Welcome to the Online Education Database

Distance education has been in practice for more than a hundred years, though it has come a long way since being conducted through mail and radio correspondence. These days, distance education is delivered entirely online, where students and instructors alike can take full advantage of increasingly interactive and instantaneous computer technology. This shift in education delivery only makes sense, as Internet usage is growing in nearly all age groups, with 93% of all 18- to 29-year-olds and 81% of all 30- to 49-year-olds accessing the World Wide Web on a regular basis, according to survey results from the Pew Research Center. In fact, nearly half of all adults aged 30 to 49 years old regularly use four or more devices to connect them to the Internet, including their desktop computers, laptops, cell phones, and tablet devices.

Distance learning allows for all students across the country, whether they live a mile from the nearest college or a thousand miles from it, to be able to go to class and work towards earning a valuable college degree. In addition, it allows for those with full-time responsibilities to easily tailor their education to suit their own lifestyle, as online learning offers a level of flexibility that a traditional campus environment cannot provide.

Here at OEDB.org, we strive to be your library database for all your online learning needs because we believe that your decision to enroll in a quality online school should be an educated one. To make your research easier, OEDB.org currently contains reviews of more than 1,000 programs from 83 accredited online colleges, as well as comprehensive rankings of the best online institutions so that you may better understand how your school of interest compares to others. You may also search our database for programs according to subject area, degree level, and even desired career to get a better idea of what options are available to you through online learning.

If you are completely new to the concept of earning a degree online, you may browse through our Library for beginner's guides on everything related to distance learning, from how online education works, to how to pick a school, to how to begin your job search once your college career is over. Our iLibrarian blog is also a great resource, providing readers with the latest developments in library science and social media, whereas our Learning by the Book blog touches on college life, classes, and books, all of which can help you get the most out of your online learning experience.

The move towards online education signals the desire for more learning opportunities outside of the traditional mode. In fact, the number of students taking at least one online class has increased by more than 3.5 million between 2002 and 2009, according to a report published by the Sloan Consortium, and today enrollment in online programs make up more than 30% of all college enrollment. That number will undoubtedly continue to grow as Internet access becomes increasingly widespread. This indicates that though traditional education will always have a place in the academic world, the online learning route is quickly becoming a popular and respected choice for those looking to make education fit into their lives.