With thousands of institutions now offering online degrees, prospective students can easily become confused. How can you separate worthwhile programs from inferior offerings? The fifth edition of “The Best & Worst in Online Degree Programs” by Fred DiUlus offers some guidance.

Although the author takes a global view of online education, the majority of the top ten schools he identifies are based in the United States. American schools are marked with an asterisk on the following list from 2008. However, the Universities of London, Southern Queensland, and South Africa accept students from around the world.

1. University of London
2. University of Phoenix*
3. University of South Africa
4. University of Southern Queensland
5. Golden Gate University*
6. Jones International University*
7. Indiana University*
8. University of South Florida*
9. University of Massachusetts*
10. Regent University*

How did DiUlus determine his rankings? The main criterion was faculty experience. Factors that he considered unimportant include sports programs, curb appeal, and student popularity; these he dismissed as mere “window dressing”. Depending on your priorities, you might agree or prefer a different ranking system. Acceptance rates, graduation rates, employment rates of graduates, and student-faculty ratios are also important to consider.

Descriptions of Top Online Universities
To help give you an idea about DiUlus’s top-rated online schools, the universities that appear on his list are described in some detail below.

1.  There’s no denying the world-class prestige of the University of London.  Alumni include more than 55 Nobel Prize winners and over 35 heads of state! The University of London has offered distance learning since 1858 and now awards online degrees through its External System.

Many of the school’s 40,000 distance learners attend courses offered through the University of London’s vast network of affiliated teaching institutions; hundreds of independent schools in more than 45 countries offer teaching and support to University of London students. More than 100 distance learning degree programs are available at the undergraduate and graduate levels.

2. The University of Phoenix was founded in 1976 to serve the needs of working students. Today, it’s America’s largest private university and enrolls 350,000 students. The school attributes much of its success to an in-depth student advising program, practitioner faculty, and small class sizes.

The university is perhaps best known for its online programs in business and technology. These are especially popular among working professionals, many of whom receive tuition assistance from their employers.

In addition to its programs in business and technology, the University of Phoenix offers degrees in areas ranging from criminal justice to psychology and nursing. A wide variety of degrees are offered at the associate, bachelor, and master levels. Online doctoral programs are available in business, education, health, and technology.

University of Phoenix students can also learn on campus if they choose; the school has established dozens of campuses across the US.

3.  The University of South Africa (UNISA) was established as the University of the Cape of Good Hope in 1873. Today the school focuses on distance education and teaches 200,000 distance learners annually.

UNISA uses an open distance learning format that elicits an exceptional degree of student participation. Rather than being passive recipients of knowledge, students actively engage with their course materials, the professor, and other students with the aid of computer technology.

UNISA is known for granting access to traditionally disadvantaged students and for recognizing prior experiential learning.

4.  Approximately 20,000 of the students enrolled in Australia’s University of Southern Queensland (USQ) attend courses online. The school was established in 1967 and is well acquainted with distance learning.

Off-campus study involves students receiving study materials through the mail or the internet. The submission and assessment of homework is usually conducted through the post or email, and examinations are proctored at centers around Australia and in other countries.

5.  Based in downtown San Francisco, Golden Gate University (GGU) dates back to 1901. It’s been recognized as a top distance learning school by US News & World Report, and its taxation and environmental law programs are especially renowned.

In addition to its traditional courses for working adults, the school now offers online undergraduate and graduate degree programs in business and management, information technology, taxation, and law. Students can complete virtually all of their education online or attend regional campuses in Seattle and throughout California if desired.

Now you can visit GGU’s site for a free demo of online learning! The experience involves reading an actual Golden Gate University lecture, viewing a course syllabus, and participating in an online discussion.

6.  Jones International University is the first entirely virtual institution in the United States to receive regional accreditation. Degree programs are offered in business and education.

Jones International University has also been named to Top 10 lists for military families due to course flexibility and military discounts. Jones graduate students with military affiliations are eligible for a 20% discount. Undergraduate students can receive the standard military tuition assistance awarded by the federal government.

7.  Indiana University, lauded by The Princeton Review, offers online degrees through its School of Continuing Studies. Undergraduate associate’s and bachelor’s programs in general studies can be completed entirely online, and Indiana’s graduate program in adult education is fully online with the exception of one mandatory weekend campus visit.

8.  The University of South Florida (USF) draws nearly 40,000 students to its Tampa campus every year, and thousands more complete USF’s online degree programs in education, health, polytechnic studies, and other disciplines. USF has Florida’s only polytechnic college and is renowned as a research institution.

9.  The University of Massachusetts has long been recognized as a top US school, and it’s been offering distance education since the 1980s. The University of Massachusetts Online, or UMassOnline, was initiated in 2001.

Now offering more than 1500 online courses, UMass allows students to complete any of 90 undergraduate and graduate degree programs entirely from a distance or through blended programs. The degrees granted don’t make reference to the online nature of the program; a student’s transcript simply reads “University of Massachusetts”.

10.  Regent University is a Christian school awarding online bachelor’s degrees, master’s degrees, and doctorates. Although the school is based in Virginia Beach, Virginia, many of its online degree programs are available to students worldwide. Some programs require on-campus courses or residencies. Regent offers training in dozens of subject areas such as business, Christian ministry, and psychology.

Also, check into some of these great online colleges and universities!

	University of Phoenix – Associate’s, Bachelor’s, Master’s & Doctorate Degrees. University of Phoenix, America’s largest private university, offers hundreds of degree programs online, on campus, and in blended formats. Programs are available at every level from associate’s to doctoral.
	Kaplan University – Associate’s, Bachelor’s, & Master’s Degrees. Offers online degrees in the arts, business, education, law, and other areas at the associate’s, bachelor’s, and master’s levels. Kaplan also offers “advanced start” bachelor’s programs to students who have already earned associates degrees. Learning can be done online, on campus, or in hybrid format.
	American InterContinental University Online – Associate’s, Bachelor’s, & Master’s Degrees. Designed for working professionals. Degrees are available at the associate’s, bachelor’s, and master’s levels in business, criminal justice, education, healthcare management, information technology, and other areas.
	Ashford University – Associate’s, Bachelor’s, & Master’s Degrees. Ashford University’s generous transfer policy applies up to 99 transfer credits toward a bachelor’s degree and nine credits toward a master’s degree. Ashford offers online undergraduate and graduate degrees in business, education, the social sciences, and other fields. Students can start new courses at any time.
	Liberty University – Associate’s, Bachelor’s, & Master’s Degrees. Liberty University, an Evangelical Christian school, offers more than 40 degree programs online. Undergraduate and graduate degrees are available in business, counseling, education, nursing, psychology, and religion.
	DeVry University – Associate’s, Bachelor’s, & Master’s Degrees. DeVry’s degree programs tend to concentrate on business and technology, and its programs in education and the health sciences emphasize management or are technology-oriented. Students can learn entirely online or take courses at DeVry’s extensive network of campuses across the United States and Canada.
	Everest University – Associate’s, Bachelor’s, & Master’s Degrees. has more than 100 campuses and also offers a wide variety of career-focused online degree programs. Their website’s “Help Me Choose” service helps prospective students identify programs based on their personal interests and employment goals.
	Westwood College – Associate’s & Bachelor’s Degrees. Westwood College offers an exciting array of online associate’s and bachelor’s degrees in areas such as computer animation, construction management, and fashion merchandising.