colleges and universities perform nationally and internationally. Smaller schools such as the Chamberlain College of Nursing and California Coast University were not included.
According to OEDb, they gathered data on eight different criteria that include acceptance rate, financial aid, graduation rate, retention rate, scholarly citations, and years accredited. The data is shown in a table that has the overall ranking for each college. Not surprisingly, Grand Canyon University secured the top spot in the ranking followed by Florida Metropolitan University. I am a bit surprised to see University of Phoenix at 15th spot. However, since the ranking is based on different metrics, there should not be any dispute. Read the complete article to know more about the universities that are listed in the rankings.
– Pushpa Sathish, Staff Writer
This is a scam too, but there’s a difference here. The fraudsters are offering you a degree in “Life Experience,” which is basically the sum total of what you are today. So you earn a degree for being, well, just you.
Life experience credits do exist and do count towards some degrees offered in legitimate schools, says Judith Eaton, president of the Council for Higher Education Accreditation. They usually take into account a form of competency testing, with documentation and reviews as proof of credits earned.
And get this – there are nearly 2,000 bodies that are in the business of handing out fake life experience degrees all over the world. Some of them have websites that are plagiarized from legit schools, while others claim to be accredited by the World Online Education Accrediting Commission. Guess the fake degree providers feel the use of the word “World” gives an air of authenticity to the whole affair!
Read more on online education scams.
– Pushpa Sathish, Staff Writer
If you belong to the Drug Information Association (DIA) and are interested in broadening your educational horizons, Drexel University Online has just made it easier for you to achieve your goal. The college, one of America’s best according to U.S. News & World Report, 2007, is offering DIA members graduate and undergraduate degrees and certificate programs in the fields of nursing, clinical research and public health.
[via E Media Wire]
Drexel is accredited by the Middle States Association for Colleges and Secondary Schools and its curricula hold the most prestigious accreditations from their respective accrediting bodies such as AACSB (Business), NLN and CCNE (Nursing), and ALA (Information Science).
– Pushpa Sathish, Staff Writer
It could happen to any of us – when we’re caught at a weak moment. Falling into a trap, being lured into a scam, taking the bait meant for a sucker, being taken for a ride, ending up with egg on your face – there are varied ways to say it, but they all mean one thing – some one has made money at your expense!
Online education is one of most lucrative playing grounds for fraudsters, simply because you never have to set foot in the campus. The whole experience is hidden behind the veil of the Internet, a vast domain that masks identities and intents. So if you’ve decided to take the online route to getting an education, ensure that you are actually earning a worthy degree, not just a fancy piece of framed paper.
Besides confirming the proper accreditation, check the background of your preferred school thoroughly; the Better Business Bureau usually has a list of complaints against suspect institutions – steer clear from them.
Too much money, too little time, a degree in your hand – this is a cocktail that spells trouble. Don’t touch it with a bargepole, it’s a definite scam.
Talk to people who have been to the same school, find out a little extra about the staff and other personnel. And do not be taken in by fancy websites that look authentic. They’re often facades for something more sinister.
– Pushpa Sathish, Staff Writer
The Marygrove College, in conjunction with the Teachscape, Inc. of San Fransisco, is offering two new online graduate programs, one for elementary school teachers and the other for those who teach secondary school. Master in the Art of Teaching (MAT) in Reading & Literacy, Grades K-6 focuses on the structure of language and the five components of reading while MAT in Mathematics, Grades K-5 will help teachers improve their understanding of fundamental mathematics and help build their conceptual knowledge in the subject.
Marygrove, an independent liberal arts college based in Detroit, is a forerunner in the field of online graduate studies for teachers. It has graduated over 20,000 teachers since the MAT course’s inception in 1996, a figure that makes the program one of the biggest in the country.
Follow this link for more information on the courses.
– Pushpa Sathish, Staff Writer
Diploma mills and other online institutes that think they can get by with token offerings for a degree need to watch out for this legislation. “The Independent Study of Distant Education Act of 2007, H.R. 412,” introduced by Rep. Vernon J. Ehlers, R-Michigan, mandates the National Academy of Sciences to study the differences between distance education programs and similar on-campus offerings. The law hopes to weed out the meaningless degrees offered by some institutions. The Chronicle reports:
"As a scientist, I strive to base my policy decisions and voting on reliable studies and data," Representative Ehlers said in a written statement released on Tuesday. "Unfortunately, when it comes to the Higher Education Act and distance education, there is no scientifically correct, statistically valid study of the quality of online distance-education programs as compared to campus-based programs."
– Pushpa Sathish, Staff Writer
A partnership between the University of the West Indies (UWI) and Ryerson University of Toronto, Canada will enable aspiring nurses in the Caribbean islands to earn their degree in 40 months through a distance education program. The course will feature high-quality, web-enhanced study material and will initially be taken up by 67 nurses from Jamaica, Belize, and St. Lucia.
Dr. Raymond Chang, a Jamaican businessman based in Toronto, Canada, the idea behind the project, will sponsor the cost incurred during the first three years, an approximate expense of Can$750,000. The new course, which has been designed by The Chang School, a continuing education facility at the Ryerson University, was announced and launched recently at the Mona Campus, UWI.
