Before we look at the top online colleges in Massachusetts, let’s start with the state of higher education and online education in particular in MA today.
A Brief Overview of Higher Education in Massachusetts
In 2013, the National Center for Education Statistics reported that Massachusetts had 125 degree-granting institutions, broken down as follows: 30 public schools, 84 nonprofits and 11 for-profits. The total number of bachelor’s degrees awarded in the ’12-’13 school year at these schools was: 18,935 at public schools, 37,630 at private nonprofits and 526 at private for-profits.
Tuition-wise, the College Board found that, in the ’15-’16 school year, the average in-state tuition and fees for four-year public schools was $11,590, while the out-of-state average was $25,480.
As for the state’s financial aid efforts, the National Association of State Student Grant & Aid Programs (NASSGAP) reported that Massachusetts awarded $87.043 million in need-based grants and $4.062 million in nonneed grants for the ’13-’14 school year. Grants make up 6.8% of the state’s total fiscal support for higher education.
Of the need-based grants, 61% were awarded to public in-state institutions, showing Massachusetts has a strong commitment to public higher education. Despite in-state tuition costs remaining above the national average and steadily increasing over the last few years, enrollment has risen 22% from ‘02-’12, perhaps reflecting benefits of the state’s increased spending per in-state student and increased tuition benefits for a wider range of eligible students.
Massachusetts is clearly supportive of its higher education system and continues to work towards affordable tuition for its students.
The State of Online Higher Education in Massachusetts
The NCES estimates that at least 5.9% of students enrolled in Massachusetts’ Title IV institutions are in fully online programs. Of those, 47.4% were reported to be undergraduates and 56.9% were found to be living in Massachusetts, meaning the state has had considerable success attracting out-of-state distance students
In terms of support services for new distance students, Massachusetts Colleges Online is a great starting place for students to find participating institutions, search degree program offerings, find courses and to ask questions. The organization offers students a way of enjoying an expanded network of learning through its consortium of 15 community colleges and 9 state colleges.
Massachusetts is also home to a host of intriguing free online courses offered through some of the best institutions of higher learning in the region. MITx offers a multitude of courses through its Massive Open Online Courses website. This popular open course format is offered through edX and its network of schools and partners, and students have a seemingly unlimited choice of topics and courses to choose from across the board. The importance of free online certificate programs should not be overlooked, as more students are completing a non-traditional education fully online.
However, with expanded online education often crossing regional boundaries, issues of quality control and accreditation standards have arisen. The New England Board of Higher Education has risen to the task of tracking these new challenges. The board is working to find effective ways to control and increase the quality of online colleges in MA and also offers numerous resources via their website, including an online college textbook platform, job links, and updated policies and procedures related to state authorizations and accreditation standards. This is an excellent resource for anyone interested in the current state of affairs in online higher education in Massachusetts.
Best Online Colleges in Massachusetts
Below, you will find our rankings of the best online four-year programs in Massachusetts. Our profiles look at how schools approach online education and then list out their services for distance students and their popular, fully online degrees. After reviewing the best online schools in MA, explore our state resources, like a database of every college and university in Massachusetts or our index of popular in-state scholarships.
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Source: http://docphy.com/business-industry/higher-education/online-colleges-massachusetts.html
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