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Online Degree Programs in Kentucky, Ohio, and Indiana

December 3, 2012 By Leave a Comment

1. Kentucky- Regional Accreditation: Most of the colleges and universities for Kentucky Online Education are accredited by the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools. Depending on the school in this region of the country, individual accreditation may be obtained through private organizations such as the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business and the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education.

  • Degree Program Offerings: Kentucky Online Education programs are offered through associate’s, bachelor’s, master’s, and doctorate programs in areas such as the following: business, criminal justice, education, human services, medicine, ministry, and psychology.
  • Average Tuition Cost: The average tuition cost for Kentucky Online Education programs ranges between $300 and $600 per credit hour.
  • State-Specific Options for Financial Aid: This state offers its students many exceptional options for financial aid, and those options include: the College Access Program Grant (CAP), the Kentucky Tuition Grant (KTG), the Kentucky Educational Excellence Scholarship (KEES), the Mary Jo Young Scholarship, and the Kentucky Higher Education Assistance Authority’s Work-Study Program.

2. Ohio- Regional Accreditation:  Ohio Online Degree Programs possess regional accreditation through the Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools. Most of those online degree programs also obtain specific accreditation through organizations such as the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education and the Commission on Accreditation for Marriage and Family Education.

  • Degree Program Offerings: Ohio Online Degree Programs are offered through both undergraduate and graduate-level courses in the following specialty areas: accounting, business, education, healthcare, information technology, management, nursing, and psychology.
  • Average Tuition Cost: The tuition cost for Ohio Online Degree Programs varies among schools, but it usually averages between $240 and $600 per credit hour of study.
  • State-Specific Options for Financial Aid: Most schools that offer Ohio Online Degree Programs provide their students with the following options for financial aid: the Ohio First Scholarship Program, the Ohio Third Frontier Internship Program, the Ohio College Opportunity Grant, the Nurse Education Assistance Loan Program, and the Ohio War Orphans Scholarship.

3. Indiana- Regional Accreditation: The top Indiana Online Learning programs are fully accredited by the Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools. Many of those programs are also credentialed through one or more specific agencies, which include the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education and the Commission on Accreditation of the American Psychological Association.

  • Degree Program Offerings: Indiana Online Learning programs are offered in a variety of concentrations, which entail: accounting, business, education, engineering, health sciences, nursing, management, and psychology.
  • Average Tuition Cost: The average tuition cost for Indiana Online Learning programs ranges between $100 and $500 per credit hour.
  • State-Specific Options for Financial Aid: State-specific options for financial aid that students can use to fund their Indiana Online Learning programs entail the following: the Frank O’Bannon Grant Program, the Minority Teacher/Special Services Scholarship, the Indiana National Guard Supplemental Grant, and the EARN Indiana Work-Study Program.

Filed Under: college online search

Top Ten Online Colleges and Universities

January 23, 2012 By 1 Comment

Attending the Top Ten Online Colleges and Universities

Top online colleges and universities as well as public and private brick and mortar postsecondary schools offer distance learning programs in a variety of courses.  You can also complete your entire undergraduate and/or graduate degrees by attending online accredited schools.  Despite the fact that many schools offer rigorous academic courses, professors having licenses and/or in-depth working experiences in the subjects they teach, only a few schools earn the status of being top colleges and universities.

U.S. News and World Report and the Princeton Review are some periodicals that list top US colleges and universities.  School information reviewed by these periodicals includes:

  • Student enrollment (breakdown by male and female student populations)
  • Undergraduate and/or graduate programs available for students to register for and take
  • Costs of tuition
  • Percentage of college admissions applications accepted by the school
  • Financial aid offered and/or accepted by the school
  • Amount of endowments associated with the school
  • Academic calendar (e.g. semester, quarter) the school operates on
  • Number of years the school has been in operation (founded date for the school)
  • Minimum college entrance examination test scores (e.g. SAT, ACT) accepted by the school
  • Student survey responses (feedback that students provide about the school)
  • Administrative services offered at the school

Ranking of Top 10 Largest Online Schools

When it comes to online postsecondary schools, academics and student services can help determine how valuable the school’s offerings are.  Some popular online schools also enroll large numbers of students.  According to U.S. News and World Report, the top 10 largest online colleges and universities are:

