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OEDb's Online College Rankings 2009: The Best Online Universities

Online higher education is growing, but a lack of transparency is preventing it from reaching its full potential. Even though online colleges are now receiving increased respect from top employers, diploma mills and the like limit the prestige of a legitimate online degree. We think more transparency is a good thing; a set of objective, quantitative rankings — however imperfect — should help shed some light on the relative attractiveness of the most popular accredited online colleges.

These rankings have been produced by OEDb, a database of accredited online education programs. In our rankings we included the most significant degree-granting undergraduate online colleges that operate nationally, as determined by our selection criteria. To our knowledge, our 2007 rankings were the first of their kind, and these 2009 rankings are meant to serve as an update.

For each college, we gathered data for eight different metrics — acceptance rate, financial aid, graduation rate, peer Web citations, retention rate, scholarly citations, student-faculty ratio, and years accredited. The overall ranking, shown below, ranks each college by its average ranking for each metric for which data was available.

Overall Results

This table simply shows the overall ranking of each college, with its average rank in the right-hand column reflecting the sum of all of its ranks divided by the number of metrics for which data was found for that particular college.

Overall Rank	College	Average Rank
1	Nova Southeastern University	9.213
2	Regent University	11.663
3	Champlain College	13.290
4	Upper Iowa University	13.479
5	LeTourneau University	14.001
6	Liberty University	14.195
7	Grand Canyon University	15.502
8	Dickinson State University	17.269
9	Western Governors University	17.398
10	Salem International University	17.483
11	Keiser University	17.538
12	Fisher College	18.723
13	National University	19.136
14	Walden University	19.390
15	Tiffin University	21.573
16	Westwood College	21.597
17	Post University	21.701
18	ITT Technical Institute	21.894
19	Colorado Technical University	22.097
20	Everglades University	22.458
21	Everest University	22.930
22	Kaplan University	23.105
23	Capella University	23.390
24	Rasmussen College	23.582
25	Devry University	23.647
26	Berkeley College	23.777
27	Granite State College	24.141
28	University of Phoenix	25.577
29	Peirce College	26.289
30	Herzing College	26.456
31	South University	26.512
32	City University	26.560
33	Florida National College	26.648
34	York Technical College	26.668
35	Western International University	26.721
36	Darton College	26.792
37	Franklin University	27.356
38	Northcentral University	27.370
39	Ashford University	28.008
40	Baker College	28.124
41	Bellevue University	28.975
42	National American University	29.889
43	Jones International University	30.152
44	American InterContinental University	31.655

Overall Results with Metric Data

This table, ordered by the overall ranking of each college, shows each college's average rank and the data gathered for each of the eight metrics.

In the interest of conserving space, we have abbreviated the name of each college. Mouse over each abbreviation to view the full name of each college.

We have also abbreviated the names of all of the metrics in the table header. Key to metric acronyms — AR: Acceptance Rate, FA: Financial Aid, GR: Graduation Rate, PW: Peer Web Citations, RR: Retention Rate, SC: Scholarly Citations, SF: Student-Faculty Ratio, YA: Years Accredited

Rank	College	Avg. Rank	AR	FA	GR	PW	RR	SC	SF	YA
1	NSU	9.213	51%	95%	47%	4,950	60%	11,800	–	38
2	RU	11.663	60%	90%	–	1,070	–	4,190	10	25
3	CC	13.290	59%	94%	84%	521	77%	473	16	18
4	UIU	13.479	62%	96%	36%	398	67%	334	14	58
5	LeTU	14.001	70%	99%	52%	296	78%	318	19	39
6	LU	14.195	96%	98%	51%	567	73%	2,180	–	29
7	GCU	15.502	82%	91%	46%	252	69%	304	13	41
8	DSU	17.269	–	91%	37%	287	65%	288	19	60
9	WGU	17.398	37%	80%	37%	467	78%	1,100	–	7
10	SIU	17.483	–	100%	39%	41	54%	68	13	46
11	KU	17.538	54%	100%	55%	38	95%	89	–	17
12	FC	18.723	59%	100%	20%	164	54%	321	18	38
13	NU	19.136	–	26%	57%	827	100%	22	17	31
14	WU	19.390	–	–	–	2,850	–	2,570	33	19
15	TU	21.573	73%	92%	34%	349	63%	151	–	24
16	WC	21.597	99%	100%	48%	76	37%	49	13	40
17	PU	21.701	43%	99%	36%	32	45%	32	15	36
18	ITT	21.894	35%	93%	44%	239	38%	153	–	9
19	CTU	22.097	45%	76%	–	106	–	273	–	28
20	EU	22.458	56%	100%	50%	3	63%	23	–	15
21	Evst	22.930	70%	83%	36%	215	62%	40	17	39
22	Kap	23.105	100%	93%	38%	410	75%	89	–	12
23	Cap	23.390	100%	–	–	564	–	1,730	–	12
24	RU	23.582	–	93%	53%	137	48%	34	–	24
25	Devry	23.647	77%	91%	33%	714	47%	537	–	6
26	BC	23.777	77%	90%	45%	96	51%	1,030	–	16
27	GSC	24.141	–	81%	14%	1,040	50%	15	10	28
28	UP	25.577	–	39%	4%	993	28%	4,840	–	30
29	PC	26.289	–	65%	36%	85	60%	53	17	38
30	HC	26.456	87%	88%	56%	48	68%	37	15	4
31	SU	26.512	62%	98%	25%	87	51%	31	–	23
32	City	26.560	–	12%	–	256	–	148	18	30
33	FNC	26.648	–	90%	61%	15	100%	10	24	12
34	YTC	26.668	–	89%	11%	72	48%	134	16	39
35	WIU	26.721	–	88%	25%	86	7%	139	10	25
36	DC	26.792	–	87%	15%	136	53%	109	22	41
37	FU	27.356	–	79%	33%	1,920	33%	4	–	33
38	NCU	27.370	–	–	–	114	–	155	16	6
39	AU	28.008	83%	76%	41%	76	45%	134	37	59
40	Baker	28.124	–	91%	18%	211	41%	892	39	23
41	BU	28.975	–	70%	18%	356	28%	246	22	32
42	NAU	29.889	–	72%	15%	629	41%	64	–	23
43	JIU	30.152	80%	71%	–	180	–	494	23	10
44	AICU	31.655	100%	71%	32%	253	29%	229	–	21

