Top 10 Best Online Colleges
Your Guide to the Best Online Colleges
Get to know the best online colleges!
Getting a degree can be time-consuming. No matter what degree level, whether it’s an Associates, Bachelors, Masters, or Doctorate, it can be hard for anyone who works full-time to carve out three or four consecutive hours a day, multiple days a week, to attend classes at a traditional brick-and-mortar college. Luckily, you can now complete college online.
That’s where the Best Online Colleges come into play.
Many colleges offer programs in which students can earn their degrees online while still paying the mortgage or simply putting groceries in their refrigerator. These schools were considered for this ranking of the best online colleges.
Methodology for the Top 100 Best Online Colleges of 2018
In developing the ranking for the 100 Best Online Colleges, several pieces of data were collected in order to evaluate the institutions. A list of all colleges offering online degrees or courses was obtained from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) and Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS). In addition, data and information for online colleges and universities considered for this college ranking was obtained from Payscale, CollegeData, Niche, and individual school websites.
Statistics used in the ranking are as follows:
Freshman Satisfaction or Retention Rate
Graduation Rate
Average Net Price of Attendance (Residential)
Overall Grade from Niche
Mid-Career Average Annual Pay
For Freshman Satisfaction or Retention Rate and 6-year Graduation Rates, the % sign was dropped for the ease of scoring. For example, a Graduation or Freshman Satisfaction rate of 65% would become simply 65. All numbers are whole numbers with no decimals provided from NCES. These statistics provide valuable insight into the overall quality of education provided by these online schools.
The Average Net Price of Attendance is converted to an Affordability Factor using our formula shown in the chart on the right. Schools with the lowest in-state COA are given the highest numbers for their affordability. For many students, affordability of a college degree is a huge factor. Taking on great amounts of debt in order to pursue their career is often not part of their future plan. Finding an affordable online college is a priority.
Financial aid for online students and online college scholarships are available.
For the Overall Grade supplied by Niche, we use these grades which are then converted to a numerical scale so that they can be added together with the other values for an overall ranking score. The scale used is illustrated on the right. We find this statistic valuable as it allows students who have attended the institution a chance to voice their opinion.
Payscale provides the valuable statistic of Mid-Career Pay. For our purposes, this number is rounded either up or down to the nearest thousand in order to allow for an easier mathematical ranking formula. While pursuing a career that they are passionate about is important for students, it’s never a bad idea to find out which schools have the largest average pay to go along with that career.
In cases where accredited online colleges and universities were tied for the same ranking score, alphabetical order was used as the tie-breaker. All online schools in the ranking are excellent choices and ranking scores are disclosed so that anyone is able to see where tie scores occurred.
None of the institutions in this ranking or any other ranking on OnlineCollegePlan have been given any preferential treatment, nor have any requests for such been received. Schools included in this ranking are either public or private not-for-profit institutions. In some cases, insufficient data may have caused an institution to be excluded. Efforts were made to ensure that methodology was fully disclosed so that anyone who desires can recreate an identical ranking using the data and figures present at the time of research. OnlineCollegePlan is not responsible for changes in data which may occur after the time of our research.
Any college student interested in attending online college may also enjoy checking out The Best Online College or University by State and Location or our extensive list of FAQsabout attending a top online college.
Our community college ranking highlights the top 50 online community college picks for financial aid. We have also ranked our top online community college picks for ROI. You may also want to check out our ranking of construction management degree programs.
This video highlights free online degree programs:
You may download a PDF version of this college ranking here. We hope this college ranking helps you choose an online school. We have included links to the schools website and social media profiles so that you may request info directly from each.
1. Georgia Institute of Technology
Georgia Institute of Technology usually referred to as Georgia Tech, is located in Georgia’s capital city of Atlanta and was founded in 1885 during the post-civil war reconstruction era. The school is part of the University System of Georgia and has multiple satellite campuses across the world.Georgia Tech is organized into six colleges with more than 30 departments. As the school name suggests, there is a strong emphasis on science and technology and is recognized for college degree programs in the sciences, engineering, computing, business administration, as well as graphic design, and liberal arts. As a leader in technology, it’s no surprise that Georgia Tech offers online courses as well as full programs for students who prefer the flexibility of online education.
There are a large number of Georgia Tech notable alumni which include former US President and Nobel Peace Prize recipient Jimmy Carter, Juan Carlos Varela who was elected president of Panama in 2014, the fourth CEO of Wal-mart Mike Duke, and many others.
The Georgia Tech ranking score for the Top 100 Best Online Colleges was 500.
If you wish to learn more or request info, please use the following links:
School’s Website – http://www.gatech.edu/
2. University of California, Berkeley
University of California, Berkeley is often called UC Berkeley or simply Berkeley and was founded in 1868. As the name suggests, the school is located in Berkeley, California and it is the flagship institution out of the 10 research universities of the University of California system.UC Berkeley is comprised of 15 different colleges, schools, and divisions which offer around 350 undergraduate and graduate college degree programs to nearly 42,000 students. UC Berkeley Extension offers online learning opportunities for students and adult professionals in several areas of study and degree levels. Among other online options, there are summer studies offered as online courses, UC Berkeley edX MOOCs online class selection, and UC Berkeley class videos.
