Top & Best Colleges Definition

Top/Best Online Degrees

With respect to online degrees, “top” or “best” refer to the ten completely online degree-and certificate-granting colleges & universities with the largest number of distance education enrollments by available subject fields in 2021, as reported by the U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics (NCES). A complete list of the colleges & universities in the NCES report is here. Any matching college or university will be sponsors in our network, not all of which are in the NCES report. The schools listed in this report may offer Bachelor’s, Associate, Master’s, Doctoral (including Ph.Ds), undergraduate, and/or graduate degree programs. For a list of the 120 colleges & universities with the largest completions by degree level for 2020-2021, please click here

Top/Best Online Colleges & Universities

With respect to online colleges & universities, “top” or “best” refer to the 120 degree- and certificate-granting colleges & universities with the largest number of distance education enrollments in 2021, as reported by the U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics (NCES). A complete list of the colleges & universities in the NCES report is here. Any matching college or university will be sponsors in our network, not all of which are in the NCES report. The schools listed in this report may offer Bachelor’s, Associate, Master’s, Doctoral (including Ph.Ds), undergraduate, and/or graduate degree programs. For a list of the 120 colleges & universities with the largest completions by degree level for 2020-2021, please click here

Top/Best Degrees and Degree Programs

With respect to degrees, “top” or “best” refer to the 120 degree- and certificate-granting colleges & universities with the highest enrollments by available subject fields in 2021, as reported by the U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics (NCES). A complete list of the colleges & universities in the NCES report is here. Any matching college or university will be sponsors in our network, not all of which are in the NCES report. The schools listed in this report may offer Bachelor’s, Associate, Master’s, Doctoral (including Ph.Ds), undergraduate, and/or graduate degree programs. For a list of the 120 colleges & universities with the largest completions by degree level for 2020-2021, please click here

Top/Best Online Degree Programs

With respect to degree programs, “top” or “best” refer to the U.S. News & World Report ranking of Best Online Programs, which include online bachelor’s degrees and online master’s degree programs. Not all programs at matching colleges & universities are included in the U.S. News & World Report ranking. A complete list of the programs in the U.S. News & World Report ranking is located here

Top/Best Colleges & Universities

With respect to colleges & universities, “top” or “best” refer to the 120 largest degree-granting college and university campuses in 2020, as reported by the U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics (NCES). A complete list of the colleges & universities in the NCES report is here. Any matching college or university will be sponsors in our network, not all of which are in the NCES report. The schools listed in this report may offer Bachelor’s, Associate, Master’s, Doctoral (including Ph.Ds), undergraduate, and/or graduate degree programs. For a list of the 120 colleges & universities with the largest completions by degree level for 2020-2021, please click here

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*https://nces.ed.gov/programs/digest/d20/tables/dt20_311.15.asp

Sources for school statistics is the U.S. Department of Education’s National Center for Education Statistics.

Disclosure: EducationDynamics receives compensation for the featured schools on our websites (see “Sponsored Schools” or “Sponsored Listings” or “Sponsored Results”).  So what does this mean for you? Compensation may impact where the Sponsored Schools appear on our websites, including whether they appear as a match through our education matching services tool, the order in which they appear in a listing, and/or their ranking.  Our websites do not provide, nor are they intended to provide, a comprehensive list of all schools (a) in the United States (b) located in a specific geographic area or (c) that offer a particular program of study.  By providing information or agreeing to be contacted by a Sponsored School, you are in no way obligated to apply to or enroll with the school.

This is an offer for educational opportunities, not an offer for nor a guarantee of employment. Students should consult with a representative from the school they select to learn more about career opportunities in that field. Program outcomes vary according to each institution’s specific program curriculum. Financial aid may be available to those who qualify. The financial aid information on this site is for informational and research purposes only and is not an assurance of financial aid.

1 You must apply for a new loan each school year. This approval percentage is based on students with a Sallie Mae undergraduate loan in the 2018/19 school year who were approved when they returned in 2019/20. It does not include the denied applications of students who were ultimately approved in 2019/20.

2 This promotional benefit is provided at no cost to borrowers with new loans that disburse between May 1, 2021 and April 30, 2022. Borrowers are not eligible to activate the benefit until July 1, 2021. Borrowers who reside in, attend school in, or borrow for a student attending school in Maine are not eligible for this benefit. Chegg Study® offers expert Q&A where students can submit up to 20 questions per month. No cash value. Terms and Conditions apply. Please visit http://www.chegg.com/legal/smtermsandconditions for complete details. This offer expires one year after issuance.

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