The Online-Course: How Valuable is It?

Traditional college campuses are designed for students who graduate from high school and go straight to college. Traditional undergraduate universities are ideal for these students. The structure and demands of these curriculums, however, often pose serious challenges to graduate students or adult students with families or careers who are returning to school.

For many of these students, online degree programs are often a much more convenient alternative. They allow students flexibility and control over their schedules. Some students, however, as well as the companies for which they work, have expressed serious concerns about the quality of on line degree programs.

The prevalence of diploma mills has led many to be overly cautious about the credibility of online undergraduate and graduate degree programs. Diploma mills are unaccredited universities that award valueless diplomas not recognized by other institutions. Students spend thousands of dollars for classes, and spend hours engaged in studying, and receive no benefit.

In an effort to promote a positive view of on line degrees, the Online Education Database (OEDb) has compiled a list of figures from the United States Department of Education. These figures include acceptance and graduation rates, financial rates, and number of years the college or university has been accredited.

Examining the graduation rates of a particular university allows a business or prospective student to evaluate how likely it is that tuition money will be well spent. On line colleges with the highest graduation rates include Florida Metropolitan University (84 percent), Champlain College (64 percent), and Everglades University (63 percent). Some institutions, such as Regent University and Walden University, did not have data available.

These rankings focused on students seeking undergraduate degrees rather than those pursuing Masters or PhD degrees. Students working on these degrees have already completed undergraduate programs and. This indicates their potential to succeed educationally. However, many students working on Masters and PhD degree programs often have career or family needs that compete with their time for educational pursuits. This may mean that fewer graduate students complete advanced programs, but this data is not currently available.

Online courses are as valuable as the universities that offer them. They are as successful as the students who take them. This is true, of course, provided the university is regionally accredited. Only the student enrolled in the course can determine whether his or her education will be a success.