UC Berkeley notable alumni include Earl Warren, the 14th Chief Justice of the United States; Steve Wozniak, the co-founder of Apple Inc.; award-winning actor, Gregory Peck; Haakon Magnus, Crown Prince of Norway; several Nobel laureates; and many others.
The UC Berkeley ranking score for the Top 100 Best Online Colleges was 496.
If you wish to learn more or would like to request info, please use the following links:
School’s Website – https://www.berkeley.edu/
3. University of Virginia
The University of Virginia, also known as UVA or sometimes simply as Virginia, is located in Charlottesville, Virginia. Charlottesville is a gateway to the Shenandoah National Park, which stretches into West Virginia and other surrounding areas. UVA is the public flagship university of the Commonwealth of Virginia and was founded by Thomas Jefferson in 1819.UVA offers more than 120 majors across their 8 undergraduate and 3 professional schools. Overall, UVA offers its students 48 bachelor’s degrees, 94 master’s degrees, 55 doctoral degrees, 6 educational specialist degrees, as well as 2 first-professional degrees in Medicine and Law. Also, there are undergraduate degrees and certificates as well as graduate certificate programs online through UVA. The university serves over 22,000 students from all 50 states as well as international students from 148 countries.
It should be noted that UVA has never bestowed an honorary degree to any person.
University of Virginia notable alumni includes 53 Rhodes Scholars, which is the most from any state-supported institution as well as 8th overall. 14 Governors of Virginia and 14 Governors of other U.S. states and territories are among a few of the distinguished UVA alumni who have had political careers. 8 NASA astronauts, as well as 8 Pulitzer Prize winners, are also alumni of UVA.
The UVA ranking score for the Top 100 Best Online Colleges was 489.
If you wish to learn more or would like to request info, please use the following links:
School’s Website – http://www.virginia.edu/
4. Stanford University
Located in Stanford, California, Stanford University was founded in 1885 as The Leland Stanford Junior University by the parents, California Senator Leland Stanford and his wife, Jane, who named the school after their son who sadly had died at the age of 15 from typhoid fever. The school is referred to often as simply Stanford and colloquially as “The Farm” because of its heritage since part of the land donated was the family’s Palo Alto Stock Farm. When the school opened in 1891, it had an enrollment of 555 students.Today the school serves more than 16,000 students and has the reputation as one of the most prestigious universities in the country. Stanford has seven different schools in order to serve both graduate and undergraduate degree levels. These schools are Education, Engineering, Business, Law, Medicine, Humanities & Sciences, and Earth, Energy & Environmental Sciences. Stanford also hosts Stanford Online for online learners who choose to take courses off-campus.
Stanford University notable alumni are plentiful. Among the Nobel Prize laureates, and Pulitzer Prize winners who have attended Stanford, so have Jennifer Katharine Gates, Katie Ledecky, Richard Sherman, and Mae C. Jemison to name just a few.
The Stanford University ranking score for the Top 100 Best Online Colleges was 488.
If you wish to learn more or would like to connect, please use the following links:
Stanford’s Website – https://www.stanford.edu/
5. Princeton University
Princeton, New Jersey is home to Princeton University, one of the nation’s Ivy League colleges. Princeton is the 4th oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and was founded in Elizabeth as the College of New Jersey in 1746. This also makes the school one of the nine colonial colleges which were chartered prior to the American Revolution. Over time the school has changed locations, once to Newark before transitioning to its current campus. It was 1896 when the school took its official name as Princeton University.Over 8,000 students attend Princeton and the university offers a generous 5:1 student to faculty ratio. Princeton University has 36 academic departments designed to serve students and offers over 50 interdisciplinary undergraduate certificate programs, 18 master’s programs, 42 doctoral departments and programs, as well as 33 interdisciplinary or interdepartmental doctoral programs. Princeton also offers online courses in a dozen areas of study over four different platforms.
Princeton University notable alumni include 2 Presidents of the United States, 16 Nobel Prize winners, 3 United States Supreme Court Justices. Princeton has also produced 22 Rhodes Scholars within the past 10 years alone.
The Princeton University ranking score for the Top 100 Best Online Colleges was 487.
If you wish to learn more or would like to request info about financial aid for online learners, please use the following links:
Princeton’s Website – https://www.princeton.edu/
6. California Institute of Technology
The California Institute of Technology, or Caltech, is located in Pasadena, California and was founded in 1891 as Throop University, a preparatory and vocational school. The school was renamed the California Institute of Technology in 1920 and today it is a world-renowned science and engineering Institute.Caltech has 6 academic divisions: Biology & Biological Engineering; Chemistry & Chemical Engineering; Engineering & Applied Science; Geological & Planetary Sciences; Humanities & Social Sciences; and Physics, Mathematics & Astronomy. The institute offers students a personalized education with a 3:1 student to faculty ratio. Caltech also offers online courses through platforms such as iTunes U, Coursera, and edX.
