1. Their Accreditations - There are three primary types of accreditation that you should be aware of when you're looking at what types of bodies have accredited any of the schools that you're thinking of enrolling with.

The first is a national accreditation. National accreditation is a good thing because it means that your degree will be valued anywhere you move in the country. You would likely be able to transfer credits from that online school to another one.

The second type is a regional accreditation body, which will evaluate the schools in your area. This is less important unless it is something like a law degree where a regional certification can allow you to apply to the bar in that region.

There are professional accreditation bodies which may certify schools that specialize in certain fields, such as nursing or psychology, which are also very important certifications.

2. Their History - A school that has just opened is hard to evaluate. Looking for schools that have been around for awhile can let you know that their online school is really on the level and able to provide you with a high quality education. This is why many professionals will tell you that you should look into online educational options that are originating with an actual college or university that has a physical campus and established history.

3. Their Instructors - Just because an online school is conducted through the screens of your computer doesn't mean that you shouldn't be concerned about the quality of the instructors. These are the people that are going to be leading your coursework. Feel free to ask the university for background on the instructors, such as works they have written, prizes they have won, or just for their bio, which most will have on file if it isn't posted right on their website.

4. Their Employment Records - Because the most important part of education today is getting students high quality jobs after graduation, most schools are very interested in the types of jobs their students are able to obtain after graduation.

If you're curious, you should feel free to ask the school to provide some employment references. When you do this, you are basically asking the online school to provide you with some contact information for people that have hired graduates of the school. This can be one of the best ways to get firsthand information about how hirable someone with a degree from that particular school is, and how employers are going to be viewing online degrees awarded from that institution.

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