Online Degrees In Indiana (IN)

Why Earn an Online Degree in Indiana?

State leaders know that in order for wages to increase and for the state to maintain its solid economic footing, diversifying the economy and growing high-paying and fast-growing STEM jobs will likely be key. Economic development officials are focusing their efforts on drawing these jobs to the state, and their efforts are paying off. State industries such as life sciences, information technology, aviation/aerospace and renewable energy are growing rapidly and drawing major companies to set up business in the state.

But the state’s workforce must be ready for job growth in these and other growing industries. Eight of what Indiana’s Department of Workforce Development determined as its “10 hottest jobs” require either a postsecondary certificate or college degree.

The Midwestern Higher Education Compact (MHEC) projects that 62 percent of jobs in Indiana will likely require some level of postsecondary education. Indiana’s leaders are eager to increase educational attainment in the state in order to continue this economic diversification; their goal is to increase the state’s postsecondary education attainment rate from its current 42 percent to 60 percent by 2025. As part of this effort, they’re growing the number, quality and affordability of online degree programs in Indiana.

As if these facts alone didn’t make earning online degrees in Indiana attractive enough, this may help: Economic research from Purdue University says that, on average, incomes among adults in Indiana go up with levels of education. In 2016, those in the state with a high school diploma had median earnings of $29,793, while even some college or an associate degree boosted those earnings to $32,469; those with bachelor’s degrees earned even more that year, with median earnings of $46,344.

Top Online Colleges in Indiana

Perhaps you are looking to complete a degree you started but never finished. Maybe you’re seeking a promotion at work or a total career change. Or maybe you’re looking for a more convenient means by which to complete the courses you need while juggling the demands of work and family. Whatever your circumstances, you’ll need to be sure that any school you attend is the right fit for you.

We’ve made the work easier for you by compiling the following list of top two- and four-year Indiana colleges that offer online degree programs, using a methodology that weighs such important factors as graduation rate, tuition, student services available and more.

Top Ten Online Degree Programs in Indiana

Frequently, a state’s institutions develop online programs to meet the state’s workforce needs. This means that the quantity of online programs in a particular subject area may be an indicator of where the job needs are in the state. Using occupational information from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, we’ve compiled the following list of the most popular online degree programs in Indiana. Depending on the program, you may be able to complete these programs fully online or through a hybrid format that combines online and on-campus delivery.

Quality of Online Education in Indiana

The Indiana Commission for Higher Education set forward a student-centered strategic plan called Reaching Higher, Delivering Value, creating a three-pronged agenda to accomplish its goal for on-campus and online students. The three sections — Competency, Completion and Career — are focused on improving the academic quality of education, rates of persistence to graduation and preparation for the workplace. Clear guidelines were established to ensure that innovation in the higher education system does not come at the expense of quality. Other commitments include:

• Encourage college faculty to consistently evaluate program quality in alignment with nationally-recognized approaches
• Efforts to ensure more efficient paths to degree completion and outcomes that align with quality assurance for employers

Other organizations in the state that are taking steps to provide a quality experience to students in online degree programs in Indiana include:

State Authorization Reciprocity Agreement (SARA): Indiana was the first state to join the National Council for State Authorization Reciprocity Agreements, which may demonstrate its commitment to quality online distance education. SARA helps make online courses more accessible and enhances state regulation of distance education.

Quality Matters (QM): This is a nonprofit organization that can provide certifications of quality to online programs. It works alongside colleges to improve the quality of online education and student learning. Several online colleges in Indiana are members of QM including the American College of Education, Ball State University, Indiana State University, Indiana University, Purdue University Northwest, University of Indianapolis, and University of Southern Indiana – just to name a few.

Useful Resources for Prospective Online Students

Indiana College Network (ICN): The ICN is a “matchmaking” service in which member institutions from around the state (including some of the state’s most well-known schools, such as Indiana University and Purdue University) collaborate to help students find useful information about distance learning programs.

Purdue University Global: This personalized online university actually tailors an educational path for every student to earn the degree of their choosing based on work experience, desired pace, military service, previous college credits and other considerations.

