We live in an increasingly complex, intersectional world. And yet, a classical education (that is, a liberal arts education) can best meet the new demands coming from employers across industry sectors.
A solid multidisciplinary education develops the skills and knowledge students will need in their careers: oral and written communication skills, the ability to think critically, problem solving prowess, plus a theoretical foundation in both the sciences and humanities.
Not necessarily sold on the liberal arts? That's fine. Have a look at our ranking of the overall best online colleges and universities.
It is estimated that those without a college degree make, on average, around 28k annually. However, college graduates make over 51k annually. That disparity is already impressive, but if you extrapolate that over a lifetime then a college degree earns you nearly 1 million more dollars than just a high school diploma.
So, that to say, going to college or finishing your degree serves you throughout your lifetime. And with a liberal arts education you can secure a career in one of literally hundreds of professions, from business and finance to fine arts and philosophy.Online programs in education are an affordable, accessible, and flexible way to earn an advanced degree, especially if you find yourself in a situation that makes going back to school either logistically or financially problematic.
Despite the stigma online programs once held, they have mostly shed those stereotypes and have increasingly solid reputations, in large part because online programs are developed and taught by the same faculty who teach the traditional, on-campus courses. And in most cases, the diploma looks exactly the same as those garnered by "traditional students," yet it was obtained at half the price.
Recommended Schools
What are the Best Online Liberal Arts Colleges?
While some schools on this ranking are large, elite, research universities and others are smaller colleges with interdisciplinary curricula, they all share one thing in common despite the difference of size and emphasis: they are the best at giving students a foundation in core liberal arts principles and concepts.
Here at College Choice we've collated and compared the academic reputation, student satisfaction, affordability, and average annual salary of graduates from online liberal arts schools across the country to create a definitive ranking of the nation's twenty-five best.
We first chose programs with the most renowned academic reputation and from those pared the list down to those with high retention rates (a reflection of student satisfaction) added those with the most economical accessibility, and finally we included the averages of early career salaries (care of PayScale) to arrive at a list marked by thorough research and extensive data aggregation. Our figures come from the university and colleges' websites as well as nationally recognized U.S. News & World Report and The National Center for Education Statistics.
Top 10 Best Online Liberal Arts Colleges
See our rankings methodology page.
