Pros and Cons of an Online Degree

Pursuing an online degree is often overlooked in favor of attending a traditional university or college institution. But receiving a degree from an online institution has many advantages when compared to a traditional university or college experience. Of course, there are a few drawbacks to receiving an online degree as well. Here are a few of the pros and cons to keep in mind when considering an online degree.

Online Degrees Often Offer Lower Tuition

When compared to a traditional four-year university or institution, the tuition for an online degree program is usually lower. There are exceptions, of course, such as when a student receives a full tuition scholarship to attend a four-year university.

Students who pursue an online degree will not need to earn as much money after graduation in order to pay off student loans. Graduates that receive decent jobs after completing their online programs might be far better off financially than traditional college students with mountains of debt. However, it’s important to remember than many online programs do not offer the same number of scholarships or the financing flexibility found at traditional universities.

It Is Convenient to Keep Up with Classes

Ask any freshman undergraduate student about his or her college experience and chances are you will hear a complaint or two about waking up early for classes. On the other hand, students attending online classes typically will not have a class meeting at a certain time. Rather, they can keep up with their classwork in a much more flexible manner.

For this reason, an online degree is often a great choice for those that need to work and earn a degree at the same time.

Potential Drawbacks to an Online Degree

While there are plenty of reasons to consider an online degree, there are a few drawbacks as well. One of those drawbacks, for many students, is the fact that they miss out on campus life. After all, one of the primary reasons students choose to go to college is for the social life and excitement that a life on campus will offer.

Accreditation can also be an issue depending on the online degree program. Students should seek out online programs that are accredited. Sometimes students are fooled by online programs that have created agencies that grant them accreditation that sounds legitimate, but is not.

Potential students are advised to visit the Department of Education’s website in order to determine whether the online program they are considering is truly accredited or not. This will go a long way towards mitigating the disadvantage of enrolling in an online degree program that is not accredited.