  • University of Phoenix (founded in 1976 with approximately 380,232 students)
  • Kaplan University (founded in 1937 with approximately 70,011 students
  • Strayer University (founded in 1982 with approximately 54,325 students)
  • Ashford University (founded in 1918 with approximately 46,835 students)
  • Liberty University (founded in 1971 with approximately 46,312 students)
  • Walden University (founded in 1970 with approximately 40,714 students)
  • University of Maryland – University College (founded in 1947 with approximately 37,347 students)
  • Grand Canyon University (founded in 1949 with approximately 34,205 students)
  • Capella University (founded in 1993 with approximately 31,998 students)

Top Black colleges and universities such as Spelman College, Morehouse College, Hampton University, Tuskegee University, Xavier University of Louisiana, Fisk University and Claflin University are also ranked in publications like U.S. News and World Report.  Keep in mind that some of these schools, including the top 100 colleges and universities, also offer on-campus, classroom courses which might help to increase their overall student enrollment population.  Furthermore, top schools are generally accredited institutions of higher learning, a factor that may further help to establish the schools’ credibility.

Publications and organizations that review top colleges universities do the hard work of examining factors such as the schools tuition costs, student activities and course offerings so you don’t have to.  If you use these resources to review the best schools you can narrow the numbers of schools you want to enroll in after you graduate from high school or while you juggle work and your continuing education goals.

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Top 20 List of Online Schools Based on Enrollment

January 19, 2012 By 2 Comments

Earn College Credits at Popular Online Schools

By using a list of colleges and universities you can review several schools offering online courses and degree programs in a short amount of time.  Some of the lists are affiliated with major publications like U.S. News and World Report and the Princeton Review, while other lists are created by organizations that support continuing education and academic achievement.

In addition to U.S. News and World Report and the Princeton Review, the United States Department of Education also list accredited schools offering online programs in their database which you can access free of charge.  Organizations and/or publications like College Board, Peterson’s, Online Education Database and Washington Monthly provide list of colleges and universities in Florida, list of colleges and universities in Georgia and other parts of the country.

Details provided in the lists include:

  • Numbers of undergraduate and graduate students enrolled at the schools
  • Dates that the schools were founded
  • Types of distance learning programs available at the schools (e.g. degree, certificate)
  • Location type for the schools (e.g. urban, rural)
  • Majors (e.g. engineering, nursing, law) the schools are known and/or highly regarded for
  • Tuition costs
  • Whether or not the schools accept financial aid, and if they do, the types of financial aid accepted at the schools
  • Religious affiliations the schools have, if they have any religious affiliations
  • Minimum college entrance test scores accepted at the schools
  • Whether or not the schools offer athletic programs that are recognized by organizations like the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), and if so, the types of programs (e.g. football, basketball, track and field) offered

Large Online Schools You Can Enroll In

The top online colleges and universities based on student enrollment as reported by U.S. News and World Report are:

  • University of Phoenix (380,232 students)
  • Kaplan University (70,011 students)
  • Strayer University (54,325 students)
  • Ashford University (46,835 students)
  • Liberty University (46,312 students)
  • Walden University (40,714 students)
  • University of Maryland-University College (37,347 students)
  • Grand Canyon University (34,205 students)
  • Capella University (31,998 students)
  • American Public University System (31,331 students)

Another organization providing a list of colleges and universities in New York, a list of colleges and universities in Virginia and other states, schools with large student enrollments, is the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES).  The NCES reports additional schools with student populations that provide distance learning programs include:

  • Arizona State University (68,040 students)
  • Miami Dade College (59,120 students)
  • Ohio State University (55,014 students)
  • Houston Community College (54,942 students)
  • University of Central Florida (53,401 students)
  • University of Minnesota, Twin Cities (51,659 students)
  • University of Texas at Austin (50,995 students)
  • University of Florida (50,691 students)
  • Texas A&M University (48,702 students)
  • Michigan State University (47,071 students)

Trying to find the online school that’s right for you may feel like a daunting task until you familiarize yourself with a list of colleges and universities providing you with specific details about each school mentioned in the list.  Rather than visiting colleges and universities in person or telephoning administrators at several online schools, consider taking the time to review the lists so you can find out schools offering the best tuition rates, student activities and distance learning credit and/or degree programs in subjects you’re most interested in majoring in.

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Top 5 Online Christian Colleges and Universities

January 16, 2012 By 2 Comments

Online Colleges and Universities for Christian Students

Publications and organizations like U.S. News and World Report include Christian colleges and universities in their rankings reports.  These and other religious schools offer distance learning programs for continuing education students.  Having local, regional and/or national accreditations, the top online religious schools are not only located in various parts of the United States, they also make it possible for you to get degrees regardless of where you live.

