2012 Online College Rankings
Overall Rankings - Methodology - Other Rankings Data
According to the U.S. Department of Education's Office of Vocational and Adult Education, "the thoughtful integration of digital technologies into the traditional scheme of education and their use in developing new ways of learning is necessary to ensure students have the tools to thrive in a complex and rapidly changing technological society." In short, the importance of online education continues to impact the way we learn, work, and grow our careers. However, because learning in this format is still relatively new, it has been difficult for students to accurately assess the strengths and weaknesses of online education options.
Our goal is to hold online schools accountable to the same high standards we expect of traditional institutions. This comprehensive ranking system was created in order to help prospective students make informed decisions about how to invest in their education. Our analysis takes many factors into account, including accreditation status, tuition cost, retention and repayment rates as well as student reviews of the colleges themselves.
Overall Rankings
The table presented below shows the overall rank of every school that made the cut. By clicking on the college's name, you will be taken directly to the school's information page to learn more about the institution. To understand more about the data and how we arrived at the score you see in the right hand column, check out the methodology section included below.
Rank |
School |
School Type |
Repayment Rate |
Retention Rate |
Tuition |
Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| # 1 | California University of Pennsylvania Online | Non-Profit | 54% | 74% | $11,914 | 85.49 |
| # 2 | Western Governors University | Non-Profit | 51% | 76% | $5,870 | 80.39 |
| # 3 | Iowa Central College | Non-Profit | 54% | 55% | $5,790 | 79.36 |
| # 4 | National University | Non-Profit | 51% | 79% | $11,088 | 78.97 |
| # 5 | Abilene Christian University | Non-Profit | 62% | 71% | $22,760 | 76.80 |
| # 6 | Jones International University | For-Profit | 49% | 89% | $11,880 | 76.24 |
| # 7 | Northcentral University | For-Profit | 57% | 63% | $8,400 | 76.21 |
| # 8 | Bellevue University | Non-Profit | 55% | 38% | $6,150 | 73.70 |
| # 9 | Concord Law School | For-Profit | --- | 75% | $9,984 | 72.37 |
| # 10 | University of the Rockies Online | For-Profit | 52% | --- | $12,096 | 71.44 |
| # 11 | Northeastern University | Non-Profit | 74% | 93% | $36,792 | 70.39 |
| # 12 | City University | Non-Profit | 59% | 30% | $15,474 | 67.34 |
| # 13 | Colorado Technical University - Online Grad | For-Profit | 39% | 84% | $10,665 | 66.96 |
| # 14 | Liberty University Online | Non-Profit | 45% | 71% | $18,064 | 62.41 |
| # 15 | Western International University | For-Profit | 35% | 67% | $10,480 | 57.96 |
| # 16 | Upper Iowa University Online | Non-Profit | 50% | 61% | $22,350 | 56.45 |
| # 17 | Saint Leo University Online | Non-Profit | 39% | 69% | $18,150 | 56.39 |
| # 18 | University of Phoenix | For-Profit | 44% | 52% | $10,120 | 56.38 |
| # 19 | Grand Canyon University | For-Profit | 52% | 25% | $16,500 | 56.29 |
| # 20 | Academy of Art University Online | For-Profit | 44% | 63% | $18,050 | 55.35 |
| # 21 | Bryant and Stratton College Online | For-Profit | 23% | 73% | $15,120 | 51.87 |
| # 22 | Ashford University | For-Profit | 45% | 36% | $16,270 | 49.86 |
| # 23 | Capella University | For-Profit | 40% | 29% | $10,980 | 46.81 |
| # 24 | Walden University | For-Profit | 41% | 29% | $9,480 | 45.98 |
| # 25 | Colorado Technical University - Online | For-Profit | 39% | 34% | $11,660 | 44.52 |
| # 26 | University of Maryland University College | Non-Profit | 37% | 37% | $12,288 | 42.99 |
| # 27 | ECPI College of Technology Online | For-Profit | 29% | 51% | $13,550 | 41.60 |
| # 28 | AT Still University | Non-Profit | 33% | --- | $24,156 | 36.27 |
| # 29 | American InterContinental University | For-Profit | 39% | 14% | $15,465 | 36.27 |
| # 30 | Argosy University Online | For-Profit | 37% | 33% | $19,812 | 33.10 |
Methodology
The overall purpose of these rankings is to create a standardized and trustworthy method to rank online institutions based on reliable statistics. These ratings will allow potential students to better judge the schools they are considering and make a more educated decision in the end. The statistics used in the online school rankings were gathered from The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES). This site is the primary governmental entity for gathering and presenting data related to education.
The following criteria were used to rank the schools:
- Accreditation: Regional accreditation is widely considered to be the most selective and prestigious of all accreditation types. It also serves its students better by allowing them to transfer credits between institutions easily. Therefore, all schools on our list are regionally accredited.
- Cost of Tuition and Books: The cost of a higher education is a huge factor for many when deciding on an institution. When compiling our online college rankings, we made sure to weigh heavily a school's overall tuition cost.
- For-Profit vs. Not-For-Profit: By definition, for-profit schools are educational institutions that are run by profit-seeking, private companies. To learn more about for-profit institutions, please see the following website. This metric was not weighted in our calculations for rankings, but is provided in our data tables.
- Retention Rates: Graduation and retention rates are an excellent indicator of the overall effectiveness of the institution. An online institute with poor retention and graduation rates clearly shows student dissatisfaction with the school.
- Student Feedback: Student feedback was strongly weighted when ranking schools. We examined all reviews written for institutions on Guide to Online Schools and adjusted rankings based on how students reported feeling about the individual schools and programs.
- Repayment Rate: Released by the U.S. government, this metric tells us the percentage of students that pay back their loans in the allotted time and without falling into default. This statistic is especially important given the current economic climate.
Other Rankings Data
Guide to Online Schools would also like to recognize other outstanding online colleges that we do not have student review data for. If you're interested in pursuing a higher education through distance learning at a non-profit school, be sure to check out the latest addition to our helpful collection or rankings.
