Compare Top Online Bachelor Degree Program Schools

University of Phoenix

1989

20

Email, phone (24 hours)

Bachelor of Science in Business (9 available concentrations); Bachelor of Science (Criminal Justice Administration; Health Administration; Information Technology; Management; Human Services and Management)

The Higher Learning Commission and is a member of the North Central Association

asynchronous (similar to email); online labs; simulations; one-course-at-a-time for 5-6 weeks each

access to campus-based and online libraries; academic advising; mentoring; tutoring; financial aid office

Worth knowing:

• Credits transfer easily between University of Phoenix and its campus-based partner, which has 190 different campuses across the U.S.
• Financial aid programs are available for online college courses at University of Phoenix, including the Federal Stafford Student Loan, the Federal PLUS Loan, and the Federal Pell Grant.

Westwood College Online

n/a

n/a

Email, phone (24 hours)

Accrediting Commission of Career Schools and Colleges of Technology (ACCSCT)

asynchronous (threaded discussion, email); synchronous (chatrooms); online document sharing area

Financial aid office; student advising and tutoring; access to online electronic library; alumni retraining available after graduation

Worth knowing:

• Students report having been pleased with their online instructors; over 90% would recommend them to others.
• Each course at Westwood is developed in a three tier approach; involving a subject matter expert, a course designer, and quality assurance measures.

University of Maryland University College

1996

30

Email, phone (24 hours)

Bachelor of Arts (Communication Studies, English, History, Humanities), Bachelor of Science (Accounting, Business Administration, Computer and Information Science, Computer Studies, Environmental Management, Fire Science, Global Business and Public Policy, Human Resource Management, Information Systems Management, Legal Studies, Management Studies, Marketing, Psychology, Social Science)

The Commission on Higher Education of the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools

generally asynchronous (threaded discussion, email); synchronous (chatrooms) available

access to campus-based and online libraries; academic advising; mentoring; career planning and placement assistance; financial aid office

Worth knowing:

• UMUC is one of the largest online universities. Over 87,000 students were enrolled in UMUC online courses in 2004.
• UMUC won a Sloan Consortium Award for Excellence in Institution-Wide Asynchronous Learning Network Programming.

Capella University

1997

18

Email, phone

Bachelor of Science in Business, Bachelor of Science in Information Technology

Capella University is accredited by The Higher Learning Commission and a member of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools

asynchronous (discussion forums); streaming video & audio; online labs; simulations

access to campus-based and online libraries; academic advising; mentoring; tutoring; career planning and placement assistance; financial aid office

Worth knowing:

• Coursework is completed 100% online. Students receive assignments online, and submit their completed assignments through the same virtual classroom tool.
• Capella classes have fixed starting and ending dates. Most classes run three months in length, some last six weeks, and a few classes last only a month.

American InterContinental University Online

2001

N/A

Email, chat, toll-free phone (24/7)

Bachelor's of Business Administration (8 possible concentrations), Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice, Bachelor's of Information Technology (3 possible concentrations), Bachelor's of Fine Arts in Visual Communication

AIU Online is a branch campus of American InterContinental University, Atlanta, Georgia. American InterContinental University is accredited by the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools to award Associate, Bachelor’s, and Master’s degrees. This umbrella accreditation includes all approved branch campuses of the University, including AIU Online originating in Illinois.

synchronous (chatrooms); asynchronous (discussion forums); streaming audio/video; online labs; simulations

access to campus-based and online libraries; career counseling and placement assistance; academic advising; tutoring; mentoring

Worth knowing:

• AIU Online's proprietary instruction delivery system, Fourth Dimension Learning™, provides flexibility in terms of time and level of involvement in virtual discussions.