About OEDb

Open Education Database is the most comprehensive collection of online college rankings and free courses anywhere online. We welcome learners of all levels to explore their interests and prepare for exciting new careers, build on existing foundations of education and experience, or just satisfy a craving to learn something completely new.

We've been a leader in the open education movement since 2007 when we were the first organization to release online college rankings and over the last decade we have built on that tradition of helping learners connect with the best-fit education opportunities. OEDb continues to release its online college rankings each January and is now proud to feature a collection of over 10,000 free open courses and interactive resources from top universities around the world. Help us advance open education by joining our community.

Advice

Our Advice section is a resource hub for visitors looking for a guide to online learning. Here we break down need-to-know issues like accreditation, choosing the right school and transferring credits.

Open Courseware

Our open courseware collection is at the heart of OEDb's mission and user experience. We guide you through thousands of free audio and visual lectures, full courses and multimedia across all subjects. Here's just a sample:

  • A survey of Shakespeare's plays from Brandeis University
  • An introduction to InDesign for those wanting to add to their software and design skills, from Birmingham City University
  • A lecture series on marketing mastery from Udemy
  • AP science courses from the University of California College Prep initiative

Timeline

  • October 2006: OEDb "opens" as a platform to connect learners to the emerging dialogue of online education and offers a smaller version of our current degree index.
  • January 2007: We released the first edition of our now annual online college rankings, setting a standard for reviewing and celebrating pioneering colleges and universities.
  • January 2009: Our third rankings are officially recognized by the Chronicle of Higher Education's Wired Campus. We've officially made it!
  • September 2009: iLibrarian's Ellyssa Kroski begins a regular column with Library Journal
  • March 2011: Ellyssa Kroski's 10-part series on technology and libraries "The Tech Set" wins the 2011 Greenwood Publishing Group Award for the Best Book in Library Literature.
  • March 2013: OEDb releases its robust collection of over 10,000 free, open education resources. It's impossible to pick a favorite!

 

How OEDb Makes Money

OEDb generates income when visitors fill out a form through our "Degree Finder" or request more info from one of our featured online programs. We are committed to transparency when it comes to these financial partnerships with sponsored schools and will always identify those schools as "featured" or "sponsored." Information accompanying these programs is provided by these partner schools and is not verified by our editorial staff.

Please note that our rankings methodologies are based wholly on school data collected from the National Center for Education Statistics, and we in no way privilege partnered schools in our editorial rankings or supplementary content.

About Our Data

Our school-specific data — including graduation rate, address, and tuition — was gathered using the most recently available information from the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS). IPEDS is maintained by the National Center for Education Statistics. The latest information is for the 2013-2014 school year. All IPEDS information is reported by individual institutions during survey years.

Keep Up With OEDb

You can also join the conversation on social media by following our conversations on Twitter, Facebook and Pinterest. Or, contact us directly.

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