20 Best Accredited Self-Paced Online Colleges

It’s no secret that online education has been gaining popularity in recent years and for good reason. Self-paced online colleges offer students the opportunity to earn a degree at their own pace, while also allowing them to balance their personal and professional responsibilities.

Typically, the way this is done is that these online colleges offer degree programs online where the classes can be followed asynchronously; meaning that you can catch up on your missed classes via recordings and re-runs. This pattern helps ensure that students never skip a beat when it comes to classes.

Moreover, these self-paced online colleges have an impressive catalog of degrees available for selection; including bachelor’s degrees, associate degrees, master’s degrees, and a few online doctoral programs.

Overall, opting to enroll in self-paced online colleges will mean that you will get the guidance, mentorship, follow-up, lesser pressure, and patience that is often not found in traditional on-campus schools. If you’ve been looking for self-paced online colleges like this, it will interest you to know that you have an impressive number of options.

That’s why we’ve put together a list of the 20 best accredited self-paced online colleges, ranked by Academic Influence.

Table of Contents

Who Should Consider Enrolling in a Self-Paced Online College?

For students who require the freedom to complete their education on their own schedule, self-paced online universities are the best option.

Self-paced online universities can give you the freedom you need to succeed, whether you have obligations to your job or family or you just like a more independent learning approach.

Self-paced courses are also frequently less expensive than conventional on-campus courses, which makes them a wonderful choice for students on a tight budget.

Tips for Succeeding in a Distance Learning

While self-paced online colleges offer flexibility, they also require self-discipline and motivation. Here are some tips to help ensure your success:

1. Stay Organized

Keep track of assignments, deadlines, and class schedules to avoid falling behind. This helps you to not lose track of your school work; further, doing so helps you remain focused on your studies.

2. Create a Study Schedule

Block out specific times each day or week to dedicate to your coursework. This is important because schooling from home typically means you’ll get distracted a lot.

So, when you carve out a specific study schedule, this helps you know the periods when you ought to get into the mood. Furthermore, we will also advise creating a space for study. You can even apportion a small corner of your room or office to do this.

3. Stay Engaged

Participate in discussion forums and reach out to your professors and classmates to stay engaged and motivated. Also, feel free to use the learning resources available to you from the school.

This will help you stay engaged with school and not slack off.

4. Stay Connected

Set up a designated study space and minimize distractions to maintain focus. Furthermore, managing your time well will make all the difference for you.

5. Utilize resources

Take advantage of resources such as tutoring, writing centers, and online libraries. And like most self-paced online colleges do, you’ll typically get hands-on projects assigned to you.

It is important that you actively participate in those, as they help to build your experience and skills toward the career you want for yourself.

Ranking Methodology

The schools on our list were ranked by Academic Influence, a company that uses a proprietary algorithm to rank colleges and universities based on their contributions to the academic community. Academic Influence takes into account factors such as flexibility, student success, and alumni success to determine a school’s influence in the academic world.

Let’s take a look at them in the order they were listed on their website.

Flexibility

Self-paced online colleges build their education offering around flexibility.

This flexibility means that their programs can accommodate students who are working and studying at the same time; students who want to learn remotely; students who want to save money and time on commuting; or students who cannot travel.

Cost Effectiveness

This factor emphasizes the affordability of the programs offered by these different online colleges.

As a general consensus, online colleges are more affordable than traditional on-campus programs. Moreso, traditional universities that offer distance learning acknowledge this and make their tuition fee cheaper for online learners than in-person students.

Less Pressure = Better Retention

It is known by now that many students who enroll in traditional schools do not wind up completing their studies. And this became a burden. So, these self-paced online colleges were also evaluated based on their low-pressure curricula.

Self-paced online colleges typically let you complete your studies at your own pace, and provide you with resources to help you focus and get back on track when you go out of line.

Global Availability

Being “online colleges”, these self-paced online colleges are available and accessible to anyone with the internet, provided you meet admission requirements.

Admission Requirements

These self-paced online colleges were also evaluated based on how “easy” their academic requirements are. Contrary to opinions, the lower barrier-to-entry factor plays a huge role in how these programs are perceived.

And this would mean that more students will get a shot at most of the schools we’ve selected.

Typically, these low-entry admission requirements entail students having at least a 3.0 GPA, must have completed a high school diploma, GED, or its equivalent, and other under-listed factors.

Quality of Professors

This factor played a huge role in determining the schools that have the best academic quality, judging from the collective experience of the faculties.

Reputation

These self-paced online colleges were also evaluated based on their reputation. This was done by scouring the internet for the schools’ popularity, reviews, and recommendations.

Graduation Rate & Retention Rate

These factors were evaluated based on the number of students graduating out from these colleges, and the average percentage of students dropping out, respectively.

This helped put a focus on something that these schools may be doing right. Or wrong.

