| For many people attending a traditional four year | | | | and more respected degree. Some examples of |
| brick and mortar college is neither practical nor | | | | online colleges that offer an optional in-person |
| possible for a variety of reasons. In previous times | | | | component include The University of Phoenix, Kaplan |
| this meant resigning oneself to accepting only a high | | | | University, DeVry University and American |
| school education, to being stuck in a dead end career | | | | Intercontinental University (AIU), which has campuses |
| and perhaps never pursuing the college education | | | | worldwide in addition to those in the US. |
| that one truly desires. Fortunately, times have | | | | The ability to add classroom instruction and to |
| changed. These days anyone can obtain a college | | | | interact with professional educators makes this a |
| degree in a wide range of subjects and make their | | | | more fulfilling experience than simply completing all |
| dreams come true. But with so many options and so | | | | your coursework over the internet with no in-person |
| much variation and quality in online education, it can | | | | interaction. In fact some believe that certain areas of |
| be a daunting task to decide not only what degree | | | | study necessitate in person instruction in order to |
| to pursue but what online college to enroll in. This | | | | fulfill the requirements of the degree. While slightly |
| article should help as we ask the question and try to | | | | more expensive than the online only colleges, a good |
| come up with an answer of just what are the best | | | | argument can be made that it is worth the extra |
| online colleges? | | | | cost. |
| The three factors that should go into the decision | | | | The last variation of online colleges are those that |
| making process of choosing an online college are; the | | | | are adjunct or part of an established, sometimes |
| quality of the education, the reputation of the school | | | | even famous and world renown brick and mortar |
| and the cost and suitability of the program. Online | | | | university or college. Some people are surprised to |
| colleges come in three variations. The most plentiful | | | | hear that such famous institutions such as Syracuse |
| are those online colleges that exist only in cyberspace | | | | University, Golden Gate University, Boston University, |
| with all learning and course materials conducted purely | | | | and even MIT and Stanford offer online degree |
| on the internet. The school does not have a bricks | | | | programs in various disciplines. Some of these online |
| and mortar location available and all questions, | | | | degree programs are very highly rated and the |
| coursework and interaction is conducted exclusively | | | | beautiful thing about obtaining one of these degrees |
| online. Some popular examples of some of the larger | | | | is that once you receive your diploma nobody except |
| 'online only' colleges are Capella University, American | | | | you needs to know you pursued your degree online. |
| Public University, Westwood College and Walden | | | | The full reputation of these prestigious schools can |
| University, which was recently rated by US News as | | | | then go to work for you to obtain a great career |
| a top choice in online education. | | | | advancing job and to appear as a linchpin of your |
| Online only colleges can offer some of the most cost | | | | resume for years to come. |
| effective degrees but they also fall short | | | | Many of these top notch schools require some of |
| comparatively when it comes to reputation as well as | | | | your education to be done on-site, but again this |
| quality of instruction. Sometimes, depending on the | | | | depends on the specific course of study you are |
| degree being pursued, it can be quite valuable to | | | | pursuing and information needs to be gotten on a |
| have at least some in person instruction or classroom | | | | case by case basis. The one downside to pursuing |
| interaction with a trained educator. This is particularly | | | | your education at a famous name online college is the |
| true in those disciplines where some of the learning is | | | | cost. These schools are very aware that their names |
| necessarily experiential or hands on like nursing or | | | | hold tremendous value in the marketplace and thus |
| social work and not purely academic or theoretical like | | | | charge substantially more than similar degrees from |
| mathematics. | | | | lesser known online schools. However, depending on |
| The second variation in online colleges are those that | | | | the degree program, the cost of an online degree |
| are primarily online but offer at least a partial brick | | | | can still be much lower than attending the school full |
| and mortar experience that is either optional or | | | | time, especially when savings of room and board as |
| required for part of the degree program. These tend | | | | well as loss of income if not working are figured into |
| to be slightly more expensive than the online only | | | | the equation. |
| colleges but they also generally offer a better known | | | | |