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Methodology

You, like many others, might have a difficult time attending a traditional college campus to complete your degree, despite your need or desire for more advanced schooling. To meet needs such as yours, online colleges have risen to help students around the world meet their goals, whether that’s simply to start and finish a degree or to improve career opportunities. Online colleges can offer much-needed flexibility and convenience that will lead the way to a more fulfilling life for thousands of people.

We know, however, that choosing the online school that’s best for you can be a difficult task given the hundreds of options for online degrees. That’s why we’ve tried to do the work for you, determining the best schools at the best value based on the factors that mean the most for savvy students like you. We’ve gone through thousands of schools to pick the very best and list them out accordingly.

Since value isn’t something that can be measured by a single statistic, we’ve tried to pick the most important attributes to highlight from each school. Every school received a score based on multiple factors, then was ranked accordingly. The following sections highlight the main school attribute that defined at least 50 percent or more of each school’s score, resulting in that page’s final ranking. Additional values, such as the cost of attendance, faculty experience, student feedback, the number of online offerings, student resources, graduation rate, job placement, total enrollment, and other factors combine to make up the rest of each score. Take a look at the sections that follow to find the right school based on the most important factors for you.

Cost of Attendance

The overall cost of attendance is a huge factor in determining the schools providing the best value. Online students no doubt want to complete their degree at their own pace, but don’t want to be drowning in debt for years to come. The following lists took some of the highest quality schools and programs and ordered them based primarily on the cost of attendance, ranking the most affordable schools of better quality higher on the lists. Additional values, such as the number of online offerings, student resources, graduation rate, total enrollment, and a few other factors were also considered and may have affected the rankings to better show quality schools for what they are. Additional bullet points provide other important information that students should consider when choosing a school to attend.

 

Number of Online Programs

One great advantage of pursuing higher education in the 21st century is that many colleges offer programs and degrees completely online, allowing students to pursue their goals at their own pace without having to give up what they’ve already worked for. If flexibility is important to you, check out the lists below that are mainly ranked by the number of online degrees offered, with other value-building attributes such as the cost of attendance, acceptance rate, and graduation rate may slightly influence the rankings as well.

 

Graduation Rate

A school’s graduation rate is a great indicator of the school’s ability to help each student succeed, regardless of the program. It reflects faculty competence, student-to-faculty ratios, available financial aid, and other factors that directly influence a student’s ability to succeed. Check out our list below to see our articles that were ranked primarily on graduation rate.

Total Enrollment/Student-to-Faculty Ratio

The total enrollment and student-to-faculty ratio is a strong indicator of the quality of certain schools and their programs. Fewer students could indicate a high-quality school that focuses on the individual student, making sure that each student gets the faculty help they need, while also encourage the students to work hard to get into their desired programs. The following schools were greatly influenced by either the total student enrollment or the student-to-faculty ratio, with other factors such as affordability, graduation rate, number of online programs, and flexibility contributing to the rankings on a smaller level.

 

NCLEX Pass Rates

For someone who wants to become a registered nurse, passing the NCLEX is a top priority. If a school can’t properly prepare you to have success on the exam, you might waste a great deal of time and money. The following list ranked schools based off of NCLEX pass rates, guaranteeing you the best possible preparation for the exam and much higher chances of passing.

We try our best to be honest and accurate in our representation of every school, striving to gather our information and data from each individual school website itself or from NCES.

Our school rankings are editorially determined and will never be influenced by schools wishing to pay for a better spot in the rankings. Sponsored school listings are kept separate and will be clearly marked with a “SPONSORED” tag to distinguish them from editorially ranked schools. For questions regarding our rankings or sponsored schools, please contact us here.

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Whether you’re trying to start your career or make a big change, we can help you find the perfect school to help you reach your goals.

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