Top 13 Best online universities in the world: If you are reading this post, chances are that you want to find out how best to go about an online degree. Maybe you don’t have time to enroll in a University and attend physical classes, yet you don’t want to put your education on hold. Of course you are looking in the right direction; enrolling for an online degree is certainly the solution to your dilemma.
But yet again, you are not so sure. You wonder if these online courses and degrees have the same value as the normal offline degrees. Say if you want to further your education later on, would your online qualifications accord you the same considerations (for scholarships and grants) as it would those who have on-campus qualifications? What about job opportunities? Would your qualifications be placed on the same pedestal as the others in consideration for employment?
This is a valid reason to rethink enrolling for an online degree, but the fact is that online degrees can be of the same worth and value as on-campus degrees. There are a plethora of online courses out there, but you have to ensure that any you are applying for ha been accredited. This means that such a degree or course has been looked into and approved by the bodies or associations responsible for regulation of tertiary education.
Even better, you could check to see if the universities or platforms offering the courses you are interested in have international accreditation or belong to an International universities regulation body. Accreditation is so important because its outcome determines if the degree you are taking is of any worth and if it would impact your education positively. It is also important because it determines if you would be able to transfer your grades or credits in case of further studies; or if they’ll be considered in case you decide to seek employment.
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Many countries have their different accreditation processes, and you need to get acquainted with the accreditation process of the country or area where the university or platform you want to apply for their online degree/course is situated.
Making the decision to enroll in an online school can be overwhelming, but you are probably doing it because it’s the most convenient way for you to continue your education. That being said, every one deserves a chance at education, and your pursuit of it is a wonderful idea. When looking at online universities to enroll in, you should consider the programs you want to study, because certain institutions would offer better degree programs or schedules than others as regards the course(s) you intend to study. It is also in that light that the list of best online universities below was sourced and compiled.
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Top 13 Most Popular And Best Online Universities In The World 2024
1. Anderson University
Website: https://anderson.edu/
Acceptance rate: 69%
Avg cost after aid: $22K
Graduation rate: 52%
Founded in 1911, Anderson University originated from Anderosn in South Carolina. It is affliated with South Carolina Baptist Convention and is a private institution. They offer Bachelor’s, Master’s and Doctorate degrees in over sixty areas of study including Christian Studies Nursing, Interior Design and Business.
For its online schooling program, it offers many degree programmes ion Bachelor’s, Master’s and Doctorate levels, especially in the fields of Criminal Justice, Business, Christian Studies and Allied Health. It was named the sixteenth fastest growing regional college in the country in 2016, by the Chronicle of Higher Education.
2. University Of Massachusetts
Avg cost after aid: $21K
Graduation rate: 76%
Acceptance rate: 64%
UMASS makes it among the top dogs on the list because it’s online schooling program offers wonderful options to it’s students. Online students get to enjoy certain benefits that on-campus students enjoy.
First, they are tutored by the same professors that teach the on-campus students and resources such as the library services and counseling regarding academics are available to them too. At the end of their programs, they are to be a part of the graduation programme like the on-campus students. They also offer a whooping 113 online course programs in various areas of study and about 12 part-time course programs that require part online studies and part on-campus studies.
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3. Florida State University
Website: https://www.fsu.edu/
Acceptance rate: 36%
Graduation rate: 80%
Avg cost after aid: $11K
Florida State University is one of the long-standing universities in the United States. It was founded in 1851 and is known for attracting space-grant and sea-grant research.
In its on-campus program, it has over 360 fields of study and 16 colleges. It offers programs in Political science, Law, Social Works, Psychology, Theater, Film, etc. It was also ranked as the 33rd best public university in the States in 2017.
Its online learning program offers both Bachelor’s and postgraduate degrees. A remarkable feature of it’s online program is that it allows the option of online electives. Nursing and Education are some of the available degrees; others include computer science, criminology and public safety.
As for study requirements, students who enrolled for the online learning program are expected to reach a benchmark of 60 credit hours or even more, that would be transferred to the program of their choice. The services of academic coordinators or counsellors who help students to streamline their educational goals, track their schoolwork progress and make suggestions to help them excel in their studies.
4. University of Missouri
Website: https://missouri.edu/
Avg cost after aid: $18K
Graduation rate: 68%
Acceptance rate: 81%
The great thing about University of Missouri’s online learning program is that while on-campus semesters have to be completed within a stipulated time, online courses are completed at one’s pace.
The online courses are also taught with the same facilities and by the same professors that handle the on-campus degrees. However, the e-learning student often have to come down to campus to participate in some physical learning or to sit for tests. It offers over ninety degree programs in fields of study such as Radiography, Hospitality Management, Education and the Health Sciences.
