Are you looking for a flexible degree program to serve your educational needs? Do you wish to keep on earning while you complete your studies? Online college degree programs in the U.S. provide one such way of acquiring a certified college qualification without the hassle of going to regular on-campus classes. With the advancement of modern technology in recent years, it has become increasingly convenient for individuals wishing to embark upon a college degree to earn their desired qualification while staying at home. Earning an online college degree is widely considered the quickest and most cost-effective way of obtaining a college level educational qualification. An increasing number of prospective college students in the U.S. are opting for distance learning educational programs as their top alternative to traditional on-campus programs.

What Type of Degrees are Offered

Online degree programs offered in the US include qualifications ranging from community college level certificates and associate’s degree programs to more advanced degrees such as bachelor’s and master’s level programs. An increasing number of online colleges across the U.S have started offering research based degrees such as PhD programs in many traditional and newly popular subjects.

Associate’s degrees are considered the most basic level of college education in the U.S. This entry-level degree qualification is suitable for individuals who cannot afford to bear the increasing financial cost involved in getting a traditional on-campus college qualification. Associate degrees also provide individuals with a chance to finish their college degree qualification in their own time frame. These degrees are more often than not tailor-made according to the needs of students and allow them to follow a self-paced learning pattern. The normal time required to obtain an associate degree qualification in U.S. is between fourteen and twenty-four months.

Bachelor’s degrees 

Bachelor’s degrees offered at online colleges in the U.S are deemed sufficient for individuals working towards acquiring a mid-career level job in their desired field. The degree is considered to be a stepping-stone towards further higher education qualifications such as a masters or a doctorate degree. Generally bachelor’s degrees offered through distance learning method focus on the theoretical concept of the subject and require little or no practical experience to complete the qualification. Bachelor’s degrees usually take four years of full-time education to complete; however, these degrees can be acquired in less than three years if taken via distance learning method.

Doctoral degrees on the other hand take either one or two years to complete and are usually offered by only selected online colleges in the U.S. Doctoral degrees focus entirely on the research part of a subject and require students to write a thesis in order to fulfill the graduation requirements of a PhD degree. A doctoral degree is considered suitable for individuals wishing to embark upon on a teaching career in one of the numerous colleges and universities in the U.S. and abroad. Some high-level managerial positions in the corporate world also require interested candidates to have doctoral level qualifications as a pre-requisite.

Average Cost of an Online College Degree Qualification

Online college degree fee is normally charged on per credit-hour basis. Online associate college degrees are worth sixty credit-hours, whereas bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral level degrees have eighty-four, sixty, and seventy-two credit hours respectively. Per credit-hour fee charged by online degree colleges vary from one subject to another, but normally the total cost involved in completing one credit-hour of online degree education ranges from $150 to upwards of $300 on average.