While most online bachelor’s degrees are four-year degree programs, your public university or private institution may offer access to accelerated degree programs online.
The bachelor’s degree programs ranked here have a minimum 65% graduation rate.
Both traditionally paced and accelerated bachelor’s degrees can prepare students for a wide range of entry level opportunities in the workforce.
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Online bachelor’s degrees are a great option for students looking to minimize their time to complete an undergraduate education. Most online schools require the completion of both general education courses and core courses in your chosen discipline. Earning an online bachelor’s degree can prepare you to immediately enter the workforce in a wide range of industries.
Many students will also continue into master’s degree programs after graduation. Many schools also offer accelerated online bachelor’s programs for students pursuing professional training and practical skills.
You may be able to complete your online education in as little as 2 to 3 years.
It may also be possible to bundle your undergraduate degree program with a graduate degree in a related area. Some online schools make it possible to complete both degrees in as little as five years.
Some of the schools in our ranking also offer degree completion programs. These programs allow students to complete a bachelor’s degree that was started, but never completed.
What You Should Know About Online Programs for Getting a Bachelor’s Degree
The bachelor’s degree is the basic threshold for a wide range of careers in high-growth areas like project management, software engineering, computer programming, corporate finance, health sciences, and much more. Most of these popular majors are available to both distance learners and on campus students.
For many prospective students, online colleges represent an opportunity to participate an accelerated program. However, before you jump into online learning, there are a few important things you should know first:
The minimum requirement for entry into an online bachelor’s degree is typically a high school diploma or GED. Transfer students who earn their associate degree first may also be able to take accelerated online bachelor’s programs or bachelor’s degree completion programs.
It is essential to choose from online programs with accreditation from a colleges and schools commission in your region. The best bachelor’s degree online programs will have regional accreditation.
Not only that, but you will only be eligible for federal financial aid when you pursue a bachelor’s degree through an accredited school with recognition from a Department of Education-recognized colleges and schools commission.
Online students typically have access to the same curriculum, content, and college credits as traditional bachelor’s degree candidates.
Most bachelor degree programs require the completion of 120 college credits. Full time students can usually complete these college credit requirements in about four years. However, many schools that offer accelerated programs allow you to complete your bachelor’s degree in as little as two to three years.
What Kinds of Online Programs are There for Bachelor’s Degrees?
Bachelor’s degrees come in numerous forms including bachelor’s of arts, sciences, and applied sciences.
The bachelor of arts includes a wide range of general education classes where students learn valuable 21st Century skills like critical thinking and comparative analysis.
If you’re interested in liberal arts subjects like history, political science, and philosophy, you would likely earn a bachelor of arts degree.
Students who take science and applied science bachelor’s degrees will study emerging technologies, research methods, data science, and more.
If you’re interested in subjects like web development, web design, or management information systems, you would likely pursue a bachelor of science.
The applied science degree may be a technology degree or a practical program centered on providing technical skills. The bachelor of applied sciences can prepare you for practical work in areas like supply chain management, network architecture, software development, and more.
The right online program for you will depend on your educational and career goals.
How We Ranked the Fastest Online Bachelor Degree Programs
We ranked for the completion of fast online degree programs by first identifying fully online bachelor’s degrees that rank for Influence—a metric which scores colleges and universities based on the real-world impact of students, alumni, and professors.
After distilling the best online bachelor’s degrees based on influence and rating of fully-online undergraduate enrollment, we measured for 6-year graduation rate as reported by the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES).
The fastest bachelor’s degrees ranked here include only online bachelor programs with a 65% graduation rate or better.
The majority of online bachelor’s degree programs ranked here demonstrate a better than 70% graduation rate. This denotes that each online bachelor degree program listed here excels at delivering students to a timely graduation.
You can find a bachelor’s degree with an accelerated online format by reaching out directly to an academic advisor from one of the bachelor’s degree programs ranked below.
Each online school here excels in delivering students to graduation in their respective bachelor’s degree programs. All of these institutions also offer online courses in an extremely wide spectrum of disciplines.
