Top 10 Accredited Online Schools 2022
Digitalization is making its way in every field and industry. And online schools are one such innovative outcome of digitalization in education.
We are counting down to the list of Top 10 best-rated accredited online schools (Kindergarten to Grade 12 Schools), that are accredited by globally accepted and appreciated accrediting bodies which provide quality school education and globally recognized high school qualifications to their students.
It is an accredited, 100% online school for students. This online high school aims to build a customized curriculum, working with each student individually to achieve their goals. The programs are as followed:
- Elementary school – Lays down the building blocks of the early education of the child.
- Middle school – Empowers students to pursue his/her personal interests with full potential.
- High school – Prepares your child for the future. The diplomas are accepted by colleges and universities throughout the US and several countries.
Fees – The annual tuition fees is between $1400-. $3329.
Whitmore School is an accredited online high school powered by the educational company CompuHigh and is fully accredited by Cognia. It offers several full diploma programs for students all over the world who need an alternative to a traditional brick-and-mortar school along with individual courses for students who need to earn credits to transfer to their regular school. Programs offered are:
- Diploma programs – It includes various diploma programs like Diploma PLUS, Diploma PLUS with Math Tutoring Program, and Adult education diploma program.
- Individual courses – Students wanting to accelerate their education and get extra credit to graduate opt for these courses. Individual PLUS courses provide additional weekly progress reports.
Fees – $425 per course. $1,599 – 2,399 per 12 months.
It is an accredited private online school for K-12 students and offers academic programs that meet each child’s individual educational needs. The school is accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC) and Cognia. Programs offered are:
- Lower School – The program is designed in such a way that it encourages exploration, emotional growth, physical development, and fun.
- Middle School – Designed in a way to nurture a natural love for learning, while laying the groundwork for Upper School success.
- Upper School – Offers exceptional course and curriculum options designed to challenge students to discover, explore and grow.
Fees – The annual fees for the course is between $5000- $15,000.
The school was founded in 1974. The programs offer quality learning in a conventional environment for students in Kindergarten through 12th grade. It is accredited by Cognia and Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools’ Commissions on Elementary and Secondary Schools. The programs offered are as followed:
- Elementary school – For students in grades K-5. The courses have been structured to develop basic social skills and intermediate knowledge for the children.
- Middle School – This program is fabricated for grades 6-8. Students get their hands-on with various aspects of higher education.
- High School – This is the program for students in classes 9-12. It includes core subjects, electives, and six world languages to prepare the students for a better tomorrow.
Fees – The annual fees for the course is between $1800- $2800.
Ashworth College, the parent school of James Madison, was founded in 1987. James Madison High School (JMHS) was established in 1996 to fulfill the need for a comprehensive, quality high school for distance learners.
It is regionally accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Council on Accreditation and School Improvement (SACS CASI), an accreditation division of Cognia. JMHS is also accredited by the Accrediting Commission of the Distance Education Accrediting Commission (DEAC).
Students must be at least 14 years of age and have graduated from the 8th grade. To be eligible for the College Preparatory program track, a student’s incoming GPA must be a minimum of 2.00 on a 4.00 point scale or a Coverall grade.
Fees – The monthly fees are $49 per month. The full pay option is at a discounted price of $1099.
It was founded in 1998 with its headquarters in Mississippi and got its accreditation from Cognia in 2005. It currently caters to grades 4-12 students. Its curriculum lays emphasis on spiritual learning. Following are the programs offered by the North Star Academy:
- Elementary school – students in grades 4 to 6 get enrolled in this program. It aims at building the early skills required for young children.
- Middle school – For grades 7-8. The courses of this program are built to expand their existing knowledge and enhance their learning skills.
- High School and Electives – Students in grades 9-12 get enrolled in this program. It helps to boost their career with their specialized curriculum and electives essential for college preparation.
Fees – The cost for enrolment into a full-year credit course is around $700.
It is a registered private school under the Florida Department of Education and is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges & Schools Council on Accreditation and School Improvement (SACS CASI). It provides different learning solutions for students to earn an accredited high school diploma. Programs offered are:
- Elementary School – For grades K-5. The courses have been structured to develop social skills and the basis of primary education.
- Middle School – For grades 6-8. Students are introduced to an entirely new way of learning for their cognitive growth and excellence.
- High School – For grades 9-12. The program includes a core curriculum, elective courses, and advanced placement courses to make students college and career ready.
Fees – The annual fees for each of the grade ranges from about $2000 -$3200.
It is the first online school outside the U.S territory, accredited by Cognia. It is headquartered in Singapore and emerged as a flexible learning and home-schooling option for students across the world. The following programs are running currently:
- Elementary School Program – Students from grades PreK-5 get enrolled in this program. The minimum age required to enroll in the Prek year is 4 years. The instruction material is knowledge-rich to help in the development of gross motor skills, fine motor skills, and cognitive skills in their formative years.
- Middle School Program – Students from grades 6-8 get enrolled in this program. The minimum age required to enroll in this program is 11 years. This program emphasizes on learning the basics along with helping in enhancing the study skills.
- High-School Program – Students from grades 9-12 are enrolled in this program. The minimum age requirement for this program is 13 years. International Schooling offers various college-level preparatory courses (Electives and Advanced Placement courses) helping students to solidify their foundation for learning to get into the best colleges and universities around the world giving a jump start to their career.
- Education for slow learners – The digital content is enriched with high-quality audio-visual mediums which improve the quality of understanding. As a result, it supports learners who need time to understand and learn the topics.
Fees – International Schooling facilitates a cost-effective way of completing one’s education which makes enrolling at International Schooling quite affordable. The fees for enrolling into a middle school program is approximately $2000 for a full credit course and for the high school course is about $2900.
