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10 Online Bachelor’s Programs With the Lowest Acceptance Rates

By U.S. News & World Report

The U.S. News Short List, separate from our overall rankings, is a regular series that magnifies individual data points in hopes of providing students and parents a way to find which undergraduate or graduate programs excel or have room to grow in specific areas. Be sure to explore The Short List: College, The Short List: Grad School and The Short List: Online Programs to find data that matter to you in your college or graduate school search.

Contrary to what some prospective students might think, getting accepted to an online bachelor’s program isn’t always easy.

Among the 233 ranked programs that submitted these data to U.S. News in an annual survey, the average acceptance rate was 74 percent for those who applied and were admitted between July 2015 and June 2016. But among the 10 programs with the lowest acceptance rates, that figure was significantly lower: 30 percent.

The applicant pool for schools ranked in U.S. News’ Best Online Bachelor’s Programs consists mainly of transfer students who have some credits already completed and others who aren’t first-time students. That’s different from schools ranked in the 2017 Best Colleges, where acceptance rates are only for first-time, first-year students who applied for fall 2015 and were admitted full time or part time.

All schools ranked in Best Colleges also make use of standardized test scores for admission, while their online counterparts often don’t.

[Compare acceptance rates at online and on-ground colleges.]

The online bachelor’s program with the lowest acceptance rate in 2015-2016 was Stephens College in Missouri, which accepted only 51 of 348 applicants, or 15 percent. There’s a wide gap between that figure and that of the University of Georgia, which has the second lowest rate at 24 percent.

Eight of the 10 schools on the list are private institutions. The two public institutions are the University of Georgia and North Carolina State University–Raleigh.

Though these online bachelor’s programs have low acceptance rates, only two of them rank in the top 50 in the 2017 U.S. News Best Online Bachelor’s Programs rankings. Those are the University of La Verne and Regent University, which are tied at No. 36.

Most of these online colleges also had fewer than 1,000 applicants in 2015-2016, with the exceptions of Liberty University and Regent University, both in Virginia, with 81,213 and 7,943 applications, respectively.

[Explore tips for adults applying to online bachelor’s programs.]

On the other end of the spectrum, 19 ranked online bachelor’s programs reported an acceptance rate of 100 percent in 2015-2016 — a mix of private, public and proprietary schools. Among them are Utah State University and the for-profit Colorado Technical University.

Below is a list of the 10 online bachelor’s programs where the smallest proportion of applicants was admitted during the 2015-2016 school year. Unranked schools, which did not meet certain criteria required by U.S. News to be ranked, were not considered for this report.

School (state) Total applicants (2015-2016) Total acceptances Acceptance rate U.S. News rank
Stephens College (MO) 348 51 15% 193 (tie)
University of Georgia 86 21 24% 59 (tie)
Mount Mercy University (IA) 513 151 29% RNP*
Kentucky Wesleyan College 68 21 31% 205 (tie)
Regent University (VA) 7,943 2,477 31% 36 (tie)
Brescia University (KY) 767 250 33% 226 (tie)
Liberty University (VA) 81,213 26,960 33% 148 (tie)
University of La Verne (CA) 359 119 33% 36 (tie)
Iowa Wesleyan College 88 30 34% 180 (tie)
North Carolina State University–Raleigh 35 12 34% 103 (tie)

* RNP denotes an institution that is ranked in the bottom one-fourth of its rankings category. U.S. News calculates a rank for the school but has decided not to publish it.

School officials can access historical data and rankings, including of peer institutions, via U.S. News Academic Insights.

U.S. News surveyed more than 300 colleges and universities for our 2017 Best Online Bachelor’s Programs rankings. Schools self-reported myriad data regarding their academic programs and the makeup of their student body, among other areas, making U.S. News’ data the most accurate and detailed collection of college facts and figures of its kind. While U.S. News uses much of this survey data to rank schools for our annual Best Colleges rankings, the data can also be useful when examined on a smaller scale. U.S. News will now produce lists of data, separate from the overall rankings, meant to provide students and parents a means to find which schools excel, or have room to grow, in specific areas that are important to them. While the data come from the schools themselves, these lists are not related to, and have no influence over, U.S. News’ rankings of Best Colleges, Best Graduate Schools or Best Online Programs. The admissions data above are correct as of May 30, 2017.

