A Guide to Online Colleges in Texas

There are those that would argue — with some combination of pride, zealotry, and humble edification — that there is no state in the union quite like Texas. They may have a point. Can any other state claim such topographical diversity? From the hill country, to the coastal plains, to the basin, prairie, and desert in the west: its vastness looms, tallying ten climatic regions, fourteen soil regions, and eleven ecological regions. The state's cultural significance speaks for itself; the cowboy is the American icon par excellence, and the eponymous NFL team has remained the country's most popular (and valuable) team for a quarter-century. This is the birthplace of Willie Nelson, Waylon Jennings, Blind Willie Johnson, T-Bone Walker, Stevie Ray Vaughan, and Lyle Lovett. It's one of the country's top exporters, posts a top-five GDP, and hosts 54 Fortune 500 companies. Texas is also home to perhaps the most in-state online learning opportunities in the country. And while the great benefit of online education is its elimination of location limiters, there's something to be said for staying in-state when earning your online degree.

In-state tuition is often applied to public schools offering online programs Many online programs require some face-to-face time, or more numerous support services at their brick and mortar locations. Intensive study experiences–often on the weekends or in several week long bouts–enable many online students to accelerate their time until graduation. And students looking at online education can drastically expand their educational options if they also look to hybrid degrees (degrees where degrees can be taken partially, or mostly online). Finally, one of the most common stipulations in scholarships is that students be from a certain state or region, often more funds are available to students seeking degrees in-state.

Featured Online Schools

Several of Texas's top public schools offer a wide range of degrees, from the associate to doctoral level. Sam Houston State offers 35 total programs, including 25 master's degrees, and the Texas A&M and Texas Tech systems each offer over 50 programs in total, most of which are graduate degrees. Meanwhile, professional schools like Angelina College, Laredo Community College, and Midland College have nearly 50 associate degrees to choose from.The University of Texas has the largest total offerings, with over 70 programs available across the Tyler, Dallas, Arlington, Pan American, and Permian Basin campuses. UT Arlington and Lamar University tie for the most bachelors at 10.

Twenty-five private schools offer in-state online opportunities, as well. The best of these include some of the state's top schools, according to US News and World Report: Trinity University, Howard Payne University, Schreiner University, Abilene Christian University, and Baylor University. The largest private provider of online programs, University of the Incarnate Word, offers 15 bachelors and and 10 masters, in areas like Business, Health Sciences, Criminal Justice, Healthcare Administration, and Organizational Development. Dallas Baptist University offers 16 bachelors and 3 associate degrees.

Compared to the rest of the country, Texas's higher education costs are just below the national average; from 2015-2016, about $9,117 per year for four-year schools, according to the College Board. More important, the state's five-year percent change is just 8%, while the national percent-change average stands at 13%. (Beware: some state tuitions have risen as much as 30% in the last half-decade.) Taking into account that Texas has one of the best state systems in the country — UT Austin is consistently ranked a top "Public Ivy" program — and a wealth of highly regarded private schools — Rice University being the standout — Texas's in-state education costs should be considered a great value.

Dallas is home to at least seven accredited distance education schools, including Dallas Baptist, University of Dallas, UT at Dallas, and Criswell College, among others; the majority are private and affiliated with a Christian denomination, with the exception of Mountain View, a public professional school that offers associate-level degrees. The University of Dallas and Dallas Baptist offer the largest selection of tracks, including associate, bachelor, and master programs in a wide variety of areas, including Business, Nursing, Communications, Psychology, Education, Biblical Studies / Ministry, and more. (UD's online offerings are all church-related, from management and administration, to theology and family ministry.) Many of these schools also offer concentration, specialization, and/or certification options in order to allow students to customize their course work according to areas of interest.

