Methodology

For the first time, Newsweek and Statista are awarding institutions that offer online learning courses or online college/university degrees to adult learners in two top lists:

1. “America’s Top Online Colleges” (colleges and universities that offer online degree programs, to learners who want to obtain an academic degree, including hybrid programs with online and offline courses or exams)

2. “America’s Top Online Learning Providers” (institutions other than a university or college, which provide access to their own or third-party online courses)

The rankings are based on an online survey among U.S. residents who have used online learning service offers to obtain an academic degree or acquire knowledge and skills for their job (professional development) or hobbies (personal development) via online courses.

Between 07/26/2021 and 09/13/2021, Statista surveyed more than 9,000 individuals in the United States. Survey respondents indicated which institutions they used to obtain an online degree or where they attended an online course. In a next step, respondents shared their experiences by rating the institutions regarding several criteria. Finally, respondents could indicate how satisfied they were with the organization and to what extent they would recommend it to others.

User reviews and additional institutional indicators were transformed into score values and aggregated towards a final score. To receive an award, institutions needed an above average total score value. The awarded institutions received either five stars, if their final score value is above the median score of all awarded institutions, or four stars, if their score is below this threshold.

The top lists were created through an elaborate process: Participants’ responses as well as the final selection of institutions in each list were carefully reviewed. Statista makes no statement about the quality of education institutions or learning providers that are not included in the lists, and their reputation is not disputed.

For the extended version of the methodology please click here.

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