Are online degrees more acceptable today than they were five years ago?

The results of a recent poll conducted by career statisticians Vault, Inc. maligning the quality of online education have been widely publicized in the last week. But are the results as significant as many publications have claimed they are? Probably not. Moreover, most reports (in CNN Money and Yahoo Finance) gloss over the finding that does point to improving attitudes toward online degrees—83% of respondents stated that online degrees are more acceptable today than they were five years ago.

 

The most widely-publicized of these findings notes that 64% of employers would prefer a candidate with a traditional degree over another with an online degree. But, only 49% of employers have even seen a candidate who possessed an online degree, meaning that fully 15% of those who wouldn’t view an online and a traditional degree as equal have never seen a candidate with an online degree. As with any rapidly improving field, misinformation about online degrees abounds. While the average quality of online degrees in the past has left something to be desired, most major online schools now possess regional accreditation.

 

As with any career-related endeavor, those who choose to invest their money in an online school after careful research will find that they are rewarded with increased salaries and improved positions. Those who attend unaccredited online schools or purchase degrees from degree mills will find that their degrees are virtually worthless. When the average consumer buys a car, the necessary precautions are taken to avoid ending up with a lemon—and the same goes for selecting an online school. Moreover, as various government and accrediting agencies crack down on illegitimate online programs, the problem will become less of an issue, and before the end of the decade attitudes toward online degrees will be reversed.

Tags: Career Education, Online Education