Columbia College Online offers accelerated online degrees at a great price!
Online at a glance:
- Columbia College is a private university, established in 1851
- Term length: 8 week accelerated terms
- Tuition: $205 per credit hour (regardless of state of residence)
- Distance format: Online
- 500+ online classes offered per term
- Columbia College Online U.S. News Ranking: Top Tier, Best Comprehensive Colleges
Want to learn more? Take 2 minutes and get the details you need (pre-reqs, term start dates, scholarships, etc.) from Columbia College Online. About Columbia College Online Today, I wanted to take a closer look at my college, Columbia College, located in Columbia, Missouri. I ultimately selected Columbia College Online because it is a perfect blend of the qualities I value in an institution of higher learning. Here are a few of the things I took into consideration when selecting my online college:
- Programs of study available (Columbia offers 500 online classes per term)
- Quality of education / U.S. News and World Report Ranking
- Cost of tuition (the lower, the better)
- Distance education format (online vs. correspondence, video, other formats)
- Term length (8 week terms vs. 16 week traditional terms)
- Flexible – 5 terms per year (January, March, June, August, October)
- Offer students ability to take a minor as well
Although the other schools I was considering had a decent mixture of these qualities, I narrowed my choices down to UMass – Amherst and Columbia College. Why I chose Columbia over UMass
- UMass tuition is $1200 per class, Columbia tuition is $615 per class
- Semester length (UMass = 16 week terms, Columbia = 8 week terms)
At Columbia College Online, terms are only 8 weeks long. Although this might not seem like a big deal, it is to me. I was able to take two classes per 8 weeks, which equates to 4 classes per “traditional” 16 week semester. That’s a full-time course load, but I only had to juggle two classes at a time. Had I chosen UMass, I would have had to juggle 4 classes at one time while working full-time to get the same result. No thank you. That said, UMass has a higher-ranked business program than Columbia, but I wasn’t willing to pay $1,200 per class plus books. Interested? Take 2 minutes and get the complete scoop from Columbia College Online. Columbia College Online – My overall opinion (for what it’s worth) 1. Academics This is not a school where you simply memorize the material. Sure, you’ll learn the material, but you also have in-depth discussions with other students and the professor via the online learning system. In addition to your major course of study, students can also elect to minor in another area of interest. 2. Professors The professors are always available to help and I can’t think of a single class where the instructor did not give students 2 or 3 different methods of contact (home phone, cell number, email, live chat) and so on. 3. Administrative staff The administrative staff goes above and beyond. Unlike other schools I have attended, the online student interface is stellar (eServices) and common administrative tasks can be performed online without ever having to call the Business Office/Registrar. You can even use Columbia College’s automated system to perform a degree audit so you know right where you stand. The Columbia College Online advising staff are extremely responsive as well. Every time I send an email requesting information, I receive a quick reply and helpful information. 4. Financial Aid Financial aid is available to most students provided you take at least a half-time course load. I used Stafford Loans to fund my education, but there are also payment plans available. Given the low tuition rate, if you are working full-time, you can probably easily pay for your degree as you go without going into debt. 5. Other cool stuff Columbia College’s online library is MORE than sufficient for your research needs. As a student, I had access to dozens of online resources (JSTOR, EBSCO, etc.). Online students can also participate in Columbia College’s study abroad program. Bottom line, while attending Columbia College Online, I felt like a traditional, campus-based student, even though I took all of my classes online. Columbia even allows online students to participate in graduation ceremonies at the home campus. Overall impression: I would recommend Columbia College Online without any reservation to someone looking for the perfect blend of academics and cost; being able to take a full-time course load while working full-time was just icing on the cake. Columbia College Online Degrees: Associate degrees
- Associate in Science in Business Administration
- Associate in Science in Criminal Justice Administration
- Associate in Science in Fire Service Administration
- Associate in General Studies
- Associate in Science in Human Services
- Associate in Science in Environmental Studies
Bachelor degrees
- Bachelor of Arts in Business Administration
- Bachelor of Science in Business Administration
- Bachelor of Arts in Criminal Justice Administration
- Bachelor of General Studies
- Bachelor of Arts in American Studies
- Bachelor of Arts in History
- Bachelor of Arts in Human Services
- Bachelor of Arts in Psychology
- Bachelor of Arts in Sociology
Master’s degrees
- Master of Business Administration
- Master of Science in Criminal Justice
- Master of Arts in Teaching
Interested? Check ‘em out and get the information you need now: Columbia College Online.
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