We’ve ranked the best online master’s programs based on the scholarly influence of the schools’ faculty and alumni over the past 10 years. Find an online master’s program from a school that has demonstrated a history of hiring and producing thought leaders in your field of interest.
Online education has grown dramatically in quality, credibility, and popularity over the last two decades. Today, more than a quarter of all college students are taking at least one online course. According to the National Center for Education Statistics, there are more than 5 million college students who are pursuing their undergraduate degree fully online. And the number of online college and graduate students continues to grow as online technology and instructional methods improve.
In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, access to remote learning has proven an essential part of the educational ecosystem. Schools that offer primarily online degree programs saw an increase of 7% enrollment just between Fall 2020 and Spring 2021. The number of traditional institutions offering online courses and degrees is growing as well. This all paints a promising picture for the future of online education. But it also produces a dizzying array of options.
Start your exploration of the online master’s programs now, or read on for answers to the top questions about online college:
If this is your first time taking an online course, the experience may require some adjustment. While you’ll generally learn the same content and take the same exams as your on-campus peers, the medium will likely require you to manage much of this experience independently. You’ll be accountable for your own time management, your ability to harness the technology at your fingertips, and your ability to focus on the lectures, lessons, and assignments at hand. This means you’ll need to create a suitable workspace for yourself, maintain a realistic schedule, and take it upon yourself to build relationships with your instructors and classmates. With online college, your goal is to find a balance between independence and engagement.
Back to TopNo. The only part of online education that’s easier is actually getting there. Taking the commute out of the equation means getting to class should be a lot more manageable. But that’s where it ends. In general, your online courses will incorporate the very same materials, concepts, and testing methods as would a traditional classroom.
And in many cases, you’ll even have the same instructors as your on-campus counterparts. In fact, if you are adjusting to the experience of independent learning or working with remote learning technology for the first time, online college may even be a little more challenging for you. For a few insights on how to manage this new experience, check out our 10 Tips for Adjusting to School Online.
Back to TopAccreditation is especially important when it comes to online college. This is because the online education landscape is a mix of highly-reputable institutions and less-than-reputable for-profit schools. Accreditation gives you the power to differentiate between the two. Accreditation is a stamp of approval from an independent accrediting agency which indicates that a college or university is meeting standards of quality, credibility, and currency. School-wide accreditation falls into two major categories: regional and national accreditation. Regional accreditors generally hold jurisdiction only over schools in the states comprising their region, whereas national accreditors hold jurisdiction over schools in all states. Regional accreditation is widely regarded as a more rigorous standard of quality and credibility than national accreditation.
Attending a college or university which is not regionally accredited could limit your opportunities. When seeking an online education, we strongly recommend that students opt for regionally accredited schools. Regional accreditation ensures eligibility for federal loans and grants, ensures your college credits can be transferred between schools, and ensures that your degree credits can be accepted if you wish to earn an advanced degree.
Back to TopAs long as your online college degree is regionally accredited, you should have little difficulty transferring most of your credits or credentials to another regionally accredited undergraduate school. Every school carries its own standards and procedures for granting a transfer. In many cases, you will be required to navigate a bureaucracy in which some of your credits will be transferred and others will be jettisoned. However, provided that you have attended an online school with the proper regional accreditation, you should have plenty of options for transfer.
Back to TopIn most cases, as long you graduate from a well-regarded, regionally-accredited online college, prospective employers won’t look sideways at your degree. In fact, unless you attend an exclusively online college or university, there will likely be no specific indicator on your degree, transcript or resume differentiating your school from its brick-and-mortar counterpart. This means that your employer will likely only differentiate between an online and in-person degree if you mention this distinction.
While some employers may express concern about making the adjustment from online education to in-person workplace collaboration, many other employers will view your online degree as evidence of valuable 21st Century professional skills such as independence, self-motivation, time management, and tech savvy.
Back to TopIf you are a student who thrives on the dynamic energy of in-person discussion, who requires the physical surroundings of a classroom to feel engaged, or who considers the social aspects of education to be of equal importance to the actual content of your courses, online education will require some adjustment.
While there is much that can be supplanted or simulated through the online medium, some students may find that there is nothing which can replace the conversation, collaboration, and motivation that occur in an actual classroom setting. As you make the adjustment to online education, one of the biggest challenges you will likely face is overcoming this difference in order to the get the most out of your classes. Fortunately, we’ve got some great Tips for Online Education Beginners.
Back to TopThe advantages of online classes are many. First and foremost, online courses give you the freedom and flexibility to attend class from anywhere that works for you, whether you’re at home, in a coffee shop, or in a quiet conference room at work. In many cases, you’ll also enjoy the convenience of asynchronous learning opportunities-educational experiences that you can complete on your own schedule. This may include pre-taped lectures, ongoing chat-board discussions, and 24/7 access to digital materials. And of course, just as there are some learners who prefer the energy of a live classroom, there are those who learn best when working in their own personal space, free from distractions. If this sounds like you, you might find the solitude of online learning to be a major advantage.
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To be considered among the best online colleges, schools must offer degrees that cater to a variety of interests. In order to be included on this list, we require that an online college have at least 6 online degrees in at least 3 fields of study at the master’s level. This demonstrates a college or university’s commitment to online learning and to making accessible learning options for more students with differing educational desires.
Tuition + fees
$57K
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21%
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88%
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49K
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1440/32
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26%
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93%
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45K
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1435/32
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8%
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96%
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1525/34
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92%
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40K
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1445/32
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32%
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88%
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44K
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1355/30
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11%
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94%
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26K
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1510/34
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20%
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89%
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32K
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1425/32
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$9K
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25%
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91%
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25K
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1405/30
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$16K
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76%
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81%
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44K
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1210/26
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$12K
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85%
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65%
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39K
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1235/25
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69%
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83%
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23K
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1280/28
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$60K
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33%
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89%
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7K
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1435/31
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$56K
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53%
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83%
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$55K
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33%
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83%
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15K
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1355/30
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$11K
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88%
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66%
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74K
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1240/25
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$11K
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82%
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73%
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1230/26
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$16K
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65%
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83%
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1290/29
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$13K
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21%
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91%
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31K
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1405/31
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$9K
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63%
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62%
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37K
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1225/24
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$7K
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32%
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84%
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40K
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1270/28
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$12K
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80%
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72%
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35K
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1210/27
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$12K
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48%
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87%
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38K
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1330/29
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$11K
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67%
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75%
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28K
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1250/26
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$10K
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49%
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76%
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25K
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1335/29
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$52K
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69%
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69%
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10K
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1265/27
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$12K
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63%
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83%
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59K
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1275/28
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$12K
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96%
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66%
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1195/25
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$11K
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76%
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73%
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33K
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1235/26
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$9K
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78%
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68%
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25K
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1210/26
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$13K
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78%
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71%
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27K
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1240/27
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$48K
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67%
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77%
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4K
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1270/27
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$9K
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46%
Graduation
84%
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31K
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1335/29
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$50K
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68%
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79%
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17K
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1290/29
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$9K
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83%
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72%
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24K
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1210/26
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$8K
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37%
Graduation
76%
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34K
Median SAT/ACT
1215/25