What to Look For in Online Degree Programs in Indiana

Students should be sure that any college or university offering online degree programs in Indiana has the technology to support it, according to Emad Rahim, associate professor and program director at Bellevue University, a partner university offering online programs through Ivy Tech Community College in Indiana (thanks to the state’s participation in SARA).

As an example of such technology, Rahim asks students to consider such factors as whether the school has a dynamic LMS system, whether its online programming is compatible with mobile devices, whether it offers resources focused on serving technology needs around the clock and whether it offers an online library filled with resources students can access.

Rahim also suggests that students check to make sure any schools they are considering are accredited, which is a measure of the school’s adherence to quality standards and often is required for transferring credits and certain types of professional licensure. (You can take a look at our top online colleges in Indiana, all of which are accredited.)

Rahim also says students may want to search reviews to see whether prospective schools and programs have received good or bad marks from former students.

Once students do choose the right schools, however, they have plenty to gain. For example, adult learners who want to earn online degrees without leaving their careers can typically do so by completing their studies online during the evenings and on weekends. And, as Rahim points out, students who travel a lot may also benefit, since they can learn on the road as long as they have valid internet connections, time to do the work and the determination to make it happen.

Additionally, prospective online students in Indiana may benefit from the Indiana College Value Index, an effort to quantify return on investment for any student earning a degree in the state, to ensure students learn what they need to in order to find employment in their chosen fields.

Top Occupations in Indiana

Manufacturing has been Indiana’s bread and butter, and this trend should continue as advanced manufacturing technology improves. Indiana currently leads the nation in manufacturing job growth, and it has the second-largest automotive industry in the nation, according to the Indiana Economic Development Corporation. Life sciences are also growing rapidly; the state has the second-highest total of life sciences exports (medical devices, etc.) in the U.S. And because Indiana has the highest number of pass-through highways and is situated ideally near numerous population centers, railways and water ports, the state’s logistics/transportation/distribution jobs employ high concentrations of workers as well. Education at all levels is also a large employer in the state.

We’ve pulled occupational information from the Bureau of Labor Statistics to develop this list of top occupations in Indiana, to help you align your area of study with job prospects.

Scholarships and Financial Aid in Indiana

Indiana state financial aid ranks fifth in the nation for its amount of need-based grant funding per undergraduate full-time student, which aligns with the state’s commitment to improving affordability to make college for accessible to its students.

The state’s grant and scholarship programs include:

• Frank O’Bannon Grant: Indiana’s primary need-based financial aid program
• 21^st Century Scholarship: the state’s early-promise program, for which students sign up in middle school
• Adult Student Grant: offers a renewable $2,000 grant to assist returning adult students in starting or completing certificates or associate or bachelor’s degrees.

In 2017, Indiana’s Next Level Jobs initiative also took effect as a way to help meet the state’s workforce demands. The initiative established two new grant programs intended to get Hoosiers into in-demand jobs quickly. One of these applies to students interested in earning certificates or degrees. The Workforce Ready Grant: covers full tuition costs for adult learners to earn career certificates in high-growth sectors of Indiana’s economy: advanced manufacturing, building and construction, health and life sciences, IT/business services and transportation and logistics. These certificates can be earned through Ivy Tech or Vincennes University.

Eligibility for these programs and other federal aid programs (such as Pell Grants and others) is based on information provided in the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) as well as tuition and fees at the designated school.

Be sure to check with your individual school and program to identify other grant or scholarship programs you may qualify for.

Scholarship Listing

Tests You May Need To Take

Most schools require the completion of either the SAT or the ACT, and some colleges accept either. Some schools are “test flexible” or “test-optional” preferring to take students’ highest scores, while others take a cumulative average. Some schools may require SAT or ACT scores but use them only for placement purposes.

SAT: The Indiana Commission for Higher Education recommends that students start taking this exam in their junior year, which can provide students time to take it more than once, preferably in their senior year. The SAT includes sections on math, reading and writing, and optional subject tests (such as history or foreign language) are available as well.

ACT: It’s also recommended that student take this test during their junior year to allow time to retake it. The test assesses students in the areas of English, math, reading and science, and an optional 30-minute writing portion is available too. Students should check with their prospective colleges to see what’s required for admission.