About Online Colleges

Online Colleges is a nonprofit resource website which maintains the largest database of online colleges on the web.

As a nonprofit, we accept no sponsorships or payments of any kind, and as a result our database of 343 colleges remains a comprehensive and unbiased resource for students.

About Online Colleges Blog

'Man's mind stretched to a new idea never goes back to its original dimensions.'

- Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr.

The Online Colleges Blog covers education but paints with a very broad brush. We believe that the more topics and ideas a person is exposed to, the more interesting and relevant their insights in their own particular career or field of focus.

So if you're looking for a place to learn about the passions and experiences of others, or want to grow your own knowledge in areas you've perhaps never heard of, sit down and strap in, because you've found your blog.

Accredited Online Colleges: How is their accreditation different from campus schools?

A lot of students considering an online college are attracted by the cost, flexibility and other benefits, but remain concerned perhaps with good reason, about the schools accreditation.

There is not necessarily anything preventing an online college from being accredited by the same bodies which accredit traditional campus colleges. College accreditation is generally divided into two tiers, regional accreditation being the best, and national accreditation being the next tier. Both online schools and campus schools can quality for both, but it is regional accreditation which is most difficult to obtain and therefore a stronger indicator of quality.

So, when looking for schools, begin by looking for an online school with Distance Education Training Council, which is seen as a valid accreditation organization by many employers.

In general, an employer isn’t going to know or care where a college was accredited, as long as it was accredited. The biggest issue comes into play when the issue of transferring schools arises. Credits may not transfer to a school accredited by one of the regional organizations to a school accredited by a national body like the DETC. This may not pose a problem for you if you are sticking with the school accredited by the DETC throughout the course of your college career, but if you plan on transferring credits, it is something you want to further explore. When beginning your online degree journey, check the