Getting Your Bachelor’s Degree

Going to college has always been a smart idea. But these days, earning a college degree is more important than ever. That’s because an increasing number of top jobs – those with the best earning potential and job security – require earning a bachelor’s degree.

While a traditional college degree program is fine for recent high school graduates, these programs aren’t very practical for working adults who have busy lives. That’s why so many adults are turning to online education to earn their degree.

Online bachelor’s degrees offer adult students flexibility, allowing them to maintain a job and family responsibilities. In addition, online programs cost just a fraction of what traditional brick and mortar programs cost, giving those who might not otherwise be able to afford higher education a chance to improve their earning potential.

In this article, we’re going to explore everything you need to know about earning an online bachelor’s degree. We’ll cover the specific benefits of earning your bachelor’s degree (HINT: It’s about way more than just earning more), the differences between online and traditional degrees, the cost of each, what to look for in an online degree program, and much, much more.

Oh, and be sure to read this ENTIRE article because we’re also going to tell you exactly how OnlineDegree.com could help you save a lot of time and money toward your tuition!

Okay, let’s dive in…

The Best Online Bachelor’s Degree Programs

These days, just about any subject can be learned online. But there are those degree programs that offer the best career paths. We’ve selected the following degrees for a couple of specific reasons:

They are Economically Viable

These degrees provide students with those skills that are always in demand, no matter what the economy is doing. If you are interested in a career that leaves a lot of room for growth and advancement, offers job stability and an enviable salary, then consider the following degrees.

Perfect for Changing Careers

Many adults enter the workforce right out of high school with little to no idea of the kind of career they want to build. They simply take whatever job they can find that pays well. Then one day they realize they need a change. They want to earn more for their family and also spend their days doing something they love. If that sounds like you, these degrees can help you make a positive change in your and your family’s life!

Here are the online degrees we feel offer students the greatest return on their educational and financial investment:

1. Online Business Degrees

A business degree provides students with vital skills that are always in demand. You’ll learn leaderships, communication skills, critical thinking and time management. Once you have these skills, you can create a career in a number of industries.

Find out more about some of the most exciting business degrees you can earn online.

2. Online Psychology Degrees

Did you know that psychology is the number one most popular college major among undergraduate students? Its popularity stems from the fact that a psychology degree not only offers students the space for personal growth but also access to a wide range of career opportunities.

Learn about the most popular psychology degrees.

3. Online Computer Science, IT Degrees

From the cars we drive to the way we play and interact with one another, computer technology touches our lives in numerous ways. Whether you’ve always dreamed of designing digital games or creating the hottest app, studying computer science will set you up for one of the most rewarding and lucrative careers out there!

Learn about the hottest online Computer Science and IT Degrees.

4. Online Healthcare Degrees

The healthcare industry is the fastest growing industry in the entire world, with more jobs being created every day. If you’ve always wanted a career that is challenging, offers tremendous growth potential and a chance to make a positive impact in countless lives, then a healthcare degree is the right one for you.

Learn about the best online healthcare degrees!

5. Online Social Work Degrees

Social workers are some of the greatest unsung heroes in our society. These professionals help people through some of the biggest challenges in their lives. Their important work also takes them into all sectors of society including public agencies, private businesses, hospitals, clinics, schools, nursing homes, private practices, child welfare and police departments, courts, and countless other interesting workplaces.

Learn about the different rewarding social work degrees.

6. Online Education and Teaching Degrees

We all had that one teacher that made a profound impact in our young life. If you’re looking for a rewarding career guiding young people to reach their full potential, then click the link below to find out some of the best education degrees.

Find out more about the best online Education and Teaching Degrees.

7. Online Nursing Degrees

Nursing is one of the most rewarding careers on the planet. Each day nurses bring care, comfort and compassion to their patients. If you want a career with job security, room for advancement and a chance to make a real difference in people’s lives, then consider these online nursing degrees.

Learn about some of the most rewarding nursing degree programs.

10 Benefits of Obtaining a Bachelors Degree

There are a variety of reasons why earning your bachelor’s degree is a great idea. Here are some of the top reasons:

1. Increased Job Opportunities

According to Georgetown University’s Center on Education and the Workforce, college graduates see 57% more job opportunities than non-graduates. The center also estimates that by 2020 two-thirds of all jobs will require a bachelor’s degree.

