Online Degrees Today

With the online degree trend today many people are seeking a better and cheaper way to earn or get an online degree.  Many prospective students choose to seek the Internet degree path to an online degree program. There are so many online degree programs available, it's easy to get an online degree. The term online degrees or online degree programs refers to college degrees online (sometimes including high school diplomas online and non-degree certificate programs online) that can be earned primarily or entirely through the use of a computer connected to the Internet, rather than attending college in a traditional campus setting. Improvements in technology and the increasing use of the Internet worldwide have led to a proliferation of online accredited colleges that award associate, bachelor's, master's and doctoral online degrees to students who have rightfully earned their degree.

Online Degrees - Prevalence of Online Degree Education

The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) conducted a distance learning or distance education study based on the 2001-2002 academic year at 2-year and 4-year Title IV (Federal Student Aid)-eligible, degree-granting institutions. The study reported that 56 percent of all institutions surveyed offered distance education courses or online degree courses. The study also found that public institutions were more likely to offer distance learning or distance education than were private institutions.

The Sloan Consortium, based on data collected from over 2,200 colleges and universities, reports that nearly 3.2 million students took at least one online degree course during 2005 (a significant increase over the 2.3 million reported in 2004). The more than 800,000 additional online students is more than twice the number added in any previous year. According to the same report, about two-thirds of the largest institutions have fully accredited online degree programs.

There has been no leveling of the growth rate of college degree online program  enrollments; institutions of higher education report record online enrollment growth on both a numeric and a percentage basis.

Online students, like the overall student body, are overwhelmingly undergraduates.  The proportion of graduate-level students is slightly higher in online education relative to the overall higher education population. Online students, especially undergraduates, are more likely to be studying at Associates institutions than are their face-to-face contemporaries.

Online Degrees - Types of Online Degree Programs

Some of the types of online degrees available are: bachelor degree online, accredited online bachelor degree, online college degree, online university degree, online accredited degree, online master degree, doctorate degree online, business degree online, online nursing degree, online education degree, online psychology degree, criminal justice degree online, online associate degree, online accounting degree, MBA degree online, online teaching degree, interior design degree online, online law degree, master degree education online, engineering degree online, online paralegal degree, online computer science degree, online bachelor degree in accounting, online history degree, business administration degree online, online computer degree, online marketing degree, online biology degree, online doctoral degree, online degree, online IT degree, electrical engineering degree online, online theology degree, online management degree, online  pharmacy degree, online health care degree, online counseling degree, online finance degree, online PhD degree, social work degree online, online graphic design degree, online technology degree, online degree in animal behavior, construction management degree online, online nursing degree program, online music degree, mechanical engineering degree, online nutrition degree, online undergraduate degree, online human resource degree.  

Online Degrees - Types of Colleges and Universities That Have Accredited Degrees Online

Colleges and universities -Public institutions and the largest institutions of all types have consistently been at the forefront of online school degrees.  Those that are the least likely to offer online degree programs or courses, and typically have the most negative opinions about online education in general, have been the small, private, four-year institutions.

More than 96 percent of the very largest institutions (more than 15,000 total enrollments) have some accredited college degrees online, which is more than double the rate observed for the smallest institutions.  The proportion of institutions with fully accredited online degree programs rises steadily as institutional size increases, and about two-thirds of the very largest institutions have fully online programs, compared to only about one-sixth of the smallest institutions.

Doctoral/Research institutions have the greatest penetration of offering doctoral degree online programs as well as the highest overall rate (more than 80%) of having some form of online offering (either courses or doctor degree online programs). 

Online Degrees - Quality

The recognition of the quality of Internet degrees compared to on-campus degrees varies. While most major online colleges are regionally accredited, the public perception of their quality is in dispute. Some experts argue that online degrees in certain fields are more accepted than in others, while some programs are less suited for online-only schools.

A survey by the Distance Education and Training Council found that 100 percent of employers who responded felt that distance education program graduates performed better on the job as a result of their degree (as compared to their previous performance). Additionally, employers felt that an employee receiving a distance education degree compared favorably, in terms of knowledge learned, to someone with a resident degree. On the other hand, The Chronicle of Higher Education reported in January 2007 on a Vault Inc. survey that found 55 percent of employers preferred traditional degrees over online degrees. 41%, however, said they would give "equal consideration to both types of degrees."

The Sloan Consortium, an organization funded by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation to maintain and improve the quality of distance education, publishes regular reports on the state of distance education in the U.S. In its 2006 report "Making the Grade: Online Education in the United States, 2006," it stated that "in 2003, 57 percent of academic leaders rated the learning outcomes in online education as the same or superior to those in face-to-face. That number is now 62 percent, a small but noteworthy increase."

 Online Degrees - Financial Aid

Until recently, students enrolled in online degree programs were ineligible for federal student aid unless at least half of their program was campus based (a law established in 1992 and known as the 50-percent rule). In February 2006, that law was repealed and now federal student aid in the form of federal loans, grants, and work-study is available in the U.S. for students enrolled in an eligible accredited online degree program at an accredited Title IV-eligible institution. Diploma mills are unaccredited schools. Check out the financial aid resources available and if you are unable to get funding consider education loans. Unfortunately I don't know of any way to get a free online degree. Years ago in San Francisco at the San Francisco City College there was no tuition for college students. Perhaps any of the universities or colleges in the US that do have free  in school tuition may have free online degrees. In some European countries, college education is free. This was mentioned in Michael Moore's film Sicko.  I believe it was France for one. Perhaps some of these countries have free online degrees.  May be worth checking out, especially since we know they have free tuition.  If you're a US resident, perhaps a foreign online degree would be acceptable.

Online Degrees and Diploma Mills

What is a diploma mill anyway? A diploma mill is an unaccredited school (or a business claiming to be a school) that awards a degree without requiring classwork meeting college-level standards. Some will send a “diploma” without the student doing any work at all --the student simply pays a fee. Others assign classwork that is so easy, the student's resulting degree is worthless compared to a degree from an accredited school. You want to avoid these diploma mills at all costs. If you spend any time earning a degree it will be wasted.  If you spend any money it will be wasted also.  Make sure to check out thoroughly any school you are considering.

This site has been designed to help you find and receive more information on distance learning and more specifically online degrees of all types. We hope this site will aid in the process of making an educated decision on whether an online degree, online bachelors degree or any other type of online accredited degree or accredited online bachelor degree is right for you. It includes facts, recent statistics, benefits, and tips in helping you find the right or best online degree program.