Obtaining an undergraduate degree, either an associate's or a bachelor's, from an accredited college or university will open many doors to new and lucrative careers. The following schools offer undergrad degree programs across a wide array of subjects, including business, education, healthcare, art, and more.
An undergraduate degree is the first level of upper-level advanced education after high school and is necessary to continue all advanced learning programs. It’s an academic degree of undergraduate courses offered by higher educational institutions such as colleges and universities. Undergraduate degrees can take two to five years to complete, depending on the degree level, program, and major of study.
Masters degrees are more versatile than doctoral degrees, and have a wide range of professional and academic applications. According to the U.S. Department of Education, three types of masters programs exist: research, professional, and terminal.
Masters programs typically take one to three years. Students entering a masters degree program have already earned a bachelors degree, and so masters candidates take advanced-level courses and seminars. In some programs, students go on to research, write, and defend a masters thesis. In professional masters programs, the thesis is often replaced by final projects and exams.
Professional masters degrees prepare a person to do professional work by introducing practical skills and frameworks for understanding issues in their field. Professional masters degrees may also qualify a person to practice in their field (Master of Social Work, Master of Architecture, or Master of Art in Teaching, for example).
Going to graduate school for any degree and in any field, you should be prepared for a different experience from your undergraduate years. When you enroll in a graduate degree program, it's best to be motivated by professional and academic goals, and in many fields, to have a few years of work experience under your belt
For the 2015-2016 academic year, the average cost of tuition and fees (does not include room and board) at a private four-year college was $35,094 per year, $10,893 per year for state residents at public colleges and $25,203 per year for out-of-state residents at public colleges and universities. College is one of the largest investments you will make in your lifetime. We have the experience and tools to guide college-bound students and their parents through the college selection, application, and admissions process while preserving the your financial health.
Choosing the right school for the individual student while minimizing its cost decreases the probability that the student will transfer or drop out and increases the probability that the student will graduate on time, allowing him/her to start a career sooner and with less debt. The cost of attending one additional year of school could equate to a loss of as much as $1,000,000 of potential savings by retirement age.