Overall Results with Metric Ranks

This table, ordered by the overall ranking of each college, shows each college's average rank and the rank or adjusted rank of that college for each of the eight metrics.

In the interest of conserving space, we have abbreviated the name of each college. Mouse over each abbreviation to view the full name of each college.

Rank	College	Avg. Rank	AR	FA	GR	PW	RR	SC	SF	YA
1	NSU	9.213	7.88	11.75	12.94	1	18.92	1	0.00	11
2	RU	11.663	16.48	22.50	0.00	4	0.00	3	1.00	23
3	CC	13.290	13.04	12.83	1.00	12	6.97	12	16.48	32
4	UIU	13.479	18.20	10.68	23.69	15	12.94	13	11.32	3
5	LeTU	14.001	21.64	6.38	8.17	18	4.58	15	30.24	8
6	LU	14.195	37.12	8.53	9.36	10	9.36	5	0.00	20
7	GCU	15.502	31.96	18.20	14.14	22	10.56	16	6.16	5
8	DSU	17.269	0.00	18.20	21.31	19	14.14	17	30.24	1
9	WGU	17.398	2.72	32.18	21.31	13	4.58	7	0.00	41
10	SIU	17.483	0.00	1.00	18.92	40	21.31	31	6.16	4
11	KU	17.538	9.60	1.00	5.78	41	3.39	29	0.00	33
12	FC	18.723	13.04	1.00	35.64	27	21.31	14	26.80	11
13	NU	19.136	0.00	42.93	3.39	7	1.00	41	21.64	17
14	WU	19.390	0.00	0.00	0.00	2	0.00	4	40.56	31
15	TU	21.573	25.08	17.13	28.47	17	15.33	23	0.00	25
16	WC	21.597	38.84	1.00	11.75	36	38.03	34	6.16	7
17	PU	21.701	4.44	6.38	23.69	42	32.06	38	13.04	14
18	ITT	21.894	1.00	13.90	16.53	23	36.83	22	0.00	40
19	CTU	22.097	6.16	34.33	0.00	31	0.00	18	0.00	21
20	EU	22.458	11.32	1.00	10.56	44	15.33	40	0.00	35
21	Evst	22.930	23.36	30.03	23.69	24	17.72	35	21.64	8
22	Kap	23.105	40.56	13.90	20.11	14	8.17	29	0.00	36
23	Cap	23.390	40.56	0.00	0.00	11	0.00	6	0.00	36
24	RU	23.582	0.00	16.05	6.97	28	28.47	37	0.00	25
25	Devry	23.647	26.80	18.20	29.67	8	30.86	10	0.00	42
26	BC	23.777	28.52	22.50	15.33	32	26.08	8	0.00	34
27	GSC	24.141	0.00	31.10	41.61	5	27.28	42	1.00	21
28	UP	25.577	0.00	41.85	44.00	6	41.61	2	0.00	18
29	PC	26.289	0.00	40.78	23.69	35	18.92	33	21.64	11
30	HC	26.456	35.40	27.88	4.58	39	11.75	36	13.04	44
31	SU	26.512	19.92	8.53	33.25	33	24.89	39	0.00	27
32	City	26.560	0.00	44.00	0.00	20	0.00	24	26.80	18
33	FNC	26.648	0.00	22.50	2.19	43	1.00	43	38.84	36
34	YTC	26.668	0.00	25.73	42.81	38	29.67	26	16.48	8
35	WIU	26.721	0.00	26.80	33.25	34	44.00	25	1.00	23
36	DC	26.792	0.00	28.95	39.22	29	23.69	28	33.68	5
37	FU	27.356	0.00	33.25	29.67	3	39.22	44	0.00	15
38	NCU	27.370	0.00	0.00	0.00	30	0.00	21	16.48	42
39	AU	28.008	33.68	34.33	17.72	36	32.06	26	42.28	2
40	Baker	28.124	0.00	18.20	38.03	25	35.64	9	44.00	27
41	BU	28.975	0.00	39.70	36.83	16	41.61	19	33.68	16
42	NAU	29.889	0.00	36.48	40.42	9	34.44	32	0.00	27
43	JIU	30.152	30.24	37.55	0.00	26	0.00	11	37.12	39
44	AICU	31.655	40.56	37.55	32.06	21	40.42	20	0.00	30

Ranking Metrics

You may wish to view the rankings for each individual metric.

Learn More About This Study

For further information regarding these rankings, you are encouraged to consult the in-depth documentation of our methodology; you may also wish to read about who we are and why we conducted this study.

Contact Us

If you have any questions, comments, or feedback regarding these rankings, please feel free to contact us.

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