Affordable Colleges Online Ranking Methodology

This measure indicates the percentage of students who finish their degree in six years or less. A high graduation rate indicates that a school offers adequate support for its students.

This measure indicates what percentage of first-year students return to the same school for a second year. Since dissatisfied students may drop out or transfer to other schools, a high retention rate usually reflects a high satisfaction rate.

This ratio indicates the average number of students per faculty member. Low student-to-faculty ratios often appear at smaller schools and elite schools. A low ratio typically means that students receive abundant personalized attention from faculty.

This ratio indicates the percentage of full-time faculty at an institution. A higher percentage often indicates higher quality academics because full-time faculty typically boast more competitive credentials and professional experience than part-time faculty.

This measures indicates the total tuition amount a student pays after receiving financial aid. By factoring in both tuition and financial aid, average net price serves as a very strong affordability indicator. The lowest net prices typically appear at the most affordable schools.

A program’s loan default rate measures how many graduates were able to repay their loans after completing the program. A high loan default rate indicates that many graduates were unable to repay their loans, which often points to a lack of employment opportunities. A low loan default rate indicates strong job prospects after graduation. Our methodology factors in the loan default rate as a measure of a degree’s affordability and its ability to prepare graduates for the workforce.

Federal loans make education more affordable by offering lower interest rates than private loans and allowing students adequate time for repayment. At affordable schools, a high percentage of the student body may receive federal student loans.

This ranking factor measures the average loan amount the federal government awards a school’s enrollees. Federal loans typically come with lower interest rates than private loans. A high federal loan average can indicate a more affordable school.

This number indicates the percentage of full-time undergraduates who receive any financial aid. A high percentage of financial aid recipients indicates that a school supports students in securing financial aid.

This figure measures the average grant and scholarship funding students receive. Unlike loans, scholarships and grants do not require repayment. Therefore, high scholarship and grant award amounts may correlate with less student debt.

This measure indicates the median debt that students owe six years after starting at a school. Schools with lower median debt accruals typically prove more affordable than schools with high debt medians.

This statistic measures the percentage of applicants that a school admits. Elite schools often admit a small percentage of applicants. Consequently, schools with lower admission rates typically boast strong reputations.

This measure indicates the proportion of admitted applicants that actually end up enrolling. A high enrollment percentage indicates desirability and positively correlates with school prestige.

Average earnings measures how much graduates make annually. Measured six years from first enrollment, a high earnings figure often suggests that the school’s offerings make profitable careers accessible to graduates.

When ranking online programs, schools with a higher percentage of online degrees score better than schools with fewer online offerings. A high number suggests that a school significantly invests in organizing, developing, and improving online education.

Measuring the number of distance learners in relation to the school’s total enrollment, this percentage highlights the prevalence of the school’s online degree programs.

*We only consider this subfactor for our online program rankings; not our on-campus rankings.

Overall enrollment numbers include learners who take courses both on campus and online. This figure communicates the general popularity of online learning at a given school. A high online enrollee rate positively correlates with strong online programs.

*We only use overall online enrollment as a subfactor in our online program rankings; not our on-campus rankings.