Founded by 12 current and former state governors, Western Governors University alone has received accreditation from four regional commissions. It's also one of the only schools in the country to offer competency-based evaluation instead of testing.
Western Governors University
4001 East 700 South, Suite 701
Salt Lake City, UT 84107
801-274-3280
wgu.edu
Founded and maintained by the Kaplan test preparation company, Kaplan University offers about a dozen career-training programs. Unlike many of the schools on this list, Kaplan doesn't have a campus, offering a fully online experience.
Kaplan University
866-527-5268
kaplan.edu
Despite being founded in 1878, Champlain College's curriculum focuses on modern programs, such as Electronic Game & Interactive Development and Digital Film. The school also offers job placement--and from the looks of things, it works, with 97 percent of Champlain job-seeking students finding employment within four months of graduation.
Champlain College
163 S. Willard St.
Burlington, VT 05401-3950
802-860-2700
champlain.edu
Focused on post-graduate studies, Nova Southeastern awards most of its degrees to master's students, and sells itself as a great choice for adults to quickly acquire supplemental education.
Nova Southeastern University
3301 College Ave.
Fort Lauderdale, FL 33314-7796
954-262-7300
nova.edu
The flagship school of the Laureate International Universities network, Walden uses an asynchronous schedule, where students complete a list of assignments in an allotted time period. But crammers beware--Walden has a vigorous course-load for which students should be adequately prepared.
Walden University
155 Fifth Ave. S., Suite 100
Minneapolis, MN 55401-2511
866-492-5336
walden.edu
GCU's application fees, while much higher than the average school, seems to have convinced potential students to the private Christian college that it's worth it--Grand Canyon University has been ranked as one of the five best online entrepreneurial schools by Fortune magazine.
Grand Canyon University
3300 W. Camelback Road
Phoenix, AZ 85017
877-860-3951
gcu.edu
Boasting students from all 50 states and 80 countries, Liberty University has a high 96.2 percent acceptance rate. The fundamental Baptist university also ranks among the most-cited online schools in scholarly reports and publications.
Liberty University
1971 University Blvd.
Lynchburg, VA 24502
434-582-2000
liberty.edu
Based in Clinton, Iowa, Ashford University is a liberal arts college that stresses affordability and accessibility for students--tuition costs range from 20 to 50 percent lower than the average online school. It also offers free tuition for most courses to all U.S. armed services members.
Ashford University
400 North Bluff Blvd.
Clinton, IA 52732
866-711-1700
ashford.edu
While UIU features a strong online component, it also has satellite campuses in Illinois, Kansas, Wisconsin and Louisiana for students who prefer a face-to-face support system.
Upper Iowa University
605 Washington St.
P.O. Box 1857
Fayette, IA 52142
800-553-4150
uiu.edu
One of the features that sets this West Virginia school apart is its use of monthly classes instead of the traditional quarters or semesters. Working professionals eager to get into the thick of things won't have long to wait.
Salem International University
223 W. Main St.
Salem, WV 26426
888-235-5024
salemu.edu