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.