Christian colleges and universities that ranked high in the 2011 U.S. News and World Report college rankings report were Pepperdine University, a private university that has a student enrollment of approximately 3,439.  Located in Malibu, California and founded in 1937, this school that is amongst the top Christian colleges and universities in California is affiliated with the Church of Christ.  Online programs at the school are administered through the Graduate School of Education and Psychology.

One of New York City’s top Christian colleges and universities is Fordham University.  Enrolling about 7,950 students, Fordham is a private university.  Founded in 1841, the school that’s affiliated with the Roman Catholic religion is known for its strong law program. Video and Internet are two major tools the school uses to teach students enrolled in its distance learning programs.

More Top Christian Colleges and Universities

Included in the list of top Texas Christian colleges and universities is Southern Methodist University.  Affiliated with the United Methodist religion, the school operates on a semester calendar and enrolls about 6,228 students.  Founded in 1911, Southern Methodist University is a private school located in Dallas, Texas.  It’s known for its graduate level law and business academic programs.  Online courses are taught using tools like DVDs and online streaming.  Although it’s not ranked higher than the below schools, another school listed amongst the top Christian colleges and university in Texas is Texas Christian University, a public postsecondary school located in Fort Worth, Texas.  Founded in 1873, the school is the largest religious university affiliated with the Disciples of Christ Christian Church.  Operating on a semester calendar system, Texas Christian University enrolls approximately 7,640 students.  The school’s personal and development online courses are offered through its Education To Go program.

Affiliated with the Church of Jesus Christ of the Latter Day Saints and founded in 1875, Brigham Young University is a private school that enrolls approximately 30,745 students.  The school is located in Provo, Utah.  Distance learning courses are offered through the school’s Independent Learning program.  Popular majors at the school include biological and biomedical studies, business management and social sciences.

Marquette University is affiliated with the Roman Catholic (Jesuit) religion.  About 8,081 students attend the private school that was founded in 1881.  This university located in Milwaukee, Wisconsin operates on a semester basis; popular majors at the school include communication, business management and engineering.  Up to 28 credit-granting online courses are available at the university.

Additional Christian colleges and universities offering distance learning programs are listed with organizations like the Council for Christian Colleges and Universities.  The organization has a membership of approximately 110 schools in America and an additional 73 affiliate schools in 24 countries.  You can search on schools listed with the Council by name or religious foundation.

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Online College Search Tips

December 8, 2011 By 1 Comment

Search for a College That Fits Your Needs

The numbers of colleges and universities in the United States exceeds 2,000.  Over the last several years many of these schools have begun offering online courses and degree programs.  Understanding what to look for as you conduct your colleges and universities search may save you hours of time.

If you want to combine online courses with classroom courses, as you conduct your college university search review postsecondary schools that offer on-campus and virtual courses.  You might see these courses referred to as blended courses.  Tools you can start your online college search with include:

  • U.S. News and World Report college rankings
  • Princeton Review college rankings report
  • Peterson’s college database
  • College Board database

The United States Department of Education also list accredited colleges and universities in its database.  Many of these schools are authorized to accept financial aid from government programs.  Enrolling in accredited schools listed with the Department of Education is one way you can increase your chances of securing federal financial aid through programs like the Federal Stafford Student Loan and/or PELL grant.

As you’re conducting your online college search, jot down notes about public and/or private colleges and universities you’re interested in attending.  For example, you could collect information on in-state and out-of-state schools including the costs of tuition, scholarships offered by the schools, numbers of undergraduate students enrolled in the schools, whether or not the schools offer graduate programs in subjects you’re interested in majoring in and the types of distance learning courses available for you to take at the schools.

Additional College and University Search Resources

It’s also important that you find out if the schools offer programs or student support services like:

  • Career counseling
  • Enrollment counselors
  • Student tutoring
  • Mentoring programs
  • Financial counseling or financial advising
  • Academic advising

Through career counseling and academic advising programs you can learn about internships, work/study programs and career fairs you can register to participate in.  If you take advantage of career counseling services you might land jobs before you graduate, helping you to meet employers’ two pronged job hiring requirement (education and work experience).  Bottom line, search for schools that support your educational and post graduation efforts.  After all, college is expensive.  The more support top schools give you to join the employment ranks, earn top wages and work in fields you’re passionate about, the better.

