BestColleges.com Announces New Schools of Distinction Recognition To Honor Excellence In Online Higher Education

The Schools of Distinction reflect a bright future of quality and momentum in online higher education.

June 20, 2017 (Seattle WA) - BestColleges.com, a leading provider of independent higher education rankings and college planning guides, today announced its new Schools of Distinction award, which highlights colleges and universities that are leading the way in online education through a diverse offering of accessible and rigorous academic programs.

Out of the more than 3,500 not-for-profit colleges and universities nationwide, over 2,100 offer online degree programs; of these, only 14 schools qualified for the inaugural Schools of Distinction gold medal list. An additional 21 qualified as silver-medalists and 80 as bronze-medalists. These top-performing institutions are represented across BestColleges.com's rankings for their academic quality, affordability, and online learning opportunities.

"Our Schools of Distinction appear across our academic rankings, delivering a breadth of quality online programs. These colleges and universities are spending time, energy, and resources developing online programs with respectable student outcomes and we want to celebrate that," said Stephanie Snider, General Manager of BestColleges.com. "Furthermore, they demonstrate that online education is a viable option for students looking to balance the needs of family, work, and education."

Schools earned a gold, silver, or bronze level of distinction based on the number of online academic programs on which they appear. BestColleges.com develops its rankings based on statistical information gathered from a variety of sources, including the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) and College Navigator.

Gold-level schools appear on 15 or more of our online academic rankings.

All schools listed alphabetically:

• Bellevue University
• Colorado State University
• Drexel University
• East Carolina University
• Fort Hays State University
• Indiana Wesleyan University-Marion
• Liberty University
• National University
• Northeastern University
• Nova Southeastern University
• Pennsylvania State University
• Saint Leo University
• Southern New Hampshire University
• University of Central Florida

Silver-level colleges are featured 10-14 times on the BestColleges.com rankings. Some of the schools include:

• Arizona State University
• George Washington University
• Michigan State University
• Regis University
• University of Florida

To view the rest of the silver schools visit: /features/"top-online-schools/schools-of-distinction/#silver

Bronze-level schools appear on 5-9 rankings; featured schools include:

• Kennesaw State University
• Loyola University Chicago
• New York University
• Texas A & M University
• University of Southern California

To view the rest of the bronze schools visit: /features/"top-online-schools/schools-of-distinction/#bronze

Adds Snider: "We are proud of all the schools that made this year's Schools of Distinction. Online education has a bright future and great momentum. This is reflected in the 115 schools on the list."

To view the complete page and read more about the award and gold schools, please visit: /features/"top-online-schools/schools-of-distinction/

About BestCollege.com

BestColleges.com helps prospective students find the school that best meets their needs through proprietary research, user-friendly guides, and hundreds of unique college rankings. They also provide a wide array of college planning, financial aid, and career resources to help all students get the most from their education and prepare them for the world after college.