| The world is changing rapidly; the information | | | | quality of online education has consistently been |
| revolution has altered our day-to-day experience. We | | | | improving. This trend is expected to continue, as |
| now bank with ATMs and date using social | | | | software grows more sophisticated and students and |
| networking sites. All manner of knowledge is available | | | | faculty bring greater prestige to the medium. |
| at our fingertips with the help of search engines that | | | | The following are ten of the very best online degree |
| return results in split seconds. Even the article you | | | | programs out there right now, ranked according to |
| are reading right now would have been hard to | | | | quality of course work and quality of online |
| conceive of for anyone pondering the future just a | | | | experience: |
| few short decades ago---an article on a very specific | | | | 1. DeVry University |
| topic, easily accessible over a global information | | | | 2. University of Phoenix |
| network. | | | | 3. George Washington University |
| Other enormous Information Age changes may not | | | | 4. Strayer University |
| be as obvious to all of us. Telecommuting has | | | | 5. Walden University |
| radically altered the experience of "going to work" | | | | 6. Villanova University |
| for millions around the world. Not too long ago, the | | | | 7. Kaplan University |
| arrival of the fax machine changed how people | | | | 8. Ashford University |
| looked at the mail. Just a few years later, the rise of | | | | 9. Axia College Online |
| email made fax machines seem positively quaint. | | | | 10. Ellis College Online |
| Another enormous shift has occurred in education. | | | | Each of these online educators earned their way |
| The traditional model of the on-site university has | | | | onto this list by delivering consistent, high quality |
| undergone a sea change. Online universities are | | | | academics with a minimum of fuss and bother. |
| enrolling a larger number of students every day. | | | | Different online schools offer differ courses, and your |
| Online education is increasingly becoming an ordinary | | | | decision about which to attend may be determined |
| part of the university landscape. | | | | more by your chosen course of study than by the |
| But not all online educations are created equal. Just as | | | | school's ranking on this list. |
| with brick-and-mortar universities, there are some | | | | Online education first caught fire with people above |
| worth your time, money, and effort and others | | | | traditional college age, returning to school to improve |
| worth avoiding. One simple way to tell the difference | | | | their job marketability. Today, online schools are |
| is to look at which schools are accredited. But | | | | becoming a standard avenue for people of all ages to |
| accreditation does not tell the whole story. Try to | | | | get the degrees essential for a rewarding and |
| talk to students who have graduated from each of | | | | remunerative professional life. |
| the schools you are considering. There is no campus | | | | The savings of time and expense with online |
| to visit to get a sense of what an online school is | | | | education have long been obvious. The time has |
| like, so extra effort is required. | | | | come where sacrificing quality for convenience and |
| The best online universities are often the ones that | | | | budget are no longer necessary. For dedicated |
| have been at it the longest. Some, associated with | | | | students, the schools on this list can and will provide |
| traditional universities, may not yet have mastered | | | | a rich and valuable experience and a top-notch |
| the intricacies of the online classroom, and should be | | | | education. |
| given a careful look before enrolling. Generally, the | | | | |