More from U.S. News

4 Tips for Adults Applying to Top Online Bachelor’s Degree Programs

3 Signs Online Learning Isn’t Right for You

Compare Acceptance Rates at Online, On-Campus Bachelor’s Programs

10 Online Bachelor’s Programs With the Lowest Acceptance Rates originally appeared on usnews.com

Don’t Settle for Student Loans to Pay for Online Education

By WTOP Staff
Online college programs are becoming a more popular choice for prospective students, with one study finding that more than 6 million students enrolled in at least one online course in fall 2015. The popularity of these courses can be attributed in part to their flexibility with working adults' schedules, students' ability to progress more quickly through online programs and, oftentimes, cheaper tuition. [See 10 low-cost online bachelor's programs for out-of-state students.]Online degrees can be beneficial to many college students, but some studies have shown online learners complete their programs at lower rates than students at traditional brick-and-mortar campuses. Individuals with student loans but no degree comprise two-thirds of defaulted borrowers. Though these numbers are not encouraging, just like for traditional programs, there are ways to reduce how much you'll need to borrow for an online program to ensure you won't become one of these statistics. Don't just settle on borrowing student loans to cover the whole cost of your program and living expenses. Instead, start thinking about how to cut costs and cover your balance in different ways, such as the following. -- Grants and scholarships: Even though you are taking an online course, you can still apply and receive grants and scholarships. But your first step should be to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, commonly referred to as the FAFSA, which will allow you to receive a Pell Grant if your expected family contribution is low enough. The EFC criteria and award amounts are adjusted annually, but the 2017-2018 academic year awards range from $606 to $5,920, which could significantly lower the amount you borrow annually. Your next step is to apply for scholarships. You can start by checking online scholarship search engines, such as the Salt Scholarship Search, College Board's BigFuture and Peterson's. But don't forget to take advantage of local organizations and your school's financial aid office. Both may offer scholarships that you can't find with a national scholarship search. [Review these 10 sites to kick off your scholarship search.]For instance, organizations like the Elks Club, Knights of Columbus or the Rotary Club typically offer scholarships annually to local students. Just because you're going to school online doesn't mean you're ineligible. Visit your local library for scholarship listings, and ask around town. You might be surprised how many local organizations offer scholarships. While these scholarships typically aren't large, every little bit counts. Each dollar you receive in a scholarship is a dollar you don't have to borrow and pay interest on. -- Work-study: Another option for online students may be work-study awards. Not all students enrolled in online programs are eligible, but students at some schools -- including, for example, SUNY Empire State College and Liberty University -- are. Work-study awards are not given upfront like scholarships and grants. In most cases, they are an offer to earn up to the awarded amount if you secure an eligible work-study job. While there is a misconception that all work-study jobs must be on campus, students can work for off-campus, nonprofit or public employers as long as the work is in the public's interest. You may be able to work for a for-profit employer if the job is relevant to your course of study. No matter who the outside employer is, it will need to have an established agreement with your college for you to receive work-study funds. Remember, to be eligible for federal financial aid, you must be enrolled and pursuing a degree or certificate. If you're not working toward a credential, Pell Grants and work-study won't be option, but you may still be able to take advantage of private scholarships -- just be sure to read the eligibility criteria carefully. [Explore what to know about financial aid in online programs.]-- Pay as you go: One of the great benefits to enrolling online is the flexible schedule, which can allow you to complete your college coursework around your responsibilities. But prospective students often overlook using their part- or full-time job earnings as an option for paying for college. Almost 80 percent of college students in 2015 worked at least part time while attending classes, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. By budgeting and thinking strategically about your college costs, you can likely reduce your dependence on student loans by paying a portion out of pocket. Many -- but not all -- online programs are less expensive than traditional programs and often have shorter payment periods. Six, eight or 10 weeks are common course durations. Because of the frequency of payments in an online setting, you may be well-placed to pay as you go and possibly avoid borrowing altogether. Attending college online and avoiding student loans may be challenging, but if you are willing to put in the effort, you can limit the amount you need to borrow. More from U.S. News Q&A: Understanding Student Loan Discharge Eligibility Student Loan Refinancing Isn't Right for All Borrowers
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