Elmhurst College’s online degree programs recently received high marks from three websites that rank colleges and academic programs according to criteria including value, quality and flexibility.
The Center for Online Education, previously known as OnlineColleges.net, ranked Elmhurst No. 7 among the top 25 colleges with the best online information technology bachelor’s degree programs. The Center for Online Education, or COE, offers resources to prospective students, including help with applying to college and landing a job after graduation. It noted that degrees in the fast-growing IT field are valuable in today’s economy and open the door to jobs as network managers, application developers and web designers.
Elmhurst’s 14-month online adult degree-completion program in information technology gives students the working tools and knowledge needed to secure a position in applications development, information systems management and infrastructure engineering, the COE noted. It also pointed out that all services available to residential students are accessible to online students through email or over the phone.
In another survey of undergraduate programs, by College Values Online, Elmhurst ranked among the top 20 schools considered a best value college for online technical degrees. College Values Online’s rankings of online technical degrees encompass a broad survey of undergraduate programs related to technology and other practical, high-tech subjects.
College Values Online noted that Elmhurst’s convenient, online adult-degree completion programs can put students on the fast track to accomplishing their goals. It also cited the College’s flexible model, which enables students to take courses on campus, online or through a combination of both. With eight-week courses, prerecorded webinars and a public “cloud” of shared academic resources, online students can easily earn their degree in 14 months, the website said.
Value Colleges, a website started last year, ranked Elmhurst College’s master of science in data science program at No. 35 among the 50 best value online Big Data programs. Value Colleges focuses on popular and fast-growing fields such as User Experience (UX) Design and Big Data, and ranks programs according to such criteria as cost, reputation, salaries and placement rates.
Value Colleges noted that higher education is still catching up with Big Data, a relatively new field.
Elmhurst’s program benefits by its proximity to downtown Chicago, the website noted. “It provides students with access to that major business and tech industry, and a name with a strong reputation in the region,” the website added. “Online students can finish in two years and hit the job market with confidence.”