Not only does a degree give you more clout and help you stand apart from other candidates, but higher education also expands your access to career opportunities by building a lifelong network of advisors, mentors and peers. Over the course of your career, this network can open a lot of doors for you!

2. Increased Marketability

The courses you take on your path to earning your bachelor’s degree will equip you with the skills employers seek. This will give you a competitive advantage in the job market. Those applicants with exceptional communication skills, critical thinking, problem-solving and analytical skills will find their resumes going straight to the top of the pile!

3. Greater Earning Potential

The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that salaries for college graduates are significantly greater than for non-college graduates. For example:

Non-high school graduates, on average, earn just $27,040 annually.
Individuals with a high school diploma earn an average of $37,024 annually.
Associate degree holders earn an average of $43,472 per year
But those with a bachelor’s degree earn, on average, $60,996 annually. That’s a significant increase over those with just an Associate degree!

4. Economic Stability

According to Pew research, bachelor’s degree holders have a significantly lower rate of unemployment. The center also reports that those without a degree are three times more likely to live in poverty. A bachelor’s degree can provide you and your family economic stability and security.

5. A Pathway to Advancement

There are many rewarding and lucrative career paths that require a graduate degree such as a Master’s degree, PhD or MBA. A bachelor’s degree is your first step toward obtaining these more advanced degrees. Even if you’re unsure of your exact career path right now, earning your bachelor’s puts you in the driver’s seat and gives you opportunities should you decide to pursue your graduate degree later.

6. Personal Growth

Beyond more access to job opportunities and higher pay, many students find the experience of earning a bachelor’s degree deeply and personally rewarding. To start, you gain critical skills like communication and time-management, which can give your self-confidence a real boost!

In addition, earning a degree is incredibly empowering because you gain a sense of achievement. If you can earn your degree, you can do anything!

7. Higher Job Satisfaction

Research shows that earning a bachelor’s degree leads to greater long-term job satisfaction. Here are some of the significant differences between college graduates and non-college graduates:

86% of college grads consider their job a stepping-stone to their overall career. Only 57% of high school graduates feel the same.
60% of bachelor’s degree holders report they are very satisfied and that their job is more than just a paycheck to them. Only 38% of non-degree holders said the same.

Bachelor’s degree holders enjoy more job perks that contribute to their sense of career satisfaction.

8. Increase Your Family’s Social Mobility

Social mobility refers to your potential to change your class, earnings or social status over your lifetime. Research by Pew Charitable Trusts shows that education plays a major role in social mobility. A college degree means you are far less likely to stay at the bottom income level. But a degree CAN move you from the bottom to the top.

9. Improve Your Kids’ Future

Not only will obtaining a bachelor’s degree improve your life, it will improve your entire family’s life. Children of college graduates are more likely to attend college themselves and pursue their own career dreams. Your higher education will ultimately set your kids up for a brighter future all around.

10. You’ll be Healthier

A 2013 study by the National Center for Health Statistics shows that the more educated you are, the more likely you’ll be to exercise. A 2015 study showed that higher education is also associated with a decrease in the smoking rate. And The Center for Disease Control believes that those with a college degree live roughly nine years longer than those without a high school diploma. This is because those with a bachelor’s degree have access to better medical care and are less likely to be obese.

Wow! Earning a bachelor’s degree offers WAY MORE benefits than you may have originally thought!

Online VS Traditional Campus Bachelor’s Degrees

Now you might be wondering why we are focusing this article on online bachelor’s degrees. Well, online learning has become an increasingly popular alternative to the traditional college experience. As I mentioned at the very beginning of this article, if you’re a recent high school graduate whose family can afford a traditional college tuition, then that may be a good way for you to go. I mean, it’ll get you out of the house and away from your annoying little brother!

But if you’re an adult with a full-time job and family responsibilities, then your best bet is really to pursue an online bachelor’s degree. Here are a few reasons why an online degree makes far more sense:

1. Increased Flexibility

It’s next to impossible for adult students to juggle work, family obligations AND full-time coursework. Online bachelor’s degree programs offer flexibility, allowing you to attend class whenever and wherever is most convenient for you. With no fixed schedule to commit to, you can choose to complete your coursework when you have the time, peace and quiet, and mental bandwidth. You’ll also never have to worry about missing important family events such as soccer games and ballet recitals.

