Upper Iowa University freshman Brandon Nelson walks into the Andres Center for Business and Education at Upper Iowa University in Fayette, Iowa.

Internet courses are a growing trend

By Gale Smetana

Busy lifestyles are making cyberspace campuses a viable option for a growing number of students seeking college degrees.

In fact, Iowa can boast the top rated online university according to rankings by the Online Education Database (OEDb). Upper Iowa University, based in Fayette, was rated first among 41 online schools graded in eight categories including financial aid, graduation rate, acceptance rate and student-faculty ratio. Upper Iowa’s online degrees include business, nursing, and social sciences degrees to name a few.

Although Upper Iowa University is building a strong reputation for online learning, other colleges and universities offer a variety of online courses. Graceland University, based in Lamoni, Iowa, offers a Masters of Education, Master of Nursing, RN and other health-related degrees on line through its “global campus” program.

University of Iowa, Iowa State University, University of Northern Iowa and the state’s community colleges all offer a growing number of online courses.

A study supported by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation concluded almost 3.5 million students nationwide enrolled in at least one online course and the number is growing at a rate of about 10 percent a year.

If you decide to go the online route, a computer with Internet access is a must. You’ll need to make sure your Internet browser is supported by the college’s online software — something you can check when you first sign on. It’s also important to seek out online schools with accredited programs.

If national statistics hold true, online students will have plenty of cyberspace classmates is the years ahead.