Houston Business University

Are Online degrees just as good as degrees obtained by actually going to college?

Are Online degrees looked upon & honored the same way as regular degrees obtained through a 4-year schools?

Public Comments

1. No, in fact most people, universities and employers frown upon them, since 95% of all online universities are not accredited and fail to provide the adequate and necessary education required for the position, to be quite honest, you get better education at most community colleges.
2. No, in fact online degrees are often looked upon with suspicion by most employers because so many of them are unaccredited and not worth the paper they are printed on. Even the well known ones aren't taken seriously because they are (perhaps unfairly) looked upon as the ugly stepsister of four year colleges. Whats worse, most online schools are incredibly expensive, for example University of Phoenix charges 515 dollars per credit hour, which is well above most community colleges and many four year institutions. If you really want to obtain a degree online, I advise that you scout around your local community or four year college. Most colleges nowadays offer online course and degree options and if you go the online route with a school that is not traditionally an online school, than a potential employer doesn't ever have to know that you completed your degree predominantly online. Good luck in all of your future endeavors!
3. As long as the college is regionally accredited any degree you earn should be recognized and honored by any potential employers and other academic institutions. That having been said not all online colleges are viewed the same just as not all campus colleges are viewed the same. Even within the same college (both online and campus) different programs can be viewed differently by potential employers in various fields. I think you will find that online degrees are growing both in acceptance and in the number of schools offering them as more schools recognize the benefits learning online offer both the school and students. In fact most colleges at this point will not indicate whether a degree is obtained online or on campus. Whether you choose to attend a campus program or online I would recommend contacting a number of schools to find the best fit for you and your needs (tuition, schedule, reputation by potential employers). Too often people choose to enroll in the first program they find without looking at other options. If you do choose to go the online route this site has some great info on accredited online degrees and some colleges to help begin/expand your search: http://www.ecollegefinder.org/list-of-online-schools-universities-colleges.aspx I think you can fill out your contact info on the forms there and the colleges will send you more information for free.
4. no
5. Depends on the school. Like most people have answered you need to be sure it's accredited and not just another diploma mill. It also depends on the employer you're applying to. Most employers (I live in NC) around here view it as the same. Also employers often look for diversity so having someone who went to college online adds diversity. It helps if you go to a college with an actual campus. Like the University of NC offers degrees online so when you graduate you can just put UNC on your resume and don't have to specify you went online (unless they ask you). So just make sure it's accredited and check who it's accreditted by. Some places even have fake accreditting places. Nowadays a lot of people can't stop thier lives and go to an actual college for 4 years. Most employers can understand that and honor online colleges. Who wouldn't want to hire someone who worked full time and got a bachelor's degree from an accredited school at the same time? That takes hard work, brains, and mad time managing skills. Don't be afraid to get your degree online.