Before you decide what college you what college is right for you, you will need to go over some basic questions to determine exactly which schools meet your needs. Evaluate colleges based on the following criteria.

Accreditation - Is the college you plan on attending regional accredited or national accredited? Accreditation is there to ensure that the institution provides a standardized program of study. Generally speaking regional accreditation is more sought since it’s the most widely recognized among colleges and employers. Never attend an institution if they have no accreditation, it’s a waste of time and money since it will be not be recognized by any other college and many employers will question the quality of your education.

Does the college have the program that you wish to study? There's no point in attending a school that doesn't offer the degree that you are seeking, these days most colleges will offer the most popular programs such as business or information systems. However, if you looking for something less popular such as biology or statistics you will need to do a bit more researching to find the program that most meets your needs.

Distance - Some online schools require some of their students to be on campus a few weekends each semester. You should factor in the price of transportation, housing, and childcare if you are considering this type of program. If you live close by you may actually want to spend a few days on campus networking with other students and faculty.

Cost - How much will you have to spend? Colleges will give you an estimate of how much you will spend on your degree or program including books, application fee, credits and misc. fees. You should also add in the cost of upgrading your computer, fax machine, internet connection, and home office if you considering an online program.

Reputation - The reputation of a college is very subjective and can vary from program to program. Some colleges are renowned for specialty programs, while ranking low for others programs. You should consider the reputation of your degree or major, along with the reputation of the college in general. For many, reputation will often be the deciding point between which colleges to attend, but it doesn't always have to be this way. Often there is a direct correlation between price and reputation, and if all the other factors for choosing a college is there, reputation should only be a small factor in your decision making process. After all, studies have shown that a reputation of a college is not enough to compensate for a lazy individual.

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