Top Online Universities

	Kaplan University - Associate’s, Bachelor’s, & Master’s Degrees. With a successful track record of placing students in high-quality jobs, Kaplan University stands out among online colleges. Kaplan offers students the opportunity to take classes from the comfort of home and on their own schedule.
	University of Phoenix - Associate’s, Bachelor’s, Master’s, & Doctoral Degrees. Associate's, Bachelor's, Master's, & Doctoral Degrees - As one of the world's largest universities, University of Phoenix has the educational resources to make every student successful in their degree plan. University of Phoenix offers classes at a campus and also available to take entirely online.
	Ashford University - Associate's, Bachelor's & Master's Degrees. With low program costs, Ashford University has affordable online programs for the budgeting student. Students could also complete their degree at an accelerated pace compared to other online schools.
	American InterContinental University - Associate's, Bachelor's & Master's Degrees. American InterContinental University provides students with well-educated and experienced professionals who have had practice in their field. They are dedicated in helping students achieve their educational, personal, and professional goals.
	Liberty University - Associate’s, Bachelor’s, & Master’s Degrees. As one of the largest evangelical universities in the world, Liberty University provides a variety of campus and online programs. Liberty University is one of the top college online education providers in existence today.
	Everest University - Associate's, Bachelor's & Master's Degrees. Everest University provides individualized attention in order to help students receive the education they're looking for. The university is dedicated in helping students get placed in their desired jobs upon graduation.
	South University - Associate's, Bachelor's & Master's Degrees. South University is a great choice for individuals of all degree levels. They offer online undergraduate degrees for those seeking to start a career, and graduate degrees for individuals wanting to advance in their current careers.
	Saint Leo University - At Saint Leo University, students will receive the same degree, quality education, and level of service in their online courses as they do at the university's campus locations. Students will gain the skills and knowledge necessary to succeed in their jobs.
	Grand Canyon University - Bachelor’s & Master’s Degrees. As a college in a Christian community, Grand Canyon University offers many benefits that other colleges do not provide. At Grand Canyon, each student is handled as an individual and made sure that every need is met.
	Capella University - Bachelor’s, Master’s, & Doctoral Degrees. Capella University offers several career programs that will place students on the right track to for starting a new, exciting career. Capella University offers interactive programs perfect for lifelong learners looking to obtain a secondary degree.

Finding the best online universities based on rankings and ratings can be challenging since the world of online education is still so new. Luckily, there are some excellent ways to determine if the online universities you are considering are ranked at the top of the list or the bottom of the pile. The first step is to ensure the universities are accredited. Accreditation is a method of ensuring that the education offered at that school meets standards set by non-governmental agencies overseeing the quality of education. The U.S. Department of Education and the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA) are both excellent resources for ensuring online universities are accredited.

While accreditation is typically a good measure of the education offered at a particular school, it is not always the best or even the only way to judge the quality of an online school. Accreditation is an expensive and lengthy process and one in which a good quality school may not participate as the accreditation may not be necessary in their field or market. Some niche schools, especially vocational schools such as some massage therapy programs, may not have accreditation. Besides accreditation, finding schools that are ranked highly can offer peace of mind that they provide quality education.

U.S. News & World Report issues one of the most respected college ranking publications around. While they don’t currently have a specific ranking for online colleges, their website offers an excellent section, E-Learning & Technology, that provides plenty of information to help you select from the best online universities. Also, About.com offers Regionally Accredited Online College Profiles where you can learn about many reputable online colleges. Another option when determining the quality of online universities is to visit a consumer advocacy site such as GetEducated.com, where online colleges are rated and ranked according to "cost, quality, and credibility."

The bottom line when looking at the ratings and ranks of online colleges is to ensure that they have a solid reputation and have been in business for a while, that the curriculum offered is a good quality one that suits your educational needs, and that student services and technical support are not only available, but of meaningful quality as well. Often you can find online forums where students share their experiences with online schools, but be aware that sometimes forums are a convenient sounding board for students who have had a bad experience. A better way to judge students’ experiences is to find out what graduates of the various online programs think about their experiences. Determine if the students were able to find employment after graduation, what type of jobs they secured, and their overall feel for their online education experience.

Top Online Universities

	Kaplan University - Associate’s, Bachelor’s, & Master’s Degrees. With a successful track record of placing students in high-quality jobs, Kaplan University stands out among online colleges. Kaplan offers students the opportunity to take classes from the comfort of home and on their own schedule.
	University of Phoenix - Associate’s, Bachelor’s, Master’s, & Doctoral Degrees. Associate's, Bachelor's, Master's, & Doctoral Degrees - As one of the world's largest universities, University of Phoenix has the educational resources to make every student successful in their degree plan. University of Phoenix offers classes at a campus and also available to take entirely online.
	Ashford University - Associate's, Bachelor's & Master's Degrees. With low program costs, Ashford University has affordable online programs for the budgeting student. Students could also complete their degree at an accelerated pace compared to other online schools.
	American InterContinental University - Associate's, Bachelor's & Master's Degrees. American InterContinental University provides students with well-educated and experienced professionals who have had practice in their field. They are dedicated in helping students achieve their educational, personal, and professional goals.
	Liberty University - Associate’s, Bachelor’s, & Master’s Degrees. As one of the largest evangelical universities in the world, Liberty University provides a variety of campus and online programs. Liberty University is one of the top college online education providers in existence today.
	Everest University - Associate's, Bachelor's & Master's Degrees. Everest University provides individualized attention in order to help students receive the education they're looking for. The university is dedicated in helping students get placed in their desired jobs upon graduation.
	South University - Associate's, Bachelor's & Master's Degrees. South University is a great choice for individuals of all degree levels. They offer online undergraduate degrees for those seeking to start a career, and graduate degrees for individuals wanting to advance in their current careers.
	Saint Leo University - At Saint Leo University, students will receive the same degree, quality education, and level of service in their online courses as they do at the university's campus locations. Students will gain the skills and knowledge necessary to succeed in their jobs.
	Grand Canyon University - Bachelor’s & Master’s Degrees. As a college in a Christian community, Grand Canyon University offers many benefits that other colleges do not provide. At Grand Canyon, each student is handled as an individual and made sure that every need is met.
	Capella University - Bachelor’s, Master’s, & Doctoral Degrees. Capella University offers several career programs that will place students on the right track to for starting a new, exciting career. Capella University offers interactive programs perfect for lifelong learners looking to obtain a secondary degree.