Thursday, October 8, 2009

Top 10 Online Universities Named

Separating the chaff from the wheat is the challenge these days when it comes to online education. With the proliferation of programs, questions about the quality of some programs and the apparent need for online programs from a variety of fronts, it’s hard to know what is good and what, well, isn’t.

But where there is a need there is … a study. And along comes something called the “Online Education Database (OEDb)” which since 2006 has ranked the top online universities and colleges every year.

Online Education Database, an independent for-profit organization located in Houston, Texas, states it is “dedicated to building a comprehensive database of the top accredited online colleges and the degree programs that they offer....

“While the opportunities for online education are rapidly gaining in number, there still exists a lack of transparency,” OEDb states on its web site. “We thought there was a need to cut through some of this by offering our rankings. Our main purpose in conducting this study was to show, as objectively as possible, which are the top accredited online colleges.

“Our methodology certainly isn't perfect, but we strived to make it consistent and logical at the very least.”

So, with this in mind, what are OEDb's choices for the top 10 online universities?

1. Nova Southeastern University
2. Regent University
3. Champlain College
4. Upper Iowa University
5. LeTourneau University
6. Liberty University
7. Grand Canyon University
8. Dickinson State University
9. Western Governors University
10. Salem International University

In its analysis, OED notes that Nova Southeastern U. is accredited by the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools. “It is also listed as one of the best distance learning graduate schools in the country by the Princeton Review,” OEDb said. And “its law school was ranked twenty-second for legal writing from U.S. News and World Report."

Regent University, which ranked second overall, is accredited by the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools and Association of Theological Schools. By comparison, Regent “was rated seventh in the country for quality of life by the Princeton Review,” said OEDb.

Champlain College is accredited by the New England Association of Schools & Colleges. OEDb notes that according to America's Best Colleges, published by U.S. News & World Report 2009, Champlain ranked twelfth in the listing of ‘Best Baccalaureate Colleges in the North’ which includes New England states, New York, New Jersey, Maryland and Pennsylvania.

For more on the rankings and to see who else was on the list see http://oedb.org/rankings .