Digitalization is making its way in every field and industry. And online schools are one such innovative outcome of digitalization in education.
Researchers have claimed that the most common digital learning materials used weekly in school classrooms were educational apps, videos, tutorials, and various research websites. As more students are moving towards an online mode of studying, there is a shift that can be seen from the conventional mode of learning to a new, advanced, and digital form of learning – online schooling.
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.
Started in the year 200, K12 online school is a hub of quality education through the power of digitalization. Packed with varied resources, this Cognia-accredited institution has created successful academic journeys for several students and families, making it a highly credible name in the world of virtual learning.
The programs offered by K12 online school are as follows:
- Online Kindergarten and Elementary School – This option is certainly at par with the best schools in United States. Because students in the U.S.A can study without paying any tuition fee. This K-5 online school has games, interactive books, to create a solid academic base for the next level of formal education.
- Online Middle School – For grades 6,7 and 8, K12 is as good as any accredited online high schools. This level includes live discussions, and opportunities to connect with peers.
- Online High School – If you are looking for the best high school online, K12 has all you need! Packed with highly engaging experiences, this program integrates 21st-century technology for a unique learning experience. Students can also choose options like Advanced Placement, credit recovery, honors, etc.
- Career Prep – This option helps middle and high school students to build career readiness. Like many of the best schools in the United States, K12 also provides opportunities like internships, networking, career clubs, career coaching, etc. Career related courses are also available for students on a part-time basis through the K12 Private Academy.
- Special Needs – This school is open to making modifications for students with documented disabilities.
- Advanced Learners – This institution already has options like Honors, Advanced Placement and career prep, etc. It also offers clubs, camps, and national contests for gifted students.
Fees-
K12 provides tuition-based options and free opportunities for students in the USA. The K12 partner network includes several kinds of schools. Also, you have access to each of their fee structures on their individual websites. For example, Faith Prep Schools charges the fees shown below.
- Annual Enrollment Fee is $200
- K-5 Tuition $6,250 per year or $3,125 per semester
- 6-8 Tuition $6,750 a year or $3,375 a semester
- 9-12 Tuition $7,250 a year or $3,625 a semester
- Early College Fees are $100-$300 per course
- Sibling Discount is $500 (for each additional student)
* Since the year 2000, this leader in the world of online accredited high schools had a massive number of enrollments (above 2 million students).
*For any educational program, students in the United States are not required to pay tuition fees.
Connections Academy is one of the best online K 12 schools founded in the year 2001 with its headquarters in Maryland (accredited by Cognia). 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:
- Elementry/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.
- High School – For grades 9-12, which prepares them for college-level preparation through their effective curriculum. And an additional choice of High School Honors courses is also given to the students.
- Online Summer School Courses – Students who are looking for academic progress, earn high school credits or credit recovery options can make use of these courses.
Fees – Connections Academy is tuition-free. However, the parents need to pay for additional charges such as the ones for school supplies, field trips, printer cartridges, etc.
*This school has over 100,000 student enrollments with 45 schools across 29 states.
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 in this K12 online school:
- Elementary School Program – Students from grades K-5 get enrolled in this program. The minimum age required to enroll is 5 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 learning the basics along with helping in enhancing 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 at par with other high schools in the US. This makes enrolling in International Schooling quite affordable. The fee as per the one-time payment mode for the group learning plan for the K-5 program is $1700. The same for the middle school program is approximately $2000 and for the high school course is about $3050.
You can also choose Stanford Online High School for the best quality online schooling. Students at this institution come from 49 U.S. States and 42 countries. It holds a high reputation among the top high schools in America. Additionally, it has accreditation from the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC) and the California Association of Independent Schools (CAIS).
The following programs are available through this online school in the single, part-time, and full-time format:
- Middle School – For Middle school students, there is a highly researched curriculum that focuses on Humanities, Mathematics, and Science course options.
- High School Diploma – Ranked amongst the top US high schools, Stanford’s OHS diploma program has many advantages. Students need to take up 4-5 courses. and get access to over 50 clubs along with a dedicated academic advisor.
Fees –
Students who choose the full-time option must pay a yearly tuition fee of $29,850. The part-time program fee is $17,910 for up to three courses. A single course costs $5,970.
*Stanford has a total of 923 student enrollments. The graduation requirements of this institution can be checked on this page.
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5. Penn Foster High School
The list of the best online schools also includes Penn Foster High School. Accredited by Cognia and the Commission on Secondary Schools of the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools, this institution offers flexible online programs for high school students at an affordable price.
