When choosing an online school to enroll in, a lot of factors should be considered. The cost, the reputation of the school, and the availability of student financial aid should all be weighed against the quality and variety of the online programs each school offers.   This article addresses and highlights five of the hottest schools for online degrees of 2011, ranked according to those factors.

Penn State University, The World Campus Student satisfaction, high instructional quality, and a wide variety of degree programs lends online credibility to a school that already has a world-class reputation. Penn State has been an innovator in online and distance education and provides its e-students the same dedication and experience as it does to its traditional on-campus students. The tuition is relatively high, but most of the school’s students receive financial aid packages to offset the costs.

Boston University Online In terms of student satisfaction and the all important program completion rate, Boston University Online rates a close second to Penn State University World Campus.  Boston U has an appealinglylow student to teacher ratio, selective admissions, and an overall high quality online learning experience.  Again, the cost is quite high for the online programs, but Boston University’s reputation and quality make it a worthy investment for any student pursuing an online degree.

Full Sail University Online Full Sail University is among the top rated film schools in the US, online or worldwide. Its music and gaming programs enjoy similar high quality ratings and prestige. Nearly 75% of students receive some form of financial aid, in the form of subsidized loans, grants, and scholarships.  This helps them to offset the not-so-cheap cost of earning a degree from this world famous school.

Saint Joseph’s University Online For over 150 years, Saint Joseph’s University has upheld its outstanding reputation for academic excellence. This Jesuit university currently offers only a Bachelor’s of Science in Professional and Liberal Studies online, but their online master’s degree programs in business, criminal justice, education and healthcare offer some variety. The higher than average costs of completing the school’s online degree programs may seem daunting to many students, but 90% of those enrolled do receive financial aid.

Northeastern University Online Northeastern University Online boasts over 70 online degrees in a huge number of fields, leaving it virtually unmatched in the breadth of programs it offers to online students.  Impressive graduation and retention rates paired with a low student to teacher ratio and very selective admissions makes Northeastern University Online a coveted school for online and distance education students to be admitted to.  The cost, as with the other four online universities in this article, is high.  This seems to be true of most online learning programs.  A majority of the students enrolled receive financial aid packages to help with tuition.

Keep in mind, you will need internet service in order to take classes online. If you need access to internet and leave in the country, sometime it is helpful to order direct tv internet. It is satellite based, and usually more accessible.