While NCES data does not provide comprehensive data on online accelerated degree programs, it does rank graduation rate statistics for bachelor’s degree programs.
Those that achieve the highest graduation rate also typically rank high for average time to complete. One reason for this, especially at the bachelor’s degree level, is the availability of accelerated classes.
While the typical bachelor’s degree program will take roughly four years to complete, accelerated bachelor’s degree programs can often be completed in as little as 2 to 3 years.
Accelerated online degree programs are available through four-year college, professional college, and fully online college programs.
This makes the accelerated online program an especially good fit for working adults who are interested in career advancement.
The accelerated online format makes it possible to quickly earn a bachelor’s degree online without disrupting your work and personal responsibilities.
Take a look at our Accelerated Online Degrees Guide for even more tips on getting that bachelor’s degree as quickly as possible.
Bottom Line: The fastest bachelor’s degree can be finished in as little as 2-3 years, making it a perfect fit for busy working professionals who want to minimize disruption in their work and personal lives.
Each bachelor’s degree program ranked below boasts a high graduation rate and a top Influence score. The bachelor’s degree programs listed here below include a full array of disciplines.
Students can take online classes in highly specialized areas like human resources, strategic management, systems analysis, web design, business analytics, forensic psychology, computer information technology, health promotion, and much more.
The best online schools provide access not only to a wide spectrum of degrees and programs, but most also offer online learners the opportunity to complete these programs at a faster than average pace.
An online fast-track bachelor’s degree is becoming increasingly popular. These programs provide several advantages, such as the following:
Time-Saving
The greatest benefit of an online fast-track bachelor’s degree is that they save a lot of time. Most online courses provide accelerated options, enabling students to finish their curriculum more quickly than in conventional on-campus programs.
Flexibility
Online courses are frequently more flexible than traditional ones because they allow students to study from any location at any time. Students with full-time jobs or other obligations will especially benefit from this.
Cost-Effective
Online schooling can be more affordable than on-campus programs since they frequently offer cheaper tuition costs and don’t need students to commute or move.
Customizable
Students can tailor their bachelor’s degree to their interests and career goals by choosing electives from various courses offered by an online degree.
Cons of Online Undergraduate Degrees
While fast-track online degrees have numerous advantages, they also have some disadvantages. These are the cons of online first degrees:
Lack Of Interaction
Online schooling does not give the same level of in-person connection as traditional programs. As a result, developing relationships between students and their teachers and peers may become more challenging.
Self-Motivation
Online courses demand a lot of self-discipline and motivation. Without a typical classroom structure, students must be able to manage their time and keep up with their coursework properly.
Perception
Even though online courses are becoming increasingly popular, many people still believe they are inferior to traditional programs in terms of quality. This perception may affect graduates’ chances of finding employment and moving up the corporate ladder.
Related Questions
Are fast-track online degrees less reputable than traditional degrees?
There is a widespread misperception that degrees online are of poorer quality than traditional ones. This is not usually the case, though. Many reputable schools and universities provide more challenging online courses than their on-campus equivalents.
Will I miss out on the college experience if I pursue a fast-track online degree?
Degrees online do not provide the same on-campus experience as a traditional bachelor’s degree, but they can present special opportunities for networking and community building. There are virtual forums and discussion boards in many online courses where students can interact with their lecturers and fellow students.
How do I stay motivated and focused in a fast-track online degree program?
Accelerated programs demand a lot of self-discipline and motivation. Making a schedule and establishing your goals will help you stay on track when pursuing an online fast bachelor’s degree. Many online schools provide tools like virtual tutoring services and academic counselors to assist students in keeping on top of their studies.
Is an online fast-track bachelor’s degree worth it?
According to Coursera, there are numerous factors that can make a bachelor’s degree worth it, whether that degree is earned on-campus, online, through an accelerated program, or a degree completion program. A bachelor’s degree can lead to increased career opportunities, higher salary potential, and a lower unemployment rate, among other benefits.