Houston has seven schools in which online degrees are offered, including The University of Houston, three Remington College campuses (Houston, North Houston, and Houston Southeast), Sam Houston, and The University of St. Thomas. There are several private schools on this list, but the best online programs in Houston are public. Texas Southern, an historically black college, is featured in rankings by Washington Monthly and Forbes; an Executive MBA, Executive Master of Administration of Justice, MEd, and Executive Masters of Public Administration are all offered online. U of H offers four bachelors and several masters, including an MEd (with 3 concentrations), MS in Construction Management, and a unique MS in Subsea Engineering. (It's worth noting that Houston is one of the most affordable universities in the state.) Finally, Sam Houston offers bachelor, master, and doctoral tracks, which include a top-rated program in criminal justice.

San Antonio's six online-degree granting schools are San Antonio College, Northwest Vista College, St. Philip's College, University of the Incarnate Word, Our Lady of the Lake, and Trinity University — the latter three of which are private. The largest selection comes from UIW, which offers 15 bachelors and 10 masters in a wide range of subjects; highlights are in business (numerous concentration options and an MBA), administration, organizational development, and psychology. San Antonio College, Northwest Vista, and St. Phillips also exclusively offer associate-level professional tracks, from law enforcement and criminal justice, to business, to a range of tech/IT-related programs. Of these schools, Trinity is rated the highest; US News has ranked it #1 in the West for 25 consecutive years, and it has also received recognition from Washington Monthly, Forbes, and the Princeton Review

The Best Online Colleges in Texas

Monitoring the accreditation of a university you are interested in attending is incredibly important. Accreditation ensures your credits can transfer that you can receive Federal financial aid, and most importantly that certain standards of educational quality are during your schooling. The highest accreditation standard for most programs in the United States is provided by regional accreditation agencies. The regional accrediting agency for Texas is Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC), one of six regional accrediting agencies responsible for accrediting schools in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, Latin America, and other Commission approved international sites.

Making sure that a University you're hoping to attend is regionally accredited — or accredited by a real and respected accrediting agency — is one of the most important choices you can make in ensuring the quality of your education.

Three Steps for Securing Financial Aid

• Submit your FAFSA.

• Check to see if additional forms are needed at your university of choice.

• Search and apply for private scholarships.

Through the previous three steps most students find themselves offered some sort of federal grant, work study, private grant, scholarship, or stipend.

Great Texas Higher Education Resources

• The Academic Common Market is a tuition-savings program for college students in 15 Southern Regional Education Board states. Learn more.

• The State of Texas Financial Aid offers information on scholarships, savings plans, aid, and more.

• College For All Texans is an invaluable resource information for current and prospective students, from General FAQs, to transferring tips, to strategic planning. Make sure to check out the Tuition Equalization Grant Program.

• The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board includes finance and resource planning, student loan info, relevant data tables, a list of grants, and more. Also highlighted is the state's "Closing the Gaps" plan.

• The Texas Higher Education Data site is a comprehensive, primary source for statistics on higher education in the state. It also includes reports linking K-12 and workforce data with higher ed students.

• The Texas Public Education Information Resource (TPEIR) website provides reports and data on Texas educational topics and trends. More information here.

• Texas is home to numerous affordable community colleges. Learn about enrollment, funding, and keys to success at the Texas Association of Community Colleges.

• For residents of North Texas, check out theNorth Texas Higher Education Authority.

• Generation TX offers students, parents, educators, businesses, and community leaders the chance to inspire and inform one another about in-state opportunities in higher education, through videos, testimonials, and event notifications.

• Compare College TX is an excellent tool to compare in-state colleges side-by-side on factors like tuition & fees, completion rates, and average salaries after college.

• Apply Texas was created through the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board and Texas colleges and universities to streamline the admissions process via a one-stop shop.

• Region 13 serves as a liaison between the Texas Education Agency and the local school districts and local schools — private, charter, public, and higher ed — by disseminating information, conducting training, and consultation for both federal and state programs.

• Students with disabilities should consult the TCDD for a comprehensive guide.

• The Texas Veterans Portal offers resources and benefits for military vets in higher education.

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