There are a large number of Caltech notable alumni which include a variety of scholars, scientists, inventors, engineers, astronomers, astronauts and 22 Nobel laureates including Edwin McMillan, William Shockley, and Kip Thorne. Others who have attended Caltech include Howard Hughes, Frank Capra (during the time it was Throop University), Adam D’Angelo, and many more.
The California Institute of Technology ranking score for the Top 100 Best Online Colleges was 484.
If you wish to learn more or would like to connect, please use the following links:
Caltech’s Website – http://www.caltech.edu/
7. Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Cambridge, Massachusetts is home to Massachusetts Institute of Technology, most commonly known as MIT. The school was founded in 1861 and used a European polytechnic university model with an emphasis on laboratory instruction in engineering and applied science in order to address the growing need for educated as well as skilled workers as the industrialization of the United States continued.Today the institute serves more than 11,000 students. There are 5 schools within MIT: the School of Architecture and Planning; School of Engineering; School of Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences; School of Science; and the MIT Sloan School of Management. Naturally, with MIT being so technologically savvy, there are several different ways for students to participate online, from MOOCs to MicroMasters to OpenCourseWare and more. MIT is a premier school for the information technology college student.
There are plenty of Massachusetts Institute of Technology notable alumni which includes several heads of state and other public officials, astronauts, a myriad of founders or co-founders of successful companies, Nobel laureates, and leaders in education. Celebrities who have attended MIT include Dolph Lundgren and Tom Scholz of the band Boston.
The Massachusetts Institute of Technology ranking score for the Top 100 Best Online Colleges was 483.
Before you choose an online school, use the following links to check out MIT:
MIT’s Website – http://web.mit.edu/
8. University of California, Los Angeles
The University of California, Los Angeles, often called UCLA, is a public research university and is located in the Los Angeles, California district of Westwood. UCLA became the second oldest institution in the University of California system in 1919.Today the university serves nearly 45,000 students. With 6 undergraduate colleges, 7 professional schools, and 4 professional health science schools, UCLA offers students a wide variety of disciplines. It’s also no surprise to find that online courses are also available at UCLA, from summer sessions online to courses offered through UCLA Extension.
There’s a huge number of UCLA notable alumni from scholars to celebrities. Some of the names associated with the university include Tim Robbins, Carol Burnett, George Takei, Jack Black, Ben Stiller, Lance Ito, and Arthur Ashe.
The University of California, Los Angeles ranking score for the Top 100 Best Online Colleges was 483.
If you wish to learn more or would like to connect, please use the following links:
UCLA’s Website – http://www.ucla.edu/
9. University of California, San Diego
Located in La Jolla, California, the public research university of the University of California, San Diego is a valuable part of the University of California system. The institution’s history dates as far back as 1903 when the Marine Biological Association of San Diego, the predecessor of Scripps Institution of Oceanography was chartered. It was not until November 18, 1960, that the University of California, San Diego was officially established, and has continued to grow and excel in higher education.UC San Diego offers students 6 residential colleges: Revelle College, John Muir College, Thurgood Marshall College, Earl Warren College, Eleanor Roosevelt College, and Sixth College. There are 9 academic departments at UCSD which are Arts and Humanities, Biological Sciences, Business, Engineering, Physical Sciences, Social Sciences, Marine Sciences, Pre-Med, and Pre-Law. There are also online programs or courses offered from UC San Diego Extension.
There is a large and diverse group of the University of California, San Diego notable alumni which include Mike Judge, animation producer; Nick Woodman, founder of GoPro; actor Robert Buckley, Bill Atkinson & Bud Tribble, part of the Apple Macintosh development team; and many others.
The University of California, San Diego ranking score for the Top 100 Best Online Colleges was 483.
If you wish to learn more or would like to connect, please use the following links:
UCSD’s Website – https://ucsd.edu/
10. Colorado School of Mines
The Colorado School of Mines also referred to as simply Mines, is located in Golden, Colorado, formerly known as Golden City which was established in 1859. By 1866, Bishop George M. Randall had arrived at the then territory of Colorado and began to plan for a university which would include the School of Mines. In 1870 the Jarvis Hall Collegiate School was opened just south of Golden with the School of mines opening in 1873 under the auspices of the Episcopal Church. One year later the school became a territorial institution and later a state institution in 1876 when Colorado became an official state.Today the school serves more than 6,000 students and 3 colleges: College of Applied Science and Engineering (CASE), College of Earth Resource Sciences and Engineering (CERSE), and College of Engineering & Computational Sciences (CECS) with 17 departments and a number of interdisciplinary programs. Currently, there aren’t full programs available online, however, there are courses offered online through the Canvas and LON-CAPA platforms. Also there are online professional-development resources offered through Skillsoft.
The Colorado School of Mines notable alumni includes author George Saunders; Shane Carwin, wrestler and former MMA UFC competitor; Arden L. Bement, Jr., former Director of the National Science Foundation; and many more.
The Colorado School of Mines ranking score for the Top 100 Best Online Colleges was 482.
If you wish to learn more or would like to connect, please use the following links:
Colorado School of Mines’ Website – https://www.mines.edu/
source : https://www.onlinecollegeplan.com/best-online-colleges/