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BestColleges.com Releases 2014 List of 100 Best Colleges for Online Degrees

  • 06/10/14

HOUSTON, TX — BestColleges.com has released its 2014 ranking for the 100 best colleges in the U.S. offering at least one fully online degree program. The rankings are divided into two categories — the 50 best four-year universities with online bachelor’s degrees, and the 50 best two-year colleges with online associate degrees. The list contains schools offering degrees in various disciplines, including health, design, and business.

The 10 highest-ranked four-year schools:
1. University of Florida
2. Chamberlain College of Nursing
3. Fashion Institute of Technology
4. Cabarrus College of Health Sciences
5. University of Georgia
6. George Washington University
7. Oakland City University
8. Pennsylvania State University
9. University of Central Florida
10. World Mission University

The 10 highest-ranked two-year schools:
1. Virginia College in Montgomery
2. Sumner College
3. JFK Medical Center of the School of Nursing
4. Southwest Institute of Healing Arts
5. Pima Medical Institute in East Valley
6. Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising in Orange County
7. Advanced College
8. College of Health Professions in the Northwest
9. Tennessee Technology Center at Murfreesboro
10. Dade Medical College in Miami

See the full list: http://www.bestcolleges.com/features/top-online-schools/

Ranking the Schools

BestColleges.com relied on four key metrics to determine its rankings:

  • acceptance rate
  • enrollment rate
  • retention rate
  • graduation rate

The metrics were chosen as reliable indicators of a college or university’s student body success and satisfaction. Acceptance rate indicates how much thought a school gives to selecting and admitting students who are likely to succeed in completing an entire degree program. Enrollment and retention rate shows how desirable the school is, and whether students wish to remain there after completing a year of studies. Finally, graduation rate indicates how well a school does in helping students complete their degree programs.

Researchers compiled a list of American colleges offering at least one online associate degree for two-year schools and at least one online bachelor’s degree for four-year schools using the National Center for Education Statistics’ IPEDS database. All metric data was objectively gathered using IPEDS. Each school was then ranked according to four key metrics, helping to determine final rankings of the best overall online colleges.

About BestColleges.com
BestColleges.com is a resource to help prospective college students make educated choices about their future and get the most out of their education. Through the use of student surveys, faculty surveys, independent research, ranking systems, and the input of highly credible and authoritative sources, a database of schools has been created to help students and their families learn more about their best options for higher education.

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