FLVS is an online school dedicated to personalized learning. Whether you live in Florida or beyond, you can access more than 180 courses from Algebra to AP Art History and everything in between. Public, private, and homeschool students from kindergarten through 12th grade use these courses to succeed on their own time and schedules. It is accredited by Cognia (NCA CASI, SACS CASI & NWAC). Various programs offered by FLVS are as followed:
- FLVS Flex – It offers freedom in the form of online kindergarten-12th grade subjects with courses tailored to the specific needs of the students. The child can study when and where he/she wants – at home or while traveling over the summer break.
- FLVS Full time – This program allows the student to get enrolled in a full-time schooling option which includes the elementary, middle, and high school grades. 180 hours for each course in a school calendar year is required to earn the respective credits.
- County Virtual Schools – Apart from being an online school enrolling the students directly, FLVS functions in a franchise model. It authorizes schools within the district of Florida to provide the FLVS driven programs and courses to all those students who are unable to get enrolled in regular schools due to any reason.
It was founded in 2001 with its headquarters in Maryland. It serves students from k-12. Students can get enrolled for full-time schooling or individual courses from anywhere globally. iNaCA provides a learner-centric approach to guiding by involving parents as the learning coaches. iNaCA is accredited by Cognia.
Following are the programs offered by International Connections academy:
- Lower School – Students in grades K-5 can get enrolled in this program and are introduced to basic skills via a specialized curriculum.
- Middle School – Students in the Middle school (grades 6-8) have a wide range of elective courses to choose from along with an option to get enrolled in virtual clubs and activities.
- Upper School – For grades 9-12, which prepares them for college-level preparation through their effective curriculum.
- College prep – It also supports students in preparing for SAT and ACT examinations to apply to universities for higher education.
- Individual Courses – Students who are looking for advanced STEM or world language courses which are unavailable in their locality can get enrolled.
Online Schools Can Help Us in Making Learning More Effective.
Most of these top-rated online schools come with flexibility and ease. One can learn at his/her own pace, time, and convenience and thus, eliminating all the geographical barriers present in any conventional school. Along with all the resources always in our pockets, the virtual space of communication and networking in an online school is extremely useful and empowering since they not only remove certain barriers of location and time, but they also help to manage our time wisely.
According to two professors of the North Carolina School of Media and Journalism, J. Scott Brennen and Daniel Kreiss, digitalization is referred to as the process in which multiple domains of social life are restructured around digital communication and media infrastructures. It is thus, indubitably true to say that digitalization has improved our lives and made our daily tasks easier.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. What makes online school programs reliable & legit?
Accreditation plays a vital role in proving the legitimacy of a particular academic program. Hence, it helps in choosing the right program to earn a valid degree/diploma/credential. In this way, accreditation safeguards the student’s interests by helping them distinguish between credible and illegitimate institutions.
2. What does accreditation stands for?
Accreditation is a process that safeguards the student’s interest by helping institutions to maintain stringent educational standards. This voluntary process is carried out through recognized accrediting agencies.
3. How are online schools accredited?
Any agency that seeks initial or continuous recognition applies to the Secretary (through a written application). The Secretary follows the standard process. And it also publishes a list of the recognized accrediting agencies in the ‘Federal Register’. These agencies then inspect and qualify educational institutions, verify them, and issue certifications in accordance with the standards approved by the U.S. Department of Education.
4. Are online schools harder to graduate from?
Online school programs offer the same curriculum as traditional schools. Hence, they are not necessarily more difficult to graduate from. However, when considering self-paced, flexible schooling programs, it can be difficult to complete the course in a limited amount of time when stacked up due to inconsistent study patterns of a student.
5. Can online schools be as effective as traditional schools?
Pursuing online education can be even more effective than traditional learning because it offers various advantages such as flexibility, cost effectiveness, and the possibility to study from the greatest teachers, remotely. As a result, you may learn faster, cheaper, and more effectively. However, with the benefits comes a greater chance of children deviating toward sloth and procrastination.
6. Can you start with online schooling anytime?
Most virtual schools offer flexible year-long programs where you can start your schooling anytime of the year. These programs typically have a maximum duration of one year, with students allowed to complete the program as soon as they complete the required hours for course credit(s) and pass the tests.
7. Which online schools are best to get a high school diploma easily?
To get a high school diploma without investing a lot of time, and effort, you can go for International Schooling, or Forest Trail Academy. Both of these schools allow students to finish the programs before the complete duration.
8. Which online school is best for high school learning?
International Connections Academy (iNaCA) is the best online high school on our list. Founded in 2001, this school serves students from kindergarten to grade 12. Students can get enrolled for full-time schooling or individual courses from anywhere around the globe.
9. Fee structure of online high schools?
Average Fees in online high schools vary from school to school. You can check the fees of these individual schools by reading our detailed reviews, or visiting their official website.
10. Which is the most affordable online school?
International Schooling, Florida Virtual School, and Forest Trail Academy are some of the most affordable online schools in the world. *FLVS is completely free for the residents of Florida State (FL), USA.
11. Which is the No. 1 online high school in the USA?
International Connections Academy (iNaCA) with its wide network of physical and online institutions is the No. 1 online school in the USA. iNaCA provides a learner-centric approach to guiding by involving parents as the learning coaches. iNaCA is a Cognia-accredited online school.
12. What are the top 10 best online high schools in 2021?
This is helpful but I would like to know which is the most affordable online school among these. Also, what other services are provided that are helpful for learners?
Hey Evana, as per our research International Schooling has a competitive fee structure and it is the most affordable online school. Every online school has mentioned its payment plans on their website, which has made it easy for us to compare and analyze. Apart from this, International Schooling provides free of cost teacher support. Also, students are provided with free personal counseling to help them cope with psychosocial challenges and free career counseling to guide them in the right direction as per their interests and abilities.