Find Your Program

Or browse by

Browse our programs

10 Surprising Facts About Online Degrees

Online education offers working professionals a flexible path to earning a degree.

If you’re taking your first look at online education, get ready to be surprised and delighted. The advantages of earning a degree online are limitless, but here are 10 facts that may help you decide if enrolling in an online university is right for you. When you earn a degree online you can:

''

  1. Choose Your Start Date
    If you’ve taken classes at a brick-and-mortar university with winter, spring, summer, and fall semesters, you may be surprised to learn that many online degree programs offer rolling start dates. You choose the time that’s right for you to launch your bachelor’s, master’s, or doctoral degree program.
  2. Join a Community
    When you choose a global institution like Walden University for your college education, you’ll join students from across the U.S. and 120 countries who are earning a degree online. In each online course, you’ll connect with peers and faculty members who may even become lifelong friends and mentors.
  3. Find Flexibility
    With a laptop and Wi-Fi connection, you can dive into your coursework when and where you want, 24/7. Online education lets you achieve your own perfect balance of work, family, and school.
  4. Get Military Student Support
    Top accredited online universities honor veterans and active-duty members of the U.S. armed forces by offering military student support services that may include leaves of absence in case of deployment, tuition reductions, scholarship opportunities, credit earned for military experience and training, and more.
  5. Boost Your Career
    Many working professionals earn online degrees to gain skills and knowledge that can open doors to promotions or opportunities in a new field. Online universities often offer a broad variety of online degree programs and specializations that let you match your education to your career goals.
  6. Use Cutting-Edge Technology
    Digital tools are essential when you earn a degree online, but some online universities take the tech even further, offering virtual reality tools that simulate situations you may face as a social worker or human resource professional, for example.
  7. Set Your Own Pace
    When you’re exploring online education, you’ll find some universities offer fast-track and accelerated models that let you potentially earn your degree more quickly. You also may discover competency-based learning models that let you work at your own pace.
  8. Stack Up Certificates
    Earning certificates can be an even quicker way to gain or polish industry-specific skills, though time to completion varies by student, of course. An online graduate certificate in communication, for example, can provide the skills to help you efficiently navigate the digital, social, and mobile marketplace—an in-demand area of expertise in many professions.
  9. Get Support
    Good colleges offer student support services that are at your fingertips every step of the way. You’ll enjoy the ease of having Enrollment Specialists, Student Success Advisors, academic writing support, financial aid advisors, and more to help guide you on your journey through higher education.
  10. Learn From the Best
    Without the geographic constraints of brick-and-mortar institutions, online universities can offer a diverse faculty comprising standouts in their fields. You’ll learn from educators and practitioners who blend real-life experience into their teaching and academic leadership.

At Walden University, more than 90% of faculty members hold doctoral degrees.1 Among Walden’s faculty, you’ll find state teachers of the year, competitive grant winners, Fulbright scholars and specialists,2 and current and past board members for professional and charitable organizations.

When you earn a degree from Walden, a leader in distance learning for more than 50 years, you’ll get these benefits and more. Boost your career options by enrolling in an online degree program that allows you to complete coursework on a schedule that works for you.

Walden is an accredited university offering online certificate programs and bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral degree programs online. Expand your career options and earn your degree using a convenient, flexible learning platform that fits your busy life.

1Source: Walden University Office of Institutional Research and Assessment (OIRA), based on information provided by faculty members via Faculty Insight Tool (FIT) as of fall 2019; percentage includes core and contributing faculty, Academic Skills Center staff, and academic leadership.
2Source: OIRA, based on information provided by faculty members via FIT as of fall 2019.

Walden University is accredited by The Higher Learning Commission, www.hlcommission.org.

Whether looking for information on programs, admissions, or financial aid, we're here to help.

Fill out the form and we will contact you to provide information about furthering your education.

Please use our International Form if you live outside of the U.S.

  • Step 1: Contact Information
  • Step 2: Academic Interests

Are you or your spouse an active or retired U.S. military service member?*

By submitting this form, I provide my signature, expressly consenting to calls, prerecorded messages, messages created by generative artificial intelligence, emails and/or texts regarding my educational options from Walden University (Walden) and its contractors using an automated dialing system to the number and email address provided. I understand my consent is not required to enroll at Walden, and that I can withdraw my consent at any time. To request information without consenting, please call 866-492-5336. For telephonic communications, message and data rates may apply. Message frequency may vary. To opt out of communications via text messaging reply STOP or HELP for help or call 866-492-5336. For more information, visit Privacy Policy and Terms of Service.