The current environment around higher education such as increasing tuition, course shortages and budget cuts, has made a large number of students start searching for alternatives. Online learning has steadily increased in viability and reputability, and there are a number of reasons to consider getting a Bachelor’s degree online, including lower costs, more convenience, and finishing faster. The following list includes ten benefits of completing your degree online.
“Graduates with a bachelor’s degree can expect to earn an average of $50,390 annually in their first jobs.” – CNN
- Program and Course Variety
Online learning is no longer limited to a few courses or programs. No matter what field of study you’re planning to take, it’s likely that there’s an online course for it. Among some of the issues with traditional schools is limited class availability. You won’t have that problem with online classes.
2. Lower Overall Cost
Getting a degree online is almost always going to have a lower overall cost than a traditional school. Even if the tuition cost is similar, many of the other associated costs are reduced or eliminated. For example, no commuting costs if you live off-campus, or no housing costs if you were to live on campus. Textbooks and course materials are often available for free on the internet. Another recent trend is massive open online courses, or MOOCs, that allow students to get general requirements at zero or reduced cost.
3. Comfortable Learning Environment
Advertisements for online degree programs might show students in their pajamas, but that only scratches the surface. With online learning, you have no physical classes, so you can learn around your time. You won’t have to take time off from work, skip family time, or fight traffic and look for parking spaces.
4. Flexible and Convenient
Online degree programs give students the ability to fit their study time into their other plans for the day, as opposed to trying to plan a day around being physically present in a classroom, not to mention including commute times. That allows you to study at times when you feel the most motivated and fresh.
5. Allows for More Interaction and Concentration
Another great thing about online programs is that they give students who would normally be shy in a physical class the opportunity to participate in a way they otherwise would not be able to. Students often report that online learning allows them to concentrate better, since they aren’t distracted by other students.
6. Career Advancement Opportunities
Since online degree programs are so convenient and flexible, it allows students to continue working in their current job, or work on it while in between jobs. The degree coursework then provides explainable gaps in a work resume. Working on a degree during or between jobs can also show future employers serious motivation and desire to get better.
7. Keep Working
Due to the high cost of college, most students have to keep working even if they want to go back and earn another degree. However, that can be difficult to do with inflexible class times or an inconvenient commute. Online programs obviously eliminate both of these obstacles, allowing you to work and learn at the same time.
8. Avoid Dangerous Commutes
Colleges don’t always cancel courses for adverse weather conditions, and that might especially be true if the college is located in a metropolitan area while you are in a more rural location. An online program is obviously never hampered by adverse weather and doesn’t require you to go out in it either.
9. Improve Tech Skills
All online courses require some amount of computer proficiency and they may introduce you to new programs and techniques, which can then advance your technical skills. You may learn more about creating documents, sharing material, working with audio and video, and completing an online training session, to name a few possibilities.
10. Accelerated Degree Programs
The other great perk of getting a degree online is that you may be able to complete a four year degree faster than you would at a traditional college. When you have access to coursework around the clock, you can work on your courses as much as you want, which can lead to quicker completion of class requirements. This generally isn’t possible at a traditional school when you can only attend class on specific days of the week. In some cases, you might be able to complete a degree program online in half the time it would take at a traditional school.
Both nontraditional and traditional college age students can benefit from taking an online degree program. Whether you need to work while in school or are uncomfortable in a normal physical class environment, online degree programs can provide the flexibility and convenience you need.
