I want to get back in school and I'm limited to online stuff because of childcare and transportation.
Are there any non-profit accredited online colleges?
I would research your local community college and see if they offer online courses - that's becoming quite common these days. I feel like having classes attached to a brick and mortar school (especially if you'll be applying for jobs in your current location) carries greater respect than attending the more ubiquitous online schools (e.g. U of Phoenix).





Agreed that community colleges are probably the best bet. The highly advertised 'for profit' online universities are garnering a bad rep with both students and potential employers. Note however that some community colleges are also garnering a bad rep with potential employers and 4 year colleges ... because they have been pressured to accept anyone with a GED, and as a result have graduated a significant number of students who aren't performing up to expectations.




i agree and unless they are through a specific online extension school, your transcript wont look different from the people who took in person classes. after youre done at the community college you can transfer to a state 4 year and continue to take online classes through them.
if what you are looking for isnt necessarily a traditional liberal arts degree but something like paralegal or real estate many 4 years offer 100% online program for that. ucla extension is the only one i have taken a class with and can vouch for but i know many large schools have them. harvard business certificate is popular. just know that your transcript will clearly say its the extension school so you wont have the prestige brownie points.
it youre trying to transfer to a place that accepts dsst or clep units, you can self study and test out of many classes through getcollegecredit.com. i highly recommend if you have gen ed to do that you are worried will ruin your gpa or be a time suck.

Yes, you should look at Western Governors University (WGU), I think they are the only affordable, regionally accredited, non-profit online university. They don't have that many majors to choose from, and they give out pass/fails instead of actual letter grades, which may be an issue if trying to get into a competitive masters program or something. Also, you pay tuition by like 6 month terms, and they let you take as many classes as you want during that term, there are (really smart) people who have gotten degrees from WGU in like 1 year.
Don't ever attend a for-profit, especially an online for profit school. As others have suggested, try community colleges or non-profits that offer online courses.
Always do independent research into the graduation rates and job opportunities post-graduation. Don't trust the school's own website. There should be plenty of reviews or statistics about it (eg. US News).
Some colleges have online course lectures for free (eg. M.I.T.) so you can get a sense of the class or learn the entire curriculum before enrolling.
Bookmarks