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#Accredited Online Colleges in California: Compare 320 Schools

On this page you ll find a collection of tools and resources designed to give you a fresh perspective on online education in California. Begin with our review of the California postsecondary education system as a whole and the state s past and present online education efforts.

From there, go to our ranked profiles of the top online colleges in California, sorted by affordability. Explore our directory of scholarships available to both online and offline students in California, our list of the state s most important higher education resources or even our complete database of online colleges nationwide.

Postsecondary Education in California

The most populous state in the country, California supports over 660 higher education institutions serving more than 2.6 million students .

In-state tuition rates have increased 98.3% over the past 5 years, the third highest increase in the country.

State spending on education appropriations experienced a corresponding 12.5% decrease over the same five years.

California’s average four-year tuition and fees at private institutions is approximately $7000 higher than the national average.

Online Education in California

NCES Report

According to a recent NCES report. in fall 2012, 6.3% of students enrolled in Title IV institutions in California (170,649 students) were in exclusively online programs.

• 85.9% of those students were undergraduates
• 1.4% were in public 4-year institutions
• 15.5% were in private not-for-profit 4-year institutions
• 14.4% were in private for-profit 4-year institutions
• 83% were living in California
• 13.9% were living elsewhere in the United States

The California Community Colleges Chancellor’s Office has established the California Virtual Campus to track online courses and programs in the state.

The state-funded California Community Colleges Online Education Initiative is a program designed to specifically to decrease the costs of online education, increase retention and graduation rates, increase ease of use and significantly increase demand for online courses.

Most Affordable Online Colleges in California

Below you ll find the very best online colleges in California, sorted by affordability. These rankings identify the fully online programs in a school s catalogue, explain how the school s online interface works and spotlight the recognition a school has received for its online initiatives.