Online colleges have gained serious momentum in recent years. The benefits of attending an online college are abundant. Students save money in almost every aspect of the third level education experience. Students are not required to live on campus and therefore save thousands on expensive boarding costs. Fees tend to be substantially lower and students can find almost all their resources online. Furthermore, students can adjust their schedules to fit around work or family priorities.

However, perhaps the most pertinent benefit that online colleges offer is the chance to include an impressive college name on their resume, for less than what it would cost to attend the brick and mortar building.

As reported by eHow.com, the cost of earning an online MBA at Kaplan University is roughly $20,000, compared to one year at a public four year University, which costs approximately $17,500 and $35,000 a year for a private college. This also doesn’t factor in board, food, materials and transportation costs.

Check out these top online schools:

1. Kaplan University
Kaplan serves more than 48,000 students both online and on campus and offers various degree types in subjects such as education, law, business, nursing, criminal justice and more.

2. University of Maryland University College
About two thirds of UMUC students are enrolled in online courses. The majority of students are female and attend part-time.

3. Strayer University
Further to their online arm, Strayer University has over 70 campuses nationwide. According to MSNBC, in 2001 Strayer and Devry universities produced the more graduates with computer science degrees that any other college in America.

4. Everest College
Everest is one of the best known online third level educators. They offer courses from accounting to dental assisting.

5. Baker College
Baker College was founded in 1911 and introduced its online program in 1996. It is a forerunner in online education.

6. University of Phoenix
Online students of the University of Phoenix have access to an electronic library, textbooks and other resources. In 2008, the University was voted 25th in the world for online degree progams.

7. Berkeley College
Renowned for its legal degrees, which are approved by the American Bar Association, Berkeley College has more than 7000 students.

8. Northwestern College
Northwestern College is regionally accredited by the Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association of Colleges and offers three Associate’s programs online.

9. Tiffin University
Tiffin University has over 2,700 students enrolled in both their on campus and online programs. Tiffin is affiliated with the accredited online Ivy Bridge College, which assigns each new student a personal success coach upon enrollment.

10. Walden University
Walden offers 23 degree programs and has around 25,082 students. They consistently receive praise for their online programs.

Online colleges offer flexible schedules and a variety of courses. The Wall Street Journal reports how even Ivy League schools are joining in and offering MBA programs online. Students can enroll in certificate programs from eCornell, the online version of Cornell University, for around $3,200. The article surmises: “Instead of sitting in a classroom, they’re taking career-specific courses and certificate programs over the Web that enable them to put a prestigious name on their résumé without breaking the bank or upending their schedule.”

Online colleges are becoming more and more popular, enroll today and secure your future!