Other sources you can use to learn more about online and offline colleges and universities are:

  • Cultural education organizations (e.g. United Negro College Fund, cultural alliances)
  • Professionals associations (many members of professional associations graduated from top schools)
  • Alumni associations

In addition to using search engines and college ranking reports to conduct your colleges and universities search, you may be able to reach out to your high school counselors and ask them for their insights on schools offering curriculums that can best help you achieve your academic and career goals.  You can also ask your family members, friends and colleagues who are continuing their education for recommendations on top schools you can attend.  Thanks to the Internet, as someone searching for a quality institution of higher education, you can also visit college and university discussion forums, ask specific questions about the schools and read through feedback and comments made by students currently attending the schools.

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Is Your Online College a Top Online School?

December 5, 2011 By 2 Comments

Not All Online Schools are Created Equal

Top online schools educate tens of thousands of students each year in a broad range of majors and disciplines.  Because these schools are generally accredited by regional and/or national accrediting agencies, academic credits earned at the schools are often transferrable to other private or public institutions of higher learning.

As the Internet continues to attract businesses, entrepreneurs and educators, it seems as if the numbers of colleges and universities offering distance learning courses is increasing.  In fact, the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) reports that during the 2007-2008 school year, approximately 20 percent of undergraduate students took one or more distance learning courses.  Even when students take classroom courses, some professors allow the students to use the Internet to complete a portion of their assignments.

However, the growing popularity of distance learning has also seen unaccredited schools, sometimes referred to as diploma mills, cropping up on the Internet.  Getting degrees from these schools may not help you to land quality jobs that pay attractive salaries.  You also might not be able to transfer credits from these schools to highly regarded higher education institutions so you can earn advanced degrees.  These reasons make it important for you to do background checks on schools you’re thinking about enrolling at so you enroll in top rated online schools.

Learning More about Your Online College

To get started on your checks, you can review college rankings created by publications like the Princeton Review, Washington Monthly, the Wall Street Journal or U.S. News and World Report.  In addition to ranking brick and mortar schools, some publications and educational organizations list top 10 online schools.  Information reviewed about colleges and universities includes:

  • Accreditation reviews the schools have undergone and passed (e.g. Association for Biblical Higher Education, Commission on Accreditation, American Bar Association, Council of the Section of Legal Education and Admissions to the Bar)
  • Year the college or university was founded in
  • Numbers of undergraduate and/or graduate degree granting programs offered at the schools
  • Tools used to administer online college programs (e.g. video, Internet)
  • If the schools are affiliated with religious organizations
  • Student activities and organizations offered at the accredited colleges and universities

You can also visit a school’s official website to find out about the school’s minimum teaching and/or work experience requirements for professors who teach subjects at the school.  Top online colleges also generally assign you support services and help through academic advisors, financial advisors, enrollment advisors and career counselors.

It’s one thing to attend a college or university that’s popular or widely known.  However, if you want to get a quality and balanced education, an education that employers, recruiters and other academicians respect and value, conduct your due diligence steps and review colleges and universities before you enroll and pay your tuition.  This way you can increase your chances of attending top online schools, including top online business schools and top online MBA schools.  Remember to search factors like accreditations at colleges and universities, student enrollment demographics, popular majors at the schools and student graduation and employment percentages.

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How to Begin Your Online College Search

November 28, 2011 By 1 Comment

Start Your Online College Search Early

Before you go online to start your college search take advantage of offline resources available to you, resources like your high school guidance counselors, colleagues and relatives who’ve already attended college.  Touching base with these resources may help to decrease the amount of time it takes you to find the top three to five accredited colleges and universities you’d like to attend.  Knowing what you want to gain from attending college can also aid you in your college search.

If you’re still attending high school visit college fairs that your school hosts as several local accredited colleges and universities may likely attend the college fairs.  At college fairs you can talk face-to-face with professionals who work at the schools.   You can also pick up pamphlets and brochures on colleges and universities, written material providing you with information like how long the schools have been in operation, where the schools are headquartered, the numbers of students enrolled in the schools and awards or recognition the schools have received.  Get information on as many colleges and universities offering degrees in fields you want to work in.  This way you can increase your chances of being accepted into top schools.

