Remember Me
forgot your password?

Online Degree Programs Enter the Educational Mainstream

Online degree programs are leading a boom in distance learning that has made a college education more accessible than ever before. In fact, distance learning has taken a place alongside classroom learning in the mainstream of American education.

In the near term, advantages of online degree programs include lower cost and greater convenience. Over the long term, earning a college degree online can pay off with substantial financial benefits over the course of your career.

Growth of Online Degree Programs
Online degree programs are a prominent part of the trend toward distance learning which has changed the face of post-secondary education.

According to U.S. Department of Education statistics for the 2006-07 academic year, 65 percent of colleges offer some form of for-credit distance learning programs. In total 12.2 million people were enrolled in these programs, with just over three-quarters of those participating via online courses.

This proliferation has led to wider choice, with 11,200 college programs designed specifically for distance education. For the most part, these are not just continuing education courses, but rather degree-oriented programs. 66 percent of all distance education programs were degree-oriented, with the remainder representing certificate programs.

As with any college program, it is important to look for online accredited degrees--those that are recognized as meeting a certain threshold of educational standards. Fortunately, with so many accredited colleges now adding online programs, online accredited degrees should not be hard to find.

Why Earn a Degree Online?
Today, millions of people are earning a degree online.  Why should you consider joining them? There are a variety of reasons:
•    Accessibility. Not every student has the option of pulling up roots and attending college in another part of the country. In the past, this would have meant that your educational options were limited to programs that happened to be offered in your area. This is no longer true. With online education, academic programs from all over the country are now as close as your computer.
•    Flexible schedule. Traditional college programs typically represented a rigid time schedule. For people with work or family obligations, conforming to that kind of schedule is an impossibility. Online programs both increase the number of scheduling options you have, and the flexibility of many of those options.
•    Affordability. Online education gives you more low-tuition options to consider, and in particular eliminates the room, board, and transportation costs associated with an on-campus education.

Financial Benefits
Accessibility, flexibility, and affordability are all short-term benefits. If these make the difference in allowing you to pursue a college degree, then the long-term financial benefits are considerable.

Simply obtaining an associate's degree can bump the average person's annual earnings up to $34,000, compared to $29,000 for people who didn't get beyond a high school degree or equivalent. Obtaining a bachelor's degree raises the earning level by an even greater margin, to $43,500, and these income gaps have been getting wider over time.

Those are just one-year differences. Project those income differentials over the course of a career, and they add up to hundreds of thousands of dollars. That's the long-term financial benefit of a college education, and online education may be your best chance at capturing that benefit.

Kelli Smith

Edu411.org is a directory of online degree programs, online accredited degrees, and campus based career education schools.

Rate this Article: 0 / 5 stars - 0 vote(s)
Print Email Re-Publish

Add new Comment



Captcha

  • Latest Online Education Articles
  • More from Kelli Smith

Make IIT JEE Preparation Fun and Effective

By: Sarvesh | 25/11/2009
Every IIT aspirant wants to crack IIT JEE exam with good rank. This article is all about IIT JEE Exam preparation that how one should prepare oneself for cracking the exam.

Elearning Tools and the Art of the Story

By: don robert | 25/11/2009
So what is it in the story that makes it such an effective teaching tool? Well, a story not only gives flavor to the lesson, it gives it life.

Online Business Degree in Finance

By: K James | 24/11/2009
Businesses are continuously looking at cost-cutting measures and the ongoing development of long-term business solutions, operations and strategies.

Killtest Latest Oracle EBS R12: General Ledger and Payables Fundamentals 1Z0-215

By: killtestym | 24/11/2009
Killtest know that you are searching Oracle EBS R12: General Ledger and Payables Fundamentals 1Z0-215 ,and we also know this material which can make sure that you can pass the exam successfully ,so now you know killtest is the best choice for you to get the best material and then pass the exam get the certification 100% ,the material we offer to you will be the same as the real exam ,which can cover all the real exam ,the question and answer is latest according to the exam centre

A Measure on the Importance of Applied Psychology in Anger Management

By: Roger Pointing | 24/11/2009
Anger management is a noble profession that has received a boost to its popularity as persons who get easily angry need a grip on their emotional outbursts. Personnel practicing tricks and techniques of anger management should understand the facial expressions of patients. A distance learning course on applied psychology can endow them with the skills of a pro psychologist.

LOT-951: IBM Lotus Notes Domino 8.5 Application Development Update

By: xanndy | 24/11/2009
Killtest offers free LOT-951 exam questions, latest LOT-951 Q&A the same as LOT-951 real exam.

killtest/ourexam HP ASE HP0-Y22 Exam

By: xanndy | 24/11/2009
Killtest offers free HP0-Y22 exam questions, latest HP0-Y22 Q&A the same as HP0-Y22 real exam.

CompTIA PDI+ Beta PD0-001 Exam

By: xanndy | 24/11/2009
Killtest offers free PD0-001 exam questions, latest PD0-001 Q&A the same as PD0-001 real exam.

How to Become a Teacher

By: Kelli Smith | 12/08/2009 | Education
An overview of how to become a teacher, including educational requirements and attributes for becoming an effective teacher.

How to Become a High School Teacher

By: Kelli Smith | 10/08/2009 | Education
Requirements to become a high school teacher include a secondary education degree and some special skills.

How to Become a High School Teacher

By: Kelli Smith | 10/08/2009 | Education
Requirements to become a high school teacher include a secondary education degree and some special skills.

How to Become an Elementary School Teacher

By: Kelli Smith | 10/08/2009 | Education
A description of the characteristics and educational credentials you may need to become an elementary school teacher.

The Basics of Becoming a Substitute Teacher

By: Kelli Smith | 10/08/2009 | Online Education
If you're interested in education, you might have thought about becoming a substitute teacher. Read on if you're serious about taking the plunge.

Becoming a Teaching Assistant: Information and Advice

By: Kelli Smith | 10/08/2009 | Online Education
Interested in a career in education? Read on to find out why teaching assistants are becoming more and more important in modern classrooms and how to prepare for this job field.

Engineering Your Career: Courses and Degrees in Engineering Online

By: Kelli Smith | 30/07/2009 | Online Education
When you earn an online engineering degree, you're preparing for an exciting career in any number of growing fields, like science, computers, design, construction, manufacturing, or healthcare. Find out more about the kind of engineering degrees and courses offered online, and get on your way to an exciting career on the cutting edge.

Designs on a Degree? Online Training for the Digital Designer

By: Kelli Smith | 30/07/2009 | Online Education
If you're creative, analytical, visually-oriented, and technologically savvy, an online degree in digital design might be the route to your ideal career. Find out more about this cutting-edge field and how earning your design degree online is quite possibly the best training method for up-and-comers like yourself.

Submit Your Articles Free: Signup
Article Categories




Use of this web site constitutes acceptance of the Terms Of Use and Privacy Policy | User published content is licensed under a Creative Commons License.
Copyright © 2005-2008 Free Articles by ArticlesBase.com, All rights reserved. (0.14, 1, w2)