WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS OF GOING TO GRADUATE SCHOOL?
If you’re considering graduate school, you likely already see the value in furthering your education. There are so many different types of programs to choose from—on-campus, online, or blended locations with styles ranging from coursework and projects to coursework and thesis presentations. Dive a little deeper

Learn More

THE 12 STEPS TO GETTING INTO GRADUATE SCHOOL:
Graduate school applications definitely take more time and effort than their undergraduate predecessors, but with our step-by-step plan, you can be prepared to take the first step in your graduate career.

12 Steps to Grad School

The Rankings Problem

Having dominated the entire college search landscape, college rankings contribute to the false narrative that schools can be stacked up against each other and equally considered the “best” or “worst” for everyone in the same way. Numerical ranks create the illusion of certainty, even though every school has its own set of programs, class format options, and resources that specifically cater to different students’ needs. Instead, they are largely measured by arbitrary quantitative data and perceived prestige that can be manipulated by schools in order to climb to the top.

Ultimately, the most popular rankings are especially misleading for adult students who have unique needs that aren’t even considered by traditional rankings systems. Adult-specific metrics are often more qualitative in nature and, therefore, difficult to track (not to mention the fact that they aren’t usually considered in rankings algorithms in the first place). Even more limiting, the rankings fail to acknowledge the fact that adult students with work and personal commitments can’t pack up and move across the country to attend an in-person graduate school outside of their region. All of this means that the leading rankings systems don’t even take into account the non-traditional offerings that are most important for busy adults to have a successful experience.

Abound does not rank our schools; rather, we measure them based on a rigorous review of their qualities as individual institutions. The graduate schools in our cohort are those that we found to excel in what they do best with the understanding that every student will have different needs. It’s not about finding the “best” school—it’s about finding the best fit, the one that will help them achieve their personal goals.

Our Methodology

Every year, we refine our cohort to ensure that we have accessible, high-quality graduate schools that remain up to date with how they meet students’ needs.

Through Abound’s search module and advice to students, we encourage future students to look at how schools meet what we call the Four As: Accessibility, Affordability, Acceleration, and Advancement. These categories encompass the qualities that students will want in order to have an efficient, worthwhile grad school experience. And while they are easy-to-remember factors for students to keep in mind during their own grad school search, they also inform the more technical grading system that we used to select our cohort. Here is a breakdown of our method as it corresponds with the Four As:

Accessibility

We select schools that offer courses in the evening, weekends, and/or online so that students may fit their education around other commitments, such as family and work. We look for schools that have many online master’s and doctoral program options in a diverse range of fields, paying attention to whether they have been offering online courses and degrees throughout the last decade.

Large populations or high percentages of online-only, hybrid, and part-time students signal to us that a school is committed to flexible education. Track record is important as well; the longer a school has been offering online options, the more experience they have in those delivery methods.

Affordability

Our recognized schools commit to making their degrees affordable. We look at the tuition costs (including out-of-state tuition for public schools) and fees for graduates as well as the per-credit hour charge for part-time students.

The other side of the affordability coin is debt repayment. We factor in debt repayment data for graduate students one, two, and five years after graduation.

Acceleration

Schools must be leaders in accelerating their students’ time to completion in order to earn their place in our cohort. We want schools that offer graduate students a direct path to their degree in the most timely and cost-effective way. First, we look at whether they offer night and weekend courses, giving extra credit for how long they have offered these flexible options. Second, we factor in the percentage of the student body who are enrolled part time.

Finally, we reward schools that are members of The Online Learning Consortium (OLC), a collaborative community of educators dedicated to improving online and blended learning effectiveness. Membership in such industry groups can tell us the commitment the schools have made toward these groups’ best practices.

Advancement

Graduate students spend a lot of time with their professors, and thus the quality of their experience is influenced greatly by their student-professor relationships. Mentorship in higher education is a huge driver of success, so we measure the percentage of faculty that are full-time and the percentage of faculty that are tenured or on tenure track.

Again, we use an industry group membership as a positive indicator of a school’s commitment to graduate education. Here we look at membership in the Council of Graduate Schools (CGS). CGS has developed best practices and benchmarks to help member institutions innovate and improve their graduate schools.

And because research is a large and critical part of the graduate student experience for many, we reward each school’s total research funding as well as their per-grad-student funding level.

For our initial vetting process, we first reviewed the institutions on the membership rosters of the aforementioned industry groups. For everything else, we used the nationally corroborated data from the National Center for Education Statistics, the US Department of Education’s College Scorecard, and The Center for Measuring University Performance.

Each data point was given a z-score to help us determine how well a school performs in relation to the average institution in its region. This helped us make a fair comparison between schools while respecting how they naturally differ from those in other areas of the country. We then created a weighting system that assigned scores to each variable.

Best Grad Schools 2024

We narrow down our selection by picking the top 15% of institutions according to our holistic grading criteria. To further combat the statistical bias that tends only to put a certain type of institution at the top of rankings lists, we make sure to adjust our cohort to have a more representative distribution of school locations, school sizes, religious affiliations, public schools, private schools, and HBCUs. The cultures, available resources, and teaching styles all cater to specific students, so we ensure that all students have an equal variety to choose from.

What Isn’t Included

There are a number of reasons that an institution might not qualify for Abound: Grad School. We take precautions to keep students safe in their college search, wary of for-profit institutions as well as those that are at risk of underdelivering a quality education.

Accreditation is a non-negotiable priority for us at Abound. We must find a current and valid regional accreditation in order to consider an institution for our cohort, ensuring that they are approved by accreditors authorized by the U.S. Department of Education and the Council of Higher Education Accreditation. National and career college accreditation is less regulated and often less widely accepted as valid. This also helps us avoid fake degrees from diploma mills that specifically target adults pursuing continuing education as well as those that report financial improprieties, which often results as a conflict of interest that does not keep students’ best interests in mind.

Other red flags are related to institutional finances, stability, or investigation into recruiting practices. Those undergoing heightened cash monitoring are at risk of federal compliance issues and therefore at risk of harming students’ ability to graduate with an accredited degree. The closing of a school can have dramatic effects on its current students and recent grads, so great scrutiny was given to schools with “very high” financial risk levels.

Beyond these issues, we are also selective in order to offer a cohort of schools with the full potential for an accessible graduate degree. This means that we require our institutions to offer at least some distance education options for students to have flexible scheduling opportunities. Schools with narrow educational scopes or faith related special focus missions were also excluded from evaluation.

Additional Nominations

We recognize that statistical models for things