As the number of colleges and universities offering online degrees continues to increase, and as more and more people enroll in online degree programs, questions are raised about the value of degrees earned via online education and the acceptance of such degrees as compared to those earned through traditional classroom study.

Interestingly, some studies indicate that students learn more in online study, and other studies conclude that the opposite is true.

Thus, it seems likely that broad generalizations about the quality or perceived value of online degree programs will not be useful to people considering them. What might prove more valuable is an analysis of their individual situation, with particular emphasis on their educational and/or vocational goals. Of course, students should always limit their choices to fully accredited institutions, whether they plan to pursue a degree online or attend a traditional college or university.

The process of choosing your best educational options should always begin with questions. What are youir personal goals? Career goals? How strong is your commitment? How much time do you have to devote to your education? Will your goals require licensure or certification of any kind? As you answer these questions, your options will become clearer.

Convenience, especially for working adults, tends to be a primary consideration. Of course, if you will have trouble finding time to commute to a college in your area, or if family and/or other responsibilities make it difficult for you to attend classes offered at fixed times, an online degree may be your only option. And, because online degree programs are designed to accommodate adults, they often are more willing to allow credit for life experience, shortening your "time to degree".

For most people, finances are a major factor in choosing a college or university, online or otherwise. Initially, few online degree programs were able to offer significant need based financial aid or loans, and even fewer offered scholarships. Today, however, many students in distance education program receive financial aid, including loans and scholarships.

Certainly online degree programs offer convenience, and many offer tuition payment plans, tuition rates and financial aid which make them affordable...in some cases, even cheap. And, it is not hard to find people in many professions who have enhanced their career options by earning online degrees. The tough question to answer is how well online degree programs are accepted by employers. Again, as with one of the questions posed earlier, generalizations may not be instructive.

Perhaps your best bet is to do some informal research. You can call or email people in charge of hiring in the professions and or individual organizations of interest to you and ask them if they differentiate between candidates with classroom-based and online degrees. And, ask the admissions representatives at the colleges you are considering to provide you with a list of the organizations in which they have placed graduates (and the titles of the positions in which they were placed). Of course, if certification or licensure is an issue for you, be certain the program you choose meets all the requirements for the credential you seek.

Don't forget to consider your learning style, academic skill levels, and motivation when deciding if enrolling in an online degree program would be a good step for you. A great way to be sure is to take a single course online before seeing if online education is your best choice.