Article by Akash Aggarwal

Online education needs no introduction today. They have been very much in the limelight for being highly flexible to suit everybody’s needs and timings. Getting an online degree is very advantageous and one must consider it to be a part of their career plan. There are so many online schools available today that offers a plethora of courses and programs to match one’s interest.

One thing that needs to be highlighted here is that along with the genuine schools that provide such degrees, an array of fake schools have also mushroomed with the intention of making money. Fake online schools confer degrees unworthy of the marketplace and unworthy of recognition by many employers. Due to this reason working professionals and students need to do quality research on the online school they wish to join.

Accreditation is the Key

One key criterion to check whether a school is genuine or fake is to check the accreditation of that school. Schools must be accredited by the state in which they operate, by one of the six regional agencies:

1. Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSC)2. Northwest Association of Schools and of Colleges and Universities, (NASC)3. Higher Learning Commission of North Central Region (NCA)4. New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC)5. Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS)6. Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC)

And by national agencies, such as:1. Distance Education and Training Council (DETC)2. The Accrediting Council for Independent Colleges and Schools (ACICS).

Career Prospects with Accredited Online Schools

Accredited Online Schools provide so many opportunities to people to build desirable careers by earning diplomas, certificates, associate degrees, bachelor degrees, master degrees, and even doctorate degrees from an online course of study. This is the time to take action as the online education market is growing approximately 40% each year. Get enrolled with an Accredited Online School to get an edge in job over your competitors for the next big promotion or to switch on to the career of your interest. Self-determination, self-discipline and focus are needed to achieve success with online education and the efforts are always worth.

Top Accredited Online Schools

There are a number of renowned schools that provide online education. Amongst them, the top accredited online schools are:

1. Kaplan University2. University of Phoenix3. Ashford University4. American InterContinental University5. Everest University6. Liberty University7. Grand Canyon University8. Capella University9. Westwood College10. Strayer University

The University of the People for Zero Cost Higher Education

This is the latest of online universities. It is a not-for-profit institution. Founded in 2009 by the UN’s Global Alliance for Information and Communication Technology and Development (GAID), this university aims at providing quality higher education to those who cannot afford to study at the public and private universities due to high course fees charged by them. The University of the People claims that the education fees have been set such that the students will never have to pay more than $ 100 to study here. Education will be provided by harnessing the power of social media. Though the university is not accredited as of now, but a proper accreditation has been planned by the university officials.

Conclusion

Fully accredited online schools offer the best of opportunities to working adults and students to prepare for their desired careers. There are a number of accredited online schools to choose from. Before getting enrolled, accreditation must be checked. Consider going for the University of the People for zero cost education.

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