List of the 20 Best Accredited Self-Paced Online Colleges

The following are the 20 best accredited self-paced online colleges:

University of Florida
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Liberty University
Purdue University Global
University of Massachusetts Global
Fort Hays State University
Penn Foster College
Rasmussen University
Western Governors University
University of North Dakota
Columbia College
Capella University
The University of Washington Online
Upper Iowa University
South Texas College
Thomas Edison State University
Waubonsee Community College
Lourdes University
Amridge University
The University of Wisconsin.

Overview of 20 Best Accredited Self-Paced Online Colleges

Here is a bit of background information on these schools that were selected as the best self-paced online colleges, based on their flexibility, cost-effectiveness, retention rate, global availability, admission requirements, graduation rate, and of course, educational quality.

1. Columbia College

In Columbia, Missouri, there is a private liberal arts college called Columbia College.

The college offers more than 30 online degree programs, with concentrations in nursing, criminal justice, and business administration among them.

2. Fort Hays State University

Fort Hays State University, which is based in Hays, Kansas, has more than 200 online degree programs and certificate options, including bachelor’s and master’s degrees in business, education, and nursing.

The institution also provides a range of endorsements and certificates. FHSU also offers benefits to military students as well as some generous financial aid to students.

3. Liberty University

A private Christian-based university, Liberty University is situated in Lynchburg, Virginia.

The institution provides more than 450 online degree programs, including specializations in psychology, business administration, and criminal justice.

4. Rasmussen University

Private, for-profit Rasmussen University has numerous campuses in Minnesota, Florida, and Illinois. The university provides more than 70 online degree programs, including ones in business, education, and healthcare.

5. University of Florida

Gainesville, Florida is home to the public research university known as the University of Florida.

The institution provides more than 200 online degree programs, with specializations in business, engineering, and education.

6. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is another highly-ranked self-paced online college available for selection. It is a public research university located in Champaign, Illinois.

The university offers over 100 online degree programs, including degrees in business, education, and engineering. The university offers numerous degree programs in all levels of education; some of which have won numerous awards.

7. University of North Dakota

The University of North Dakota is a public research university located in Grand Forks, North Dakota.

The university offers over 50 online degree programs, including majors in nursing, criminal justice, and social work.

8. Upper Iowa University

Upper Iowa University is a private university located in Fayette, Iowa.

The university offers over 30 online degree programs, including majors in accounting, healthcare administration, and psychology.

9. Capella University

Capella University is a for-profit university with its headquarters in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

The university offers over 50 online degree programs, including degrees in business, education, and nursing.

10. University of Massachusetts Global

The University of Massachusetts Global is a public research university located in Shrewsbury, Massachusetts. The university offers over 30 online degree programs, including majors in business, education, and information technology.

11. University of Washington Online

The University of Washington is a public research university located in Seattle, Washington. The university offers over 35 online degree programs, including majors in computer science, education, and public health.

12. South Texas College

South Texas College is a public community college located in McAllen, Texas. The college offers over 30 online degree programs, including degrees in business, criminal justice, and healthcare.

13. Western Governors University

Western Governors University is a private, online university headquartered in Salt Lake City, Utah. The university offers over 60 online degree programs, including degrees in nursing, education, and information technology.

14. Penn Foster College

Penn Foster College is a private, for-profit college headquartered in Scottsdale, Arizona. The college offers over 100 online degree programs, including degrees in business, healthcare, and education.

15. Thomas Edison State University

Thomas Edison State University is a public university located in Trenton, New Jersey. The university offers over 100 online degree programs, including majors in business, nursing, and technology.

16. Waubonsee Community College

Waubonsee Community College is a public community college located in Sugar Grove, Illinois. The college offers over 20 online degree programs, including degrees in business, education, and healthcare.

17. Lourdes University

Lourdes University is a private university located in Sylvania, Ohio. The university offers over 20 online degree programs, including degrees in nursing, business, and education.

18. Purdue University Global

Purdue University Global is a public university located in Indianapolis, Indiana. The university offers over 175 online degree programs, including degrees in criminal justice, healthcare, and business.

19. University of Wisconsin

The University of Wisconsin is a public research university system with multiple campuses throughout the state. The university offers over 100 online degree programs, including majors in nursing, education, and business.

20. Amridge University

Amridge University is a private Christian university located in Montgomery, Alabama. The university offers over 20 online degree programs, including degrees in business, counseling, and theology.

FAQs About 20 Best Accredited Self-Paced Online Colleges

How long does it take to complete a degree at a self-paced online college?

The length of time it takes to complete a degree depends on the program and the pace of the individual student. Many programs allow students to accelerate their coursework and earn a degree in less time than a traditional program.

Are self-paced online colleges accredited?

Schools on our list are accredited by an accrediting agency, such as the Higher Learning Commission, or SACSCOC.

How do I apply to a self-paced online college?

The application process varies by school, but most require an application, transcripts, and test scores. Some programs may also require an essay or letters of recommendation.

Wrapping It Up

Self-paced online colleges offer students the flexibility and affordability to earn a degree on their own time. Our list of the 20 best accredited self-paced online colleges can help you find the perfect fit. Success in a self-paced program requires self-discipline and motivation, but with the right tools and resources, you can achieve your academic goals.