Earning a higher degree through online education provides students with the opportunity to study at a lower cost and at their own pace. When deciding on an online school, interested individuals may want to research their options before enrolling in a program.
The Institute of Education Sciences, a division of the U.S. Department of Education, recently published the 2010 review of the nation's top online academic institutions. The rankings were based on student satisfaction, graduation and retention rates of enrolled students as well as the number of online programs offered.
Walden University was named the top-ranked online school, with 240 different online degrees, the most by any distance learning institution. Kaplan University was named the second best distance learning institution, providing students with the opportunity to enroll in 184 degree programs. Kaplan also had the third best graduation rate among online schools with 66 percent.
Ranked third was Liberty University, which offers more than 40 accredited online degree programs and 90 specializations, and has a 71 percent retention rate.
According to U.S. News and World Report, in fall 2008 almost 25 percent of the 19 million students attending an accredited college or university were enrolled in at least one online course.
