When the Internet first became available for the common person, few people imagined that it would be possible to go to school online someday. The first programs that popped up were met with suspicion, as there was no way to ensure that online students were getting the same quality education found at typical campus colleges. Scams and diploma mills took advantage of student who wanted to get degrees, and employers were hesitant to hire those who got their degrees online.

Today, the world of online education is changing. Thanks to accreditation programs, which have now embraced distance learning, students and potential employers can confirm that online universities are legitimate and will provide the education needed to work in the field in question by checking a school’s accreditation.

Accreditation is available to both online and brick-and-mortar schools. The government does not accredit schools, but they do maintain a list of accrediting organizations and other accrediting information. With the accrediting process, an organization looks a school or program within a school to see if the education meets certain standards.

In addition, accreditation can ensure that you qualify for scholarships, grants, and student loans. Many private groups and government departments offer financial aid for students, but if your program isn’t accredited, you may not be able to apply. They want to make sure that the funds are actually being used for an educational program that will give you a legitimate degree.

A variety of different organizations accredit online universities. Some accredit a school overall, but most work to accredit specific programs, specializing in areas like nursing, law, or health administration. Depending on your field, you may not be able to get a license to work in your industry of choice if your online degree isn’t from an accredited program. Every state has different laws, so make sure you understand them, especially in you intend to work in medicine, insurance, or other highly regulated fields.

It takes time for a school to be accredited. Not every program you come across will be accredited, and that doesn’t necessarily mean that the school is a scam or not providing a quality education. Along with schools needing time to be accredited, some schools choose not to seek accreditation, simply because they feel it hinders their goals. If you do your research and find that a program will meet your educational needs, you should consider applying, even if it isn’t accredited.

Most online universities announce the fact that they’re accredited, so you can read on their website about their accreditations. However, it is important to follow up with the actual organizations to ensure that the schools really are accredited. You can do so by contacting the accrediting organization directly, and through these groups, you can also get an entire list of schools accredited in your field. Most of these organizations work with both online and offline programs, so you’ll have to do a little research to find out what school offer distance learning.

With the current situation of our job market, employers' demands for individuals with college degrees is higher than ever. Earning a degree from an online college offers the affordability and flexibility that most brick-and-mortar campus-based colleges cannot offer. Below, we present the top onine colleges for 2010.

Top 10 Online Universities

	University of Phoenix — Degree Levels: Associate's, Bachelor's, Master's, and Doctorate. Founded in 1976 as a upstart college, today the University of Phoenix is the largest private university in North America with students at over 200 campus locations and online learners studying dozens of programs all over the world.
	Ashford University — Degree Levels: Associate's, Bachelor's, and Master's. The mission of Asford University is to foster a sense of accessible, flexible, and innovative learning in its student body. Ashford offers accelerated external degree program for adult learners in numerous subjects, including social sciences, criminal justice, technology, business, healthcare, and more.
	Boston University — Degree Levels: Bachelor's, Master's, and Doctorate. Founded in 1839, Boston University is one of the oldest universities in the nation to offer online degree programs. With two main campuses in the city of Boston, dozens of study abroad programs around the world, and an online program available globally, Boston University's presence is second to none.
	Liberty University — Degree Levels: Associate's, Bachelor's, and Master's. Founded in 1971 by Rev. Jerry Falwell, Liberty University is the largest evangelical Christian university in the nation with an enrollment of over 20,000 undergraduate and post-graduate students.
	Walden University — Degree Levels: Bachelor's, Master's, and Doctorate. Walden University has designed all of its online coursework for busy adult professionals who demand affordability and flexibility from their schooling. With degrees offered in several subjects, including healthcare, criminal justice, and business, Walden is sure to be a good fit for most students.
	DeVry University — Degree Levels: Associate's, Bachelor's, and Master's. With approximately 100 campus locations across North America, DeVry University is one of the more well-known names in the online education industry. Originally founded in 1931, today DeVry offers most of its degree programs online. Subjects of study include business, science, IT, liberal arts, and more.
	Capella University — Degree Levels: Bachelor's, Master's, and Doctorate. "Knowledge means solving problems no one else can" is the official motto of Capella University. Founded in 1993 and headquartered in Minneapolis, Minnesota, Capella offers over 1,000 online courses in subject such as legal studies, criminal justice, business, IT, healthcare, education, and more.
	Kaplan University — Degree Levels: Associate's, Bachelor's, and Master's. The online degree programs offered at Kaplan University are tailored to each student, customized for flexibilty so that students are able to study on their schedule. Kaplan offers more than 100 degrees in subjects ranging from business to criminal justice to nursing and more.
	Strayer University — Degree Levels: Associate's, Bachelor's, and Master's. Founded in 1892 as Strayer's Business College, today Strayer University boast an enrollment of over 50,000 students across the United States. Degrees are offered in business, computer technology, education, health administration, criminal justice, and more.
	Grand Canyon University — Degree Levels: Bachelor's and Master's. Frequently cited as one of the top online colleges in the United States, Grand Canyon University was originally founded as Grand Canyon College in 1949. Today, GCU offers dozens of degrees online in subjects such as nursing, healthcare, business, and more.
	Argosy University — Degree Levels: Bachelor's, Master's, and PhDs. Headquartered in Chicago, IL and with over a dozen campus locations nationwide, Argosy University provides accredited online degree programs for busy professionals in subjects including psychology, healthcare, business, and more.
	Westwood College — Degree Levels: Associate's and Bachelor's. Originally established in 1953, Westwood College is composed of 17 campus locations in six states and an online program offered through their Denver North campus. Programs of study offered online include business, criminal justice, fashion merchandising, healthcare, and more.
Click here to see more online colleges...