Best HBCUs With Online Degrees Of 2023
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Posted By: Sofía Montiel on June 08, 2023 Historically Black colleges and universities (HCBUs) were initially founded in the late 1800s to provide access to higher education for Black learners. These schools have since evolved to enroll students of all races. Today, some of the top HBCUs offer online degrees. Read on to discover the best HBCUs with online offerings, including information on available courses, tuition rates, accreditation and how to find the right program for your goals. Best HBCU Colleges Online 1. Clinton College Location Rock Hill, South Carolina Undergraduate Tuition $5,208/semester (in-state) Accreditation Transnational Association of Christian Colleges and Schools (TRACS) Pros & Cons ✅High graduation rate ✅Low student-to-faculty ratio ✅High student retention rate ✅Uses Common App ❌Limited number of online bachelor’s degrees available 2. Tougaloo College Location Tougaloo, Mississippi Undergraduate Tuition $5,452/semester Accreditation Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) Pros & Cons ✅High student retention rate ✅Low student-to-faculty ratio ✅Low average net price per year ❌Relatively low graduation rate ❌Does not use Common App 3. University of the Virgin Islands Location St. Thomas, Virgin Islands Undergraduate Tuition $2,315/semester Accreditation Middle States Commission on Higher Education Pros & Cons ✅Low student-to-faculty ratio ✅Low average net price per year ✅Relatively high student retention rate ❌Low graduation rate ❌Does not use Common App 4. Elizabeth City State University Location Elizabeth City, North Carolina Undergraduate Tuition $500/semester (in-state) Accreditation Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) Pros & Cons ✅Low average net price per year ✅High student retention rate ✅Uses Common App ❌Relatively high student-to-faculty ratio ❌Limited number of online degrees available 5. Tuskegee University Location Tuskegee, Alabama Undergraduate Tuition $9,797/semester Accreditation Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) Pros & Cons ✅High student retention rate ✅Low student-to-faculty ratio ✅High student retention rate ✅Uses Common App ❌High average net price per year 6. Denmark Technical College Location Denmark, South Carolina Undergraduate Tuition $2,813/semester (in-state) Accreditation Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) Pros & Cons ✅Low average net price per year ✅Low student-to-faculty ratio ❌Low graduation rate ❌Limited online learning options 7. Mississippi Valley State University Location Itta Bena, Mississippi Undergraduate Tuition $303/hour Accreditation Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) Pros & Cons ✅Low average net price per year ✅Relatively high retention rate ✅No application fee for first-year bachelor’s students ❌Does not use Common App 8. Tennessee State University Location Nashville, Tennessee Undergraduate Tuition $358/credit (in-state) Accreditation Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) Pros & Cons ✅Low average net price per year ✅Relatively high student retention rate ✅Graduate-level online programs available ❌Does not use Common App 9. North Carolina A&T State University Location Greensboro, North Carolina Undergraduate Tuition $147/credit hour (in-state) Accreditation Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) Pros & Cons ✅Low average net price per year ✅High student retention rate ✅Graduate-level online programs available ❌Relatively high student-to-faculty ratio 10. Hinds Community College at Utica Location Raymond, Mississippi Undergraduate Tuition $1,750/semester Accreditation Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) Pros & Cons ✅Average net price per year ✅Low typical monthly loan payment ✅Large selection of online courses ❌Low graduation rate How to Find the Right Online HBCU for You Know Your Time Commitment When researching the best HBCUs, consider the amount of time and energy you can commit to your education before applying. Consider if you can pursue a degree on a full-time basis, or if you have a full-time job or family obligations you may prefer part-time enrollment. Check out various schools’ delivery methods and see whether they offer full-time or part-time enrollment options. You may be able to attend online courses without set class times through asynchronous learning. Also consider how long you plan to spend in college. While it may cost more in the short term to forgo employment and commit to full-time learning, doing so can allow you to earn your degree, pursue employment and begin seeing a return on your investment more quickly. Look at Accreditation Always ensure that your prospective schools hold institutional accreditation. Schools can earn accreditation status by third-party accreditors. When you attend an accredited school it means your school has passed a rigorous assessment and delivers a high-quality education. Institutional accreditors include the Higher Learning Commission and the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges, among other organizations recognized by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation. Earning a degree from an accredited school makes it easier to transfer credits to other colleges, qualify for federal financial aid and gain employment after graduation. Specific departments or degrees may receive programmatic accreditation as well. Check with your prospective degree programs to see if they are programmatically accredited. For example, institutions with strong nursing departments may hold programmatic accreditation from the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education, while business-focused schools can earn this status from the Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs. If you plan to pursue a role that requires certification or licensure, check the credential’s requirements before applying—some stipulate that candidates hold degrees from programs that have received programmatic accreditation. Consider Your Future Goals To identify your ideal school or program, consider your personal and professional aspirations. While some learners plan to pursue employment immediately after graduation, others may have advanced degrees in mind after undergraduate studies. Different professional roles often require different levels of education. Consider whether your dream job requires an associate, bachelor’s or master’s degree, and research institutions that offer degrees at the appropriate level. Cost of an Online HBCU The average net price of the HBCUs in this ranking amounts to $12,808. The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) reports that fees and in-state tuition at a four-year public school cost $9,375 per year on average; out-of-state tuition and fees cost $27,091 per year. According to the NCES, private school tuition and fees cost $32,825 per year, indicating that the best public HBCUs may offer significant savings over private universities. Methodology We scored 94 HBCUs in the U.S. using 17 data points in the categories of credibility (including accreditation and nonprofit status), affordability, student outcomes, student experience and application process. We pulled this data from reliable resources such as the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) and individual school and program websites. We chose the 10 best schools to display based on those with online degree offerings that received a curved score of 89% or higher. Student Outcomes: 30% Student Experience: 30% Affordability: 20% Application Process: 10% Credibility: 10% Specific characteristics we considered within each category include accreditation, nonprofit status, average net price per year, financial aid offerings, Pell Grant recipient graduation rate, graduation rate and student-to-faculty ratio. For the application process we considered acceptance rate and application fees for first-year bachelor’s students. The highest-ranking schools were fully accredited, nonprofit institutions with high socioeconomic diversity and relatively low student-to-faculty ratios. SOURCE Forbes If you enjoyed this article, Join HBCU CONNECT today for similar content and opportunities via email! |
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Sofía Montiel
HBCU Connect, Customer Success Engineer Spelman College class of 2017 Member Since November 2022 |
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