2. Affordability

Online programs typically cost a fraction of what traditional brick-and-mortar tuitions cost. Traditional colleges must constantly be expanding their offerings to remain competitive and attract top students. This means hiring more faculty, building more dorms and improving technology, among other things. All of these overhead costs get passed onto the student body.

Online degrees don’t have these overhead costs, so you pay very little in comparison. This allows adult students, with other financial obligations, to pursue their degree and dreams of a better life.

In addition to these initial savings, there are a lot of ways you can save EVEN MORE. And we’ll cover some of those ways in just a bit, so be sure to keep reading!

3. A Customized Learning Environment

Every student is an individual with unique learning needs. When you obtain your bachelor’s degree online, you are able to customize your environment to suit your own learning needs. This will help you get the most out of your courses because you can interact with material in a way that’s compatible with your preferred learning style.

4. Access to Hundreds of Colleges and Universities

When you obtain your bachelor’s degree at a traditional college campus, you have two basic options:

1) Choose from colleges in your local area. For some people, this means only having access to the local community college.

2) Uprooting your family to study at the university of your choosing.

These aren’t the best options.

Online learning means students are no longer limited to programs offered in their immediate area. You instead have access to schools across the country, without having to disrupt your life.

5. Gain New Technical Skills

When you earn your bachelor’s degree online, you inevitably gain new technical skills, and these skills are a definite plus for any new job seeker. Your coursework will require you to use digital learning materials as well as get comfortable with new tools and software. You’ll also become a pro at troubleshooting common tech issues. Adding these new skills to your resume can definitely help you stand out.

What is Online Learning Like?

If you’ve never taken an online course before, you may be wondering what it’s like and if this style of learning will suit you. While no two degree programs are ever exactly the same, there are some basic components of this learning environment.

Classroom Structure

Typically, students log into a learning management system where they can view the syllabus, their grades, contact professors and classmates and access their course material. Once you’ve decided on a few schools you may be interested in, be sure to check whether their learning management system is accessible on mobile devices so you can complete your coursework anywhere and anytime.

Class Schedule

Most online bachelor’s programs have an asynchronous, or self-paced, classroom schedule. This means you don’t have to log on at a specific time to listen to a lecture or join a group discussion. You are free to complete your coursework on your own time. Having said this, you will still need to meet weekly deadlines. So your instructor won’t care whether you study on your lunchbreak, at 2AM on a Wednesday, or Saturday mornings, as long as you get your work done.

Student Interaction

Even though you aren’t on a campus that doesn’t mean you can’t make connections with other students. Many students get acquainted and communicate via discussion forums, social media and video conferencing. Learning can be challenging so it’s always beneficial to develop strong relationships with people who are experiencing the same challenges.

Workload

Just like in traditional courses, workloads can vary from degree to degree. What I can tell you is that many students expect their workload to be easier just because its online. But that’s not the case. The number of hours you spend each week will most likely be similar to what you’d spend in an in-person course, you’ll just have the flexibility of when and where you do that coursework.

Typical Assignments

Your course assignments will depend largely on the discipline. Generally speaking, however, you can expect your assignments to be similar to those at a traditional college. You’ll most likely be responsible for research papers and also for responding to professor-posed questions in a discussion board. You may also be involved in group projects where you will work with peers virtually.

Exams

Some, but not all, online classes will require students to take proctored exams. In this scenario, students need to visit their local testing center with an on-site proctor. In other scenarios, students take virtually monitored exams online, where a proctor watches via a webcam.

Accelerated Learning

In some instances, it is possible to earn your degree much faster than the typical 4 years. There are ways to earn credits for past work, knowledge or military experience. OnlineDegree.com has built relationships with top colleges and universities across the country. Our students can take FREE classes and then could apply those credits toward their degree, thereby learning faster and for far less money!

Costs of Online Bachelor’s Degrees VS Traditional College Bachelor’s Degrees

When thinking about going back to school, one of the biggest hurdles prospective students face is cost. Most of us recognize that obtaining a degree today requires a much bigger financial commitment than it did just a few decades ago. Over the past 30 years, the average cost to attend a traditional four-year school has nearly tripled according to the College Board.