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5. University of Memphis
Website: https://www.memphis.edu/
Acceptance rate: 85%
Graduation rate: 41%
Avg cost after aid: $13K
Founded in 1912, University of Memphis is located in Memphis, Tennessee. It is a home for advanced research centers in Intelligence, several natural disasters, technology, economy, etc.
Its online schooling department, called the University of Memphis Global runs over 60 degree programmes including Education, Humanities and Social Sciences, Health Sciences, Engineering, etc. It also has a course advisory program that helps students center their academic interest and make an educated choice of a course of study.
6. Liberty University
Website: https://www.liberty.edu/
Acceptance rate: 51%
Graduation rate: 34%
Avg cost after aid: $28K
Liberty University is a non-profit and private Christian institution located in Virginia. It offers a wide range of online programmes including 121 Bachelor’s degrees, 12 distinct Associate degrees, 125 Master’s degrees, etc and even provides for a high school program.
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7. University of New England
Website: https://www.une.edu.au/
Acceptance rate: 84.4%
Graduation rate: 58.6%
University of New England is the biggest private University in Maine and was named one of the best North regional universities in 2017. They offer Master’s, Doctorate and Graduate degrees in Education, Applied Nutrition, Social Works, Health Informatics, etc.
They also offer single online courses for applicants looking to make up their Science Prerequisites to enable them qualify for other Professional Health courses.
8. Michigan State University
Website: https://msu.edu/
Acceptance rate: 71%
Graduation rate: 78%
Avg cost after aid: $19K
Michigan State University offers a host of online courses especially in the Arts, Journalism, Theatre and Film Production. Some of these course are beginner-friendly and last over the course of a few weeks or months. It is suitable for those looking to grab a quick certification on a skilled course with training spanning only a short period of time.
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9. Georgia Institute of Technology
Website: https://www.gatech.edu
Acceptance rate: 21%
Graduation rate: 86%
Avg cost after aid: $15K
Georgia Institute of Technology offers several online programs that are Technology related, Business-oriented and also in Leadership Innovation. They have made these online programs available since 2012.
10. Creighton University
Website: https://www.creighton.edu/
Avg cost after aid: $30K
Graduation rate: 79%
Acceptance rate: 74%
Creighton University is a private Roman Catholic institution belonging to an association of Jesuit Colleges and Universities. It offers online programs suited for the average working class adult with an almost full-time schedule. They offer Master’s and Doctorate degrees in fields such as Education, Spirituality, Health and Medicine, etc.
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11. Harvard University: Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts is one of the best universities in the world with a global ranking of No. 2 according to the Round University World Ranking. Harvard is equally one of the best online University, offering over 970 online courses; majority of which are free and will help broaden your knowledge and practical skills in your choose area of study.
There are also certificate of completion upon your completion of your desired course. Thus, giving you a professional Certification from the most reputable University in the world. Asides the numerous online courses available, Harvard partners with edX to offer free and paid online degree courses in areas such as: Technology, Programming, Mathematics, Arts and Design, Health and Medicine, Business, Mathematics, Social sciences and sciences.
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12. Ohio University: Ohio State University currently doubles as one of the best public University in it’s State and one of the best online Universities in the world, as it offers a wide range of online courses with which you can attain professional certifications, associate degree, undergraduate degree, masters degree and doctoral degree in your desired area of study.
It is therefore one of the best online universities in the world as reaffirmed by the latest U.S news and World Report Ranking of Online programmes.
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13. University of Edinburgh: The University of Edinburgh is a public university situated at Edinburgh, Scotland and officially founded in 1583, so thereafter becoming one of the oldest universities in the United Kingdom.
It’s consistency in delivery excellent learning and teaching has deservedly placed it amongst top 14 Universities in the world according to QS World University Ranking and it’s development of Online Courses in 2005 and continuance till date has launched the University as also one of the best online universities in the world.
This University offers short online courses and also undergraduate and postgraduate learning program especially in areas of Medicine and public health, Law, Agriculture, Social sciences, Computer Science &IT, humanities, Arts and design, Applied sciences, business and management, Technology, Mathematics, Natural science and Environment studies.
The University also collaborates with leading online learning platform ‘Coursera’ to excellently deliver a great online learning experience for it’s students in their desired area of study.
Edeh Samuel Chukwuemeka, ACMC, is a lawyer and a certified mediator/conciliator in Nigeria. He is also a developer with knowledge in various programming languages. Samuel is determined to leverage his skills in technology, SEO, and legal practice to revolutionize the legal profession worldwide by creating web and mobile applications that simplify legal research. Sam is also passionate about educating and providing valuable information to people.