If you’re considering an online degree, you may be wondering whether employers respect them as much as traditional degrees. This is important, of course, because you want to make sure your degree propels you forward into the career you want for yourself.

In the past, online degrees were a bit unusual and a fair number of employers viewed them with a healthy dose of skepticism. Nowadays, however, more than a third of traditional brick-and-mortar colleges offer online degree programs. This has led to more employers embracing online education as a respected choice. Of course, not all online degree programs are created equal, so you’ll want to evaluate your options in three ways.

1. Reputation

If you’re considering schools that only exist online, know that employers typically consider an online degree more respectable if it comes from an institution offering brick-and-mortar degrees on a physical campus, too. If an online school has nothing more than a P.O. box, you should consider this a red flag.

2. Accreditation

Since “diploma mills” exist and are highly frowned upon by potential employers, make sure your chosen online degree program is accredited by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation. According to the U.S. Department of Education, this particular accreditation is essential for a program’s credibility – and for the respectability of your future degree.

3. Timeline for Degree Completion

You should be wary of programs that offer degree completion timelines that are much shorter than their competitors. Although it’s tempting to think about earning a degree in mere months, know that doing so would likely mean short-changing your future job prospects.

More and more students are choosing online degrees, and more employers are taking notice of them as respected preparation for the workforce. If you think an online degree program may be right for you, be sure to do your due diligence. Use the evaluation criteria above to ensure your chosen online degree program will be viewed favorably by potential employers in the future.

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