by Sherry Horton Blake

Created on: January 09, 2009   Last Updated: November 17, 2011

The economy is going downhill fast. You are worried about your job. You think that perhaps if you could get an online degree it would not only help secure your present job but perhaps provide other employment opportunities in case you have to look for a new job at some point. However, you have limited resources. How are you going to find an online degree that is from an accredited school and yet low cost?

There are many good degree programs on the internet that are much more cost efficient than actually being in the classroom. Many of these programs are accredited and give you a well-rounded education, even though it is online. My sister, who has a master's in education, serves as a professor for one of these schools for their online classes, and she gives the same amount of time and attention to her online classes as she does to classes she teaches on site. It just takes a little time and research to find programs with well qualified professors that are still within your budget.

Many recognized schools that previously operated only on site classes are now offering online degrees that are much less costly than their regular programs. Therefore, when you get ready to look for an online degree, look for universities whose names you recognize. Rather than relying on search engines to find a school, go to the website for these name brand schools and find out what they offer as far as online classes.

When choosing the best quality, lowest cost program, check with GetEducated.com. Since this is a consumer agency, schools are given free profiles and information is objective. This consumer watchdog group rates schools and verifies the cost of online programs.

For example, if you are interested in getting an MBA, you can go to this GetEducated site, http://www.geteducated.com/rankings/best_mbareg.asp and find out the top 40 best buys for an online MBA degree.

If you are interested in a masters degree in healthcare or nursing, you can go to this GetEducated site, http://www.geteducated.com/rankings/best_health.asp and find the top 36 best buys for online masters degrees in healthcare and nursing.

This is the most reliable way to find out the actual cost of a program without being surprised later by hidden costs. The GetEducated site also has a newsletter you can access at this site that has updated information about new degrees and cost, etc.

The economy may be dismal, but your job future does not have to be. You can find a low cost internet degree that you can afford, and thus increase your job security.

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