Open enrollment allows students without strong academic backgrounds to gain admission to community colleges and some four-year colleges.
Strict admission requirements can make it difficult for some learners to gain entry to college. Open enrollment provides students without strong academic backgrounds greater access to education, broadening the pool of potential schools and programs available to degree-seekers.
This guide provides information on how open enrollment works and ranks the best online colleges offering open enrollment. It also covers other important information for prospective students, including answers to frequently asked questions.
What Is Open Enrollment?
Many online colleges use open enrollment in place of more selective or competitive processes. First implemented in the 1970s to reduce discrmination, open enrollment increases educational access by removing restrictive measures that might prohibit some learners from attending school. Open enrollment is most often offered by community colleges and other two-year institutions.
In practice, open enrollment typically means eliminating most admission criteria, such as standardized test scores and minimum GPA requirements. Most online colleges with open enrollment require only a high school diploma or GED for admission.
Who Should Apply Through Open Enrollment?
Students without strong academic backgrounds or those who otherwise lack access to higher education benefit the most from open enrollment. Like schools with more strict admission criteria, open enrollment colleges and universities provide a pathway for students to advance their careers and go on to pursue further study.
Other Ways To Enroll
Colleges and universities may have a variety of enrollment policies in addition to open enrollment, including regular decision, rolling admissions, and early decision. The following sections outline these and other common enrollment policies.
Rolling Admissions
Schools that practice rolling admissions accept applications at any time throughout the year. Many online colleges use this option. Individual policies vary by school, but in most cases, prospective degree-seekers can apply anytime within a specified window and receive a decision within several weeks.
Open Door Policy
Schools with open door policies do not have strict admission requirements, such as standardized test scores and minimum GPAs. Some versions of the policy also eliminate reference requirements. Qualified learners only need a high school diploma or equivalent.
Early Action
While standard admission policies usually require learners to submit application materials on or before January 1, early action policies have earlier deadlines -- usually sometime in October or November. Early admission degree-seekers receive a decision much earlier than standard applicants, too. Learners with a clear sense of where they want to attend benefit most from this policy.
Early Decision
Early decision is similar to early action, but it also requires binding commitments from admitted degree-seekers to attend the institution. This means applicants cannot apply to other institutions. Many large, prestigious institutions, like those in the Ivy League, use this policy to attract and retain learners with a clear top choice.
Regular Decision
Most colleges and universities use regular decision, including those with open enrollment. Online colleges that adhere to this policy place no restrictions on the number of other schools learners can apply to. Most learners use this method because it broadens their options and financial aid prospects. Most regular decision application deadlines are in January, with admission decisions following in late spring.
Can I Start Online College Anytime?
Prospective learners may wonder: When do online classes start? Most online colleges offer flexible start dates, but they do so within a clear scheduling structure. Some online schools use a traditional semester system, while others use quarter or trimester terms.
The semester system generally consists of two 15-16-week terms in the fall and spring. Quarter systems usually use four 10-week terms in the fall, winter, spring, and summer, while the trimester system comprises three 12-13-week terms in the fall, winter, and spring.
Learners can typically begin taking online courses at the start of any term. However, some schools require students to start in the fall, while others offer monthly start dates. There are also self-paced online colleges, where students access and complete materials entirely on their own schedules, those these are relatively rare.
Multiple Start Dates
Many online college courses have multiple start dates. Individual departments or programs usually set these dates individually at various times within the academic year. Accelerated courses often use multiple start dates to accommodate the varying needs of busy learners, but some traditional and self-paced classes also offer them.
Online colleges with weekly start dates are rare, though they do happen, usually for certificate or vocational degrees. It's more common to see monthly or quarterly start dates.
Independent Study Course Schedules
Independent study courses let learners explore their areas of interest through opportunities not formally offered in curriculum catalogs. The content of these courses is usually determined between the degree-seeker and an instructor; they arrive at a mutually agreed-upon plan of study. This option works best for degree-seekers whose needs are not met by traditional curriculum offerings. These courses usually begin at a convenient time for both the learner and the instructor.
Online Colleges That Offer Open Enrollment
| Rank | School | Location | Apply | More Information |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Arizona State University - ASU Online |
Tempe, AZ | |||
Colorado State University Global |
Greenwood Village, CO | |||
Columbia College |
Columbia, MO | |||
Eastern Kentucky University Online |
Richmond, KY | |||
Liberty University Online |
Lynchurg, VA | |||
Regis University Online |
Denver, CO | |||
Robert Morris University - RMU Online |
Moon, PA | |||
Rochester Institute of Technology - RIT Online |
Rochester, NY | |||
Southern New Hampshire University |
Hooksett, NH | |||
Thomas Edison State University |
Trenton, NJ | |||
Tiffin University |
Tiffin, OH | |||
University of Arkansas Global Campus |
Fayetteville, AK | |||
University of Maryland University College |
Adelphia, MD | |||
University of North Dakota Online |
Grand Forks, ND | |||
Upper Iowa University Online |
Fayette, IA | |||
Weber State University |
Ogden, UT | |||
Western Governors University |
Salt Lake City, UT |
End of list, bravo!
Online Programs with Open Enrollment Guidelines
The online colleges featured below offer a variety of flexible start date options including multiple start dates year-round, individual courses that start anytime, and online degree programs that can be completed entirely on your own schedule. Some schools listed may offer a combination of these options.
