The Good, The Bad And The Moneymakers: The Best And Worst Online Colleges

Online schools and degree programs are rapidly rising in popularity. But what programs will give you the biggest bang for your buck?
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Updated June 14, 2023 · 1 Min Read

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The Good, the Bad and the Moneymakers: The Best and Worst Online Fields of Study

Online schools and degree programs are rapidly rising in popularity. But what programs will give you the biggest bang for your buck? The best represent those with good returns on your investment, while the worst represent those with declining career numbers or low average incomes for graduates.

Why Online?

Increasingly, students are choosing online schools and degree programs. What’s so great about them? Costs per credit can be as low as $75. That’s 2 to 3 times cheaper than the average, traditional university. 65% Percentage of online degree recipients who say it was worth the financial investment, according to a Learning House survey. 9.7% Recent growth rate in online enrollment

Best Online Programs

Business administration Median salary: $43,879 (for MBA, $90,000) Jobs: Business manager, administrator, business analyst Finance Median salary: $75,650 (MBA) Jobs: Portfolio manager, financial analyst, investment specialist Hotel and hospitality management Median salary: $47,450 Jobs: Event planner, cruise line director, lodging managers Human resources Median salary: $54,310 (for master’s, $98,130) Jobs: Human resource manager, labor relations expert Marketing Median salary: $52,200 (for master’s, $116,010) Jobs: Marketing specialist, product development Information systems Median salary: $48,873 to $113,368 Jobs: Information technology manager, data analyst, IT developer Computer science and engineering Median salary: $95,600 Jobs: Software developer, computer programmer Graphics and multimedia Median salary: $44,010 Jobs: Graphic designer, advertising specialist Web development Median salary: $60,900 Jobs: Web developer Health administration Median salary: $69,000 Jobs: Operations manager, nursing home administrator Paralegal studies Median salary: $46,730 Jobs: Paralegal

Worst Online Programs

Art & Design Median salary: $43,000 to $75,660 Jobs: Artist, designer Counseling Median salary: $41,500 Jobs: Family counselor, personal therapist Dental assistant Median salary: $34,500 Jobs: Dental assistant Early childhood education Median salary: $27,130 Jobs: Kindergarten/preschool teacher, teacher aide Medical billing and coding Median salary: $34,160 Jobs: Hospital billing expert/coder Pharmacy technician Median salary: $29,320 Jobs: Pharmacy technician Phlebotomy Median salary: $29,730 Jobs: Phlebotomist Public health Median salary: $41,830 Jobs: Public policy expert, medical director, health center administrator Social work Median salary: $44,200 Jobs: Social worker, family counselor/advocate BestWorst Sources: http://www.geteducated.com http://www.learninghouse.com http://olc.onlinelearningconsortium.org http://www.thebestschools.org http://www.guidetoonlineschools.com

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