When you start searching for schools using the Internet, pull up college and university rankings reports like U.S. News and World Report, Washington Monthly College Rankings and the Princeton Review.  Using these and other college ranking reports and databases you can conduct:

  • College search by state
  • College search by degree

Searching for Colleges and Universities Using Naviance and Other Tools

Furthermore, tools like Naviance Family Connection college search allow you to compile information on several colleges in one location.  Through Naviance you can also:

  • Create goals for college, including courses you want to take and student activities you want to participate in
  • Your parents can also access Naviance to learn about admissions requirements at colleges and universities you want to enroll at
  • Professionals affiliated with Naviance can also partner with you to ensure you remain motivated and on track to achieving your academic goals

You need to create a login and password to access Naviance.  Before registering for the program, consider creating a college search quiz so you’re prepared to ask questions like:

  • What types of jobs can I get by majoring in popular courses at certain colleges and universities (have a list of schools you’re interested in attending)?
  • How can I learn about financial aid offered at colleges and universities?
  • How long does it generally take students to receive undergraduate degrees from the schools?
  • What types of reports or documents do my high school guidance counselors have that I can receive to learn more about top colleges and universities?
  • What courses can I take in high school that may best prepare me to excel in my college major?

By using online college and university ranking reports, feedback you get from your high school guidance counselors, family members and colleagues who’ve attended college, you can learn detailed information about schools.  Should you want to transfer to an on-campus school, searching for colleges and universities that have both offline and online degree programs may make it easy for you to continue to take courses at schools you started out taking distance learning programs from.  You’re also encouraged to search for colleges and universities that are accredited by agencies recognized by the United States Department of Education.

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How Do Online Colleges and Universities Get Ranked?

November 21, 2011 By 2 Comments

Ranking Online Colleges and Universities

Colleges and universities rankings have been published for several years, going out to students like you, parents, media outlets and administrators at institutions of higher learning.  These reports like the U.S. News and World Report college and university rankings do the work that might easily take you weeks and months to complete if you set out to review and rank top schools on your own.  Since its advent, the Internet has made it possible for you to access these rankings electronically.  Information contained in the rankings reports can be used to help you decide if a school offers undergraduate and/or graduate courses, residency programs, NCAA approved athletic programs, student government organizations, etc. you need at reasonable prices.

As of 2011, approximately 1,400 schools are ranked by U.S. News and World Report.  The Princeton Review examines nearly 2,000 schools before it compiles its ranking reports.  In some reports, schools are ranked by regions including:

  • Midwestern
  • Northeastern
  • Western
  • Southeastern

Because schools are ranked by tuition costs, you can find the best wallet friendly schools by reviewing the rankings reports.  If you’re looking for schools that grant the majority of their degrees in liberal arts disciplines, consider checking out reports like U.S. News and World Report.  Although public and private colleges and universities are included in rankings reports, schools might not be ranked according to whether or not they are private or public in all of the reports.  Types of programs and features reviewed at the schools include:

  • Innovation (number of firsts at the school such as first school to found the world’s first society of alumni, Williams College)
  • Student to faculty ratio (lower student to faculty ratios may help schools score higher in rankings reports)
  • Popular majors at the schools (e.g. Political Science, Psychology, Environmental Engineering)
  • Freshmen retention rate (higher retention rates may be viewed as an indication that students are generally satisfied with the school and its course offerings)
  • Academic branches at the schools (e.g. social sciences, natural sciences, humanities)
  • Whether or not the school offers graduate degree programs
  • On-campus housing options available to students
  • Student reviews of the schools
  • Tuition costs for undergraduate and/or graduate students (in-state and out-of-state)

Valuable Feedback Going Into College and University Rankings

High school counselors also offer their feedback on schools in some colleges and university ranking reports.  As counselors keep in touch with graduated high school students they can get direct feedback on internship programs, work/study programs, tutoring programs and residencies available at the schools, including programs that best help students to get full-time jobs that pay attractive salaries and offer extensive benefits.  By getting feedback from high school counselors and alumni members, ranking organizations and publications can offer you and other college students a more balanced view of accredited postsecondary schools operating in the United States.

Professionals associated with publications and organizations that compile colleges and universities rankings may also visit postsecondary schools, schedule meetings with career counselors and school administrators to get their feedback on course offerings and student activities available at the school.  Sometimes being selective in regards to the criteria students are required to meet before they’re accepted to enroll in the schools contributes to college university rankings.  Periodicals like the Princeton Review also survey students attending various schools before they create their final rankings of colleges and universities.

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Columbia College Online Degrees

November 17, 2011 By 1 Comment

Earning College Online Degrees from Columbia College

Founded in 1851 and accredited by the Higher Learning Commission, Columbia College enrolls more than 12,000 students in at least one online course a year.  The courses generally run for eight weeks each.  Additionally, more than 600 classes and 20 degree programs are available through the school’s distance learning program.  Columbia College online degrees make it possible for you to enroll in degree programs and take courses taught by professors at the school without having to live in Columbia, Missouri, where Columbia College’s main campus is located.  Because you can combine distance learning programs with classroom courses as you pursue college degrees, you also have the opportunity to meet your professors and classmates in person.