Following are the programs offered by the North Star Academy:
- High School Diploma – This program is open for all types of students who wish to complete their high school. For this, the student needs to earn 16 core credits and 5 elective credits. The core curriculum of this institution has Math, English, Social Science, Science, Arts, and Humanities. There is a choice between different diplomas for students namely, General high school diploma, Occupational diploma (for career paths), and Honors diploma (for advanced courses).
Fees –
Students can enroll in Penn Foster’s high school diploma program by paying $949 (under a special offer valid till 15th Aug’23 with a full payment option)
FLVS or the Florida Virtual School is also a trustworthy name in the list of the best online k12 schools. Cognia provided this public high school accreditation. And it is free for students within Florida. More than 190 courses are available at this institution for students in Kindergarten through grade 12. Students from states other than Florida are welcome to enroll in Flex Point virtual school.
- Elementary School Courses – Grades K to 5 are covered under FLVS full-time courses. Students have the choice of special courses like Spanish, Art, Computer Science, and Physical Education other than the core courses.
- Middle School Courses – Students at the middle school level can avail all the benefits of online accredited high schools by joining the FLVS program. Full-time middle school courses have core, electives, career and technical education courses for an enriched learning experience.
- High School Courses –
All students who wish to complete high School can take up the full-time program offered by FLVS. They get choices from core, electives, Advanced Placement, career and technical education. An additional feature of this program is the Cambridge AICE Diploma Program, open for full-time enrolled students.
- FLVS Flex
For students who wish to opt for a single course or more FLVS Flex allows them to make this choice.
Fees – Zero tuition fee within Florida. For FlexPoint students (outside Florida) the fee structure is as under:
- Premium Courses (Tier 1) $475
- Standard Courses (Tier 2) $400
- Credit Recovery Courses (Tier 3) $325
FLVS has completed over 5.1 million semester enrollments from 1997.
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 the following:
- Cognia
- Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools
- Commissions on Elementary and Secondary Schools
- Accrediting Commission for Schools
- Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC).
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 (high school online) for students in classes 9-12. It includes core subjects, electives, and six world languages to prepare the students for a better tomorrow.
Fees –
Elementary– The annual fees for the course (grade level bundle) is $2375.A single course costs $500.
Middle– Between approximately $1,995 and $2,890 for full year.
High- Costs between $1800 and $2800 for a full year.
Ashworth College, the parent school of James Madison, was founded in 1987. James Madison High School (JMHS) was established in 1996 to provide comprehensive and high-quality education for distance learners. It is accredited by Cognia and the Distance Education Accrediting Commission (DEAC). Unlike some other accredited online high schools, a student must be at least 14 years of age to enroll in JMHS. Here’s a look at the offerings:
- General High School Diploma – A student needs to earn 23 credits, and they can also earn upto 17 credits (transferrable) from their previous high school. A choice of online high school electives is also given to the students.
- College Prep Diploma– This diploma too requires 23 credits. And upto 17 credits can be earned through the credit transfer option. This program is designed to nurture new-age skills in students.
Fees – The monthly fees are $55 per month. The full pay option is at a discounted price of $1099.
It is an accredited 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 elementary school is $5,200. The fee for the middle school course is $7,300. For upper school (9 to12), the same is $9,900.
Since the year 1991, more than 5000 students have graduated from this K12 online school in more than 100 countries.
Accredited by Cognia and the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools, Excel High school is a school that fulfils the need of educational services with its middle and high school options. It is one of the top US high schools. And a part of the Excel Education Systems Independent School System.
Here’s all that it offers:
- Middle School Online – Students can create a solid foundation for the next level of formal education through the holistic middle school program.
- Standard High School – This program is available for students between 14 to 18 years of age with an unlimited online tutoring facility included.
- Adult High School – All adults who wish to complete their high school diploma can enroll in this program with unlimited courses.
Fees – Middle School one-time payment fee is $1590. For Standard High school the one-time fee is $1,690. For the Adult High School Diploma, one needs to pay $ 99.90 per month.
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
A. 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.
A. 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.
A. 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.
A. High school online 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.
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.
A. Most K12 online 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.
A. To get a high school diploma without investing a lot of time, and effort, you can go for the best online schools, International Schooling, or K12. Both of these schools allow students to finish the programs before the complete duration.
A.
K12 is the best online high school on our list. This school serves students from kindergarten to grade 12. Students can get enrolled from anywhere around the globe.
A. Average Fees in any of the high schools in America (online or traditional 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.
A. International Schooling, Florida Virtual School, and FLVS are some of the most affordable.
A. K12 with its learner-centric approach and high-quality features is one of the best accredited online high schools.
A. Below are the top 10 online schools:
- K12
- International Connections Academy
- International Schooling
- Stanford Online High School
- Penn Foster High School
- Florida Virtual School
- The Keystone School
- James Madison High School
- Laurel Springs School
- Excel High School