The Best Ten Colleges You Never Heard Of

We don’t trust all these college rankings that seem to pop up everywhere we look. We think rankings have little real value, especially when the same schools are always in the Top 100, just in slightly different order each year. So we at University Research & Review took a second look at the research we did covering almost 3,000 colleges and universities during 2013-2014 and came up with a list of our own, not another ranking list, but a refreshing look at good, reasonably priced schools.

WEBWIRE – Monday, May 11, 2015

Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College - Located in rural Georgia – their students love the beautiful campus – this school offers a degree in, among others things, turfgrass management for those aspiring to a career in the golf course industry. They even have their own golf course for hands-on application of classroom theory.

Amridge University - Flexibile course offerings, which are one hundred percent online, and low tuition are among Amridge’s attributes. Innovative online methods and tools are employed like live course lectures viewed in real-time on mobile devices. Their popular online tutoring service assures students’ success.

Brandman University – One of the most progressive institutions in the country, Brandman now embraces competency based education. If you know the subject matter you are not held back by outdated seat time requirements. This is an up-and-coming school for serious adult learners who want to get on with life and career.

Brescia University - A small school – about a thousand students – in a small Kentucky town, Brescia offers classroom and online programs. Three-quarters of the school’s mostly female students are fulltime and enroll in programs such as social work, teacher education, and business. Unlike many colleges, all their programs are in tune with the job market.

Kettering College - If a person is searching for colleges with degree programs in the health professions and schools with reasonable costs, plus a variety of programs, a professional and committed faculty, and a responsive administration, look at Kettering. Their physician’s assistant (master’s) and RN (associate’s) programs have all of these attributes.

Lincoln Memorial University - Want to become a doctor of osteopathic medicine, or of veterinary medicine, or maybe earn one of several master’s degrees and want to do it in a rural setting? While Lincoln Memorial is away from the maddening crowds its academic programs – and costs – are not the least bit maddening.

Park University - About half of Park’s enrollees take their courses online; almost ninety percent are part time students and around eighty percent are 25 or older. One-third of its students are from foreign countries. Park prides itself on dealing with situations unique to those serving in the armed forces.

Patten University - Why take out student loans to pay for college? Patten doesn’t think you should. They don’t believe a student should mortgage his or her future to pay for college so they developed an inexpensive monthly payment program where a person can take all the courses they can handle. This school, where courses are all online, deserves a look.

Western Governors University – Even though you might have heard of this school it is so well liked by adult students we thought it should be included in our list. A pioneer in competency based education, WGU is doing something right in order to grow to over 50,000 students. Since the courses are all online serious students don’t have to worry about the annoying distractions at similarly large colleges.

William Carey University - We were pleasantly surprised to learn about this school’s unique scholarship and assistance programs available to enrollees. For instance, there are special assistance programs for low income families, and students with excellent academic records may qualify for full tuition and fees plus a room allowance.