Choosing an Online University: A Practical Checklist

Two online programs can share a degree title and still differ in almost everything that matters to you: who accredits them, whether you ever have to travel, whether the degree counts toward a license where you live, and what you will actually pay. This checklist walks through the questions in the order that tends to rule programs out fastest. Each step tells you where on a university's own website the answer usually lives, so you can verify it rather than rely on a summary.

1. Confirm institutional accreditation first

Start here because it decides several other things. According to the U.S. Department of Education, students can receive federal student aid only if the institution is accredited by a "nationally recognized" accrediting agency. The Department recognizes accrediting agencies; it does not accredit schools itself.

Universities usually state their accreditor plainly. Old Dominion University, for example, says it "is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) to award baccalaureate, masters, education specialist, and doctoral degrees." Federal rules also require institutions to make available the names of the agencies that accredit or approve them, and to provide the underlying documents to prospective students on request.

Then check the claim independently. Our guide to checking accreditation explains how to look a school up and how institutional accreditation differs from the program-level accreditation that matters in fields such as nursing, counseling and social work.

2. Pin down the delivery format

"Online" is a broad label. Federal regulations define distance education as instruction delivered to students who are separated from the instructor, with "regular and substantive interaction" between students and instructors, "either synchronously or asynchronously." That leaves room for very different weekly experiences.

Look for the program's own description of how classes run:

• Asynchronous: no set log-in times, but usually weekly deadlines.
• Synchronous: live sessions at fixed times, which matters if you work shifts or live in another

time zone.

• Mixed: mostly asynchronous with some required live meetings.

The University of North Dakota's online MBA, for instance, states that its synchronous courses "are each held live one evening per week 7-10 p.m. CST." If a page doesn't say, ask admissions before you apply. See synchronous vs. asynchronous learning for the questions worth asking.

3. Find every in-person requirement

Online coursework does not mean you never leave home. Check separately for:

• Campus visits or residencies. Concordia University Wisconsin's online EdD notes that students

"attend two required in-person residencies (3–4 days each)" at its Mequon campus.

• Placements. Clinical hours, practicums, internships and student teaching take place in person,

usually near where you live.

• Exams. Some programs use online proctoring; others require a testing center.

Even the federal definition of a distance education course allows in-person "non-instructional requirements, including orientation, testing, and academic support services." Read the curriculum or handbook, not just the overview. Our fully online vs. hybrid guide covers how to read these pages, and you can browse programs with no campus visits we have verified.

4. Check where you are allowed to enroll — and where the degree leads to a license

These are two separate questions.

State authorization. States regulate institutions that serve their residents. Most universities handle this through SARA, the State Authorization Reciprocity Agreements. NC-SARA says more than 2,400 institutions in 49 member states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands participate voluntarily. A university that does not participate, or a state that is not a member, may mean some programs are unavailable where you live. Arkansas State's RN-to-BSN, for example, states that its site-based project hours "must also be done in a state in which Arkansas State has State Operating Authority."

Professional licensure. NC-SARA is explicit that SARA "does not address professional licensing board approval" for programs in fields such as nursing, teacher education and psychology. Under federal rules, a program designed to meet the educational requirements for a license must disclose the states where it does and does not meet them, and must notify you before you enroll if it does not meet, or has not determined whether it meets, the requirements in the state where you are located.

Arizona State University's licensure page is a typical example: its programs "are intended to prepare students for potential licensure or certification in Arizona," and completing one "may not meet educational requirements for licensure or certification in another state." If you are heading toward a licensed career, find the disclosure for your state before applying. Even a "meets requirements" entry covers education only; your licensing board sets the rest.

5. Work out the cost basis, not just the headline rate

Tuition is quoted in different units — per credit, per term, per year or per program — and they can't be compared directly. A few things to note for each program:

• The unit. Oregon State's Ecampus lists its online computer science bachelor's at $480 per credit

for 2026–2027.

• What's included. The same page says its per-credit costs include a $15-per-credit distance

education fee, and lists a separate $450 undergraduate matriculation fee.

• The credit system. That degree requires a minimum of 180 quarter credits, which are not

interchangeable with semester credits.

• Residency. Some public universities charge online students by state. Ball State lists graduate

online tuition for 2026–2027 at $464 per credit for Indiana residents and $696 for nonresidents.

Your real total also depends on transfer credit, the number of terms you take, fees, books and any travel for residencies or placements. Our guide to tuition per credit shows how to build an estimate.

6. Look at support built for distance students

Practical support affects whether you finish. Check for academic advising, tutoring, library access, technical support hours and career services, and whether they work for someone studying in the evening or in a different time zone. Examples from university pages:

• Ball State says online students work with the same student success specialist "from application to

graduation."

• Norwich University's help desk is available "Monday thru Friday, 8:00 a.m. - 10:00 p.m. Eastern

Time."

• LSU Online assigns admitted students a Student Success Coach.

Ask how quickly instructors are expected to respond, too. Federal rules expect instructors to monitor engagement and step in "when needed," but how that works varies by program.

Putting the checklist together

Write the answers down for each program you're considering, with a link to the page where you found them. A short table helps:

When a page leaves a question unanswered, email the program and keep the reply. Our methodology explains how we verify each of these points from official pages and mark the ones we could not confirm.