It’s not easy for any college grad to enter the workforce carrying around massive debt. But for an adult student with family responsibilities, it’s simply not feasible.

If you’ve been concerned that you wouldn’t be able to finance your college education, don’t worry, there are ways you can save on the cost of your tuition. Read our article on 5 ways you can save on college tuition, and also use our free Smartplan to find ways to save at various schools across the country by taking advantage of free courses, discounts and more. In fact, that’s why we created OnlineDegree.com so that everyone could have access to an affordable education.

Choosing the Correct University or College for Your Online Bachelor’s Degree

At this point you may be thinking that earning your bachelor’s degree online is the right choice for you. That’s awesome! Now it’s time to think about finding the right school that will align with your education and ultimately career goals.

In our experience, there are some very important criteria that a school should have in order to meet an adult student’s requirements:

• Online Programs
• No application fees
• No required SAT/ACT testing
• Faculty and professors that understand adult students’ needs
• Discounts and/or scholarships
• Convenient enrollment dates year-round (so you don’t have to wait for Spring or Fall)
• Accreditation
• Finding adult-friendly schools that match these can certainly be challenging! That’s why we created our Smartplan.

We realize that every student has unique circumstances and goals. When you use our Smartplan, we could help you find the right school you’re looking for AND has these crucial criteria to make pursuing your degree that much easier.

Register today to get your free Smartplan and compare different colleges! >>

FAQs

How could earning my bachelor’s degree help my career?

Today’s job market is highly competitive and most employers are looking for candidates who have at least earned a bachelor’s degree. By getting your degree, you’ll gain access to more job opportunities, higher pay, and more job stability.

How long does it take to earn a bachelor’s degree online?

Typically speaking, it takes four years to finish an online bachelor’s degree. Having said that, it’s important to mention that the length of time any student spends obtaining their degree will depend on a variety of factors. Some students may have old college credits that can be transferred, shaving some time off of your total learning time.

OnlineDegree.com also offers FREE classes to students. We then work with accredited schools across the country that accept these credits, thereby saving you time and money toward your degree.

And lastly, as I mentioned earlier, some programs offer accelerated instruction. In this unique learning environment, you will have a heavier workload assigned to you, but you may be able to earn your degree in only two years as opposed to four!

What are the most popular online bachelor’s degree programs?

We’re glad you asked. Take a look at our list of best options above.  Those encapsulate some of the most popular options for adult learners or anyone looking to go back to school.

What is in a 4-year Major?

Bachelor’s degrees or baccalaureate are often called “4-year” degrees or majors because they typically take that long to complete as a full-time student.  This degree is for undergraduate study and is awarded by accredited universities and colleges throughout the United States.  Regardless of the major or program you choose for an undergraduate degree, you’ll most likely need that long to complete, however, some programs can be lighter depending on the workload.

Do Certain Universities Award Bachelor’s as Opposed to Other Degrees?

Yes.  There are many community colleges and universities throughout the country that only offer 2-year Associates degrees or certifications, and may not offer a full baccalaureate program.  You can search through our list of colleges and find the ones that offer a full undergrad degree.

Will an Undergraduate Degree Help Me Get a Job?

That will always of course depend on your personal situation and the career you’re pursuing.  However, studies have shown that on average those with a bachelor’s degree often earn far more over their lifetime and annual salary than just having a high school diploma or Associates degree.  Aside from just preparing you for a career or career advancement, there is so much that one can learn in school to both expand their intellectual capabilities and overall acumen.  It’s impossible to quantify the true benefits of education.

Part of why we created OnlineDegree.com is so anyone could easily take courses and better understand what this level of learning is like, and what they might be interested in.  You can enroll for free in less than 60 seconds without applications, interviews, or exams.  Just register and start learning.

How to Get Started

Wow, we’ve just covered a LOT of information. You may be wondering what you should do next.

We highly recommend you take a few moments to use OnlineDegree.com’s Smartplan to find the right school that offers all of the criteria you’re looking for.   We’ve provided this helpful and free tool for you to help you make the right decision, and find ways that could end up saving you THOUSANDS of dollars toward your business degree!

Register today for free >>