To take Columbia College online classes and get degrees from the school you generally must:

  • Apply for admission to the college (You can apply for admission in person or online)
  • Register to take courses (You can register for Columbia College Missouri online courses using the school’s eRegistration system)
  • Make sure your computer meets the college’s technical requirements (e.g. 60+ gigabytes of hard drive for Windows and Mac)
  • Pay tuition

If you want to get a feel for how the school’s online system works, feel free to launch the school’s online course demo.  This may also help you to confirm whether or not you need to make changes to your computer (e.g. add more memory) to complete the courses.

Degrees and Focus Subject Areas at Columbia College

Types of undergraduate and/or graduate degrees you can obtain while taking Columbia college online courses are:

  • Associate of Science in Business Administration
  • Associate of Science in Environmental Studies
  • Bachelor of Science in Computer Information Systems
  • Bachelor of Arts in American Studies
  • Bachelor of Arts in Psychology
  • Bachelor of Arts in Sociology
  • Master of Science in Criminal Justice
  • Master of Arts in Teaching

Should you need academic support, you can contact the school’s academic advising area.  If you’re also taking classroom courses at the college, you can reach out to your academic advisor on campus. Because you’re taking online degrees courses, you may keep in touch with your academic advisors and professors using email, message boards or the telephone.  To get the most out of these meetings consider writing down specific questions you’d like to ask your professors or academic advisors.  For example, you could ask your professors or academic advisors for titles to books or articles you could read to improve your understanding of certain college courses or you could ask them to name two to three advanced courses you could take to accelerate your learning.

Attending Columbia College helps you to graduate with undergraduate and graduate degrees from an accredited postsecondary school that has experience operating in the distance learning space.  By going to school at Columbia College you can also take advantage of earning degrees in fields that the school may have performed particularly well in.  To learn more about the school, consider briefly reading through Columbia College online reviews at places like Peterson’s and the National Center for Education Statistics.

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College Search Online

November 14, 2011 By 1 Comment

College Search Online Systems Helping College Students Learn

According to Internet World Stats, by 2010 hundreds of millions of people were using the Internet, many of them searching for facts, figures, articles and information using search engines.  Today people around the world use search engines to locate college search online information like enrollment, tuition costs, financial aid expenses and college student extracurricular activities.  Conducting college search online reviews of schools you’re interested in attending can shorten the time it could take you to find accredited postsecondary schools that best help you to gain the advanced education you want.

Finding Information You Need to Succeed at College

Peterson’s, College Board, US News and World Report and Princeton Review college overviews and/or rankings are some of the resources you can use to collect and review facts, interesting tidbits and course offerings available at accredited colleges and universities located throughout the United States.  Online college search engine efforts can quickly provide you with individual school data such as:

  • Whether or not the school is for-profit or not
  • Types of degrees and certifications awarded at the school (e.g. college diplomas, associate degrees, bachelor’s degrees, graduate degrees)
  • If the school accepts federal financial aid
  • Scholarships and grants the school provides directly to qualifying students
  • Distance learning courses and degree programs offered at the school
  • Minimum college entrance examination (e.g. SAT, ACT) scores required to get admitted to the school
  • Costs of tuition
  • Whether or not the college or university operates on a quarter or semester basis
  • Activities and organizations available for students to join and participate in
  • Accreditations the schools have
  • Student enrollment facts
  • Demographics of students enrolled at the school, including the percentage of men and women enrolled

After you narrow down the top three accredited colleges or universities you want to attend, consider visiting the schools in person.  Before you pack your bags and travel to the schools contact an administrator at the school and schedule a tour.  This way you can get an in-person feel or vibe for the school.  Should you decide not to take an in-person tour of the campus, jot down questions you may have about the school and telephone school administrators so you can get direct answers to your questions.  For example, you could ask the school administrators about the college’s:

  • Student graduation rate (if it’s not available using online resources)
  • Teacher to student classroom ratios
  • Licenses and degrees college professors are required to have to teach at the school
  • Percentage of students who get employed after graduating from the college or university (also ask how long it takes students to get hired in their degree field)

The benefits of conducting college searches online can extend beyond gathering enrollment, costs, degree subjects, etc.  By searching detailed information at individual school websites you can learn about policies, procedures, course offerings as well as find registration forms and applications you can use to get into programs like internships, clinical trials, advanced courses and work/study programs.

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