Over the centuries, higher education has evolved from a rare opportunity saved for the elite upper class who attended a handful of universities in America to thousands of private and public colleges and, most recently, to college online. In fact,online education dates back to the early 1800s where teachers would send assignments via mail. Through the 20th century, distance education advanced simultaneously with technology through phones, the IBM Course Writer, and today, the Internet. Today upwards of 10 million college students in the United States take some or all of their courses online, and that number will continue to grow. In fact, the Sloan Consortium recently reported that the 21 percent growth rate for online enrollments far exceeds the 2 percent growth in the overall higher education student population - and- two-thirds of for-profit colleges say that online learning is a critical part of their long-term strategy.

Distance learning allows students from around the globe to earn a college degree from the comfort of their own homes. If you are constrained by work or family obligations, online learning offers a level of flexibility that a campus-based school can not provide. What's more, most colleges and universities are now accredited through higher education agencies and the U.S. Department of Education has put an end to "diploma mills", so your online college education is now held to the same standards as most traditional learning institutions.