This list of colleges and universities with online programs is a blend of the rating system published by US News and World Report of quality universities in the country, augmented by our judgment on what constitutes a set of quality online academic options.  Traditional schools are easing in to the online mode, very cautiously just a few years ago but with more momentum over the past two or three academic seasons.

Schools that were willing to offer courses online but were reluctant to offer degrees are now offering degrees – but  in some cases a reduced version of the campus product.  Online products are improving every year though; many of the MBA schools have cast aside their apprehensions about distance learning.  This list contains, in no particular order, the best online programs out there among respected and accredited universities, at this point in the online academic revolution.

1. Northeastern University has one of the most extensive choices of online degrees available from any traditional U.S. university.  AN MBA program, engineering, education, health sciences and information technology are all academic disciplines for which there are multiple online degree options.  Northeastern has two doctorates, 14 master’s degree programs, 18 bachelor’s degree programs, 4 associate degree programs, and 24 professional certificates offered online.
2. Penn State was one of the early participants among traditional universities in online education; today their World Campus offers over sixty online degree and certificate programs.  Among them are the MBA, a Masters in Public Administration and a Master of Project Management. And a Master of Software Engineering.  There are degree options from the Department of Education.
3. University of Illinois offers forty online degree options and another twenty or so graduate certificate choices.  There are Bachelor and Master degrees in Computer Science and Information, several undergraduate options in business and eleven Master’s Degree in Education choices.  AN interesting graduate level option is the Masters in Recreation, Parks and Tourism
4. University of Massachusetts has online programs generated by several of its campuses, principally Amherst.  The University has also created a central hub for online degrees and certificates at UMassOnline.  There you will find dozens of choices that include an online MBA in Accounting and Finance, several psychology degrees, and an array of liberal arts, science and technology options delivered via distance learning.
5. Boston University offers a degree completion program at the undergraduate level that leads to a Bachelor of Liberal Arts in Interdisciplinary Studies.  At the graduate level there are several more specific academic options available which include Criminal Justice, Computer Information Systems and both the Masters and PhD in Occupational Therapy.  It’s an interesting mix of choices, augmented by an extensive graduate certificate program for continuing education.
6. University of Maryland University College is UM’s continuing education, online education and outreach program all rolled into a single academic unit.  They have been very active in developing online academic options for the variety of students that either enroll in college or return to college at UMUC.  The list of thirty online undergraduate majors matched by forty minor options available through UMUC illustrates the ability to assemble a complete college experience through the UMUC distance learning structure.
7. Indiana University is another college that has looked carefully at the shift in educational paradigms and developed a selection of Associate Degree programs in its online portfolio.  The Kelley School of Business at IU has an online MBA program that includes a number of specialties such as Supply Chain Management and a separate Master of Finance.
8. Indiana State University offers ten undergraduate degrees online, a like number of masters programs and perhaps twice that many graduate certificates and training programs for licensure.  The Certificate program in Criminology offers options in Law Enforcement, Corrections and Private Security and Loss Prevention.  Indiana State has also expanded the traditional role of the university to include vocational training that was not long ago the purview of the community college.
9. Arizona State University has eight undergraduate online degrees available to freshmen, and an additional twelve that are options for transferring students.  Their Master Degree programs available online include several in engineering; among those of interest are the Master of Engineering in Modeling and Simulation and the Master of Systems Engineering that are available along with degrees in the standard fields of Industrial Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Materials Science, etc.
10. Florida State University has limited undergraduate online options but one of them is major: the Bachelor of Computer Science.  The graduate degree programs come from the schools and departments of Nursing, Criminal Justice, Business, Education, MIS, Social Work and Library & Information Systems.  There are a lot of good technology options here that extend to Graduate Certificate programs such as Online Instructional Development and Geographic Information Systems.
11. University of Florida has a token offering for distance learning undergraduate degrees, with three minimal choices.  However their graduate degree options are extensive with several contributions each from the schools of Education, Engineering, Health Sciences, Pharmacy, and Environmental Sciences.
12. George Washington University offers five Bachelors Health Science degrees that focus on clinical research, clinical management, and clinical laboratory science.  Online Masters Degree choices include political management and paralegal studies, one of the few Masters in Paralegal in the nation.  There are several graduate programs in Health Sciences and Nursing and three business degrees including the MBA in Healthcare Administration.
13. State University of New York has a similar system to North Carolina University, in that online programs are offered by many different campuses.  While the courses may be taken anywhere, the student must enroll in the particular campus offering the degree.  SUNY Learning Network pulls all of these academic choices together so a student can see what’s available on the twenty-plus campuses.  A look at the online Bachelor Degree options provides an idea of the extent of this excellent distance learning network.
14. University of North Carolina has a remarkable assemblage of online degrees offered by its collection of sixteen university campuses.  Online degrees are offered by individual campuses; students must enroll in the appropriate campus to pursue the chosen degree. In Computer Science, for example, the Bachelors degree is offered by Appalachian State, the BS in Industrial Technology by East Carolina State and the Masters in IT at North Carolina A&T.  There are dozens of graduate certificates and hundreds of courses available through the system.
15. University of Cincinnati has some unusual online options at the undergraduate level.  Students can earn a Bachelor of Science in Addiction Studies, a degree in Fire Science or a BS in Clinical Laboratory Management.  Masters Degrees include Educational Leadership, Special Education (on an Ohio teacher’s certification track) and Criminal Justice.
16. Drexel University has one of the most comprehensive distance learning programs in the country among traditional schools.  The online Bachelor Degree options are extensive and include degrees in Psychology, Education and Business.  In the Online Graduate Division there is an MBA program, extensive MSN degree options for nursing students, nine degrees from the Education Department and six Masters in Engineering choices.
17. Pace University offers a range of online degrees that extends from Associate to Masters – an unusual characteristic for an established college.  Among there are two Associate in IT options, a Bachelor Degree in Communications and addition IT degrees at the Masters level along with an Executive MBA.
18. Stephen F Austin University has built an impressive Distance Learning Program that is a mix of degree completion programs and graduate degree options.  True to its Texas roots, one of the undergraduate choices for transfer students at SFA is in Agriculture.  There are several graduate programs that are on the teacher track despite being online offerings.  There are also Education degrees in content management and in educational administration.
19. Stanford University has rolled out a distance learning program within its Center for Professional Development.  There are fifty one Master of Science degree tracks available through the Center and sixteen of them are available entirely online.  You still have to meet the University admission requirements, but they may not be as daunting for this continuing education program as they are for formal University admission.
20. University of South Florida is a large school operating several campuses with a full roster of academic disciplines both graduate and undergraduate.  The USF Distance Learning Program is a mixture of degrees offered fully online and partially online.  Undergraduate degree programs that are completely online include the Bachelor in Criminal Justice, in Public Health and in Information Technology
21. University of Toledo has an eclectic mix of undergraduate and graduate degrees available online.  There is an RN to BSN program for nurses available online, and a Bachelor of Science in Information Technology.  There are also several degree completion options for Bachelor Degrees, many of them in technology fields.  The Master Degree online choices include several in Education and one MSN program for Nurse Educator.
22. Michigan State University has an impressive range of undergraduate online degrees that are offered both as hybrids and as 100% distance learning degrees.  Among the Masters Degree options are Nursing, Public Health and Supply Chain Management.
23. University of Wisconsin offers several undergraduate and graduate online degrees through its Platteville campus.  At the UW Green Bay campus you can earn the RN to BSN degree through distance learning.  The flagship campus in Madison offers a Master of Engineering program online as well as several other degrees and certificates; The UW Superior Campus Distance Learning Program offers degrees and individually designed courses of study
24. Seton Hall has just the RN to BSN nursing degree available as an undergraduate online option.  However the graduate degrees available through their Distance Learning Program include degrees in Nursing, Health Care Administration, and several options in the Educational field.
25. Syracuse University has a limited selection of degree programs available, supplemented by certificate programs and may courses delivered online.   Their online graduate programs are heavily weighted towards technology, with a Master of Science in Library and Information Science and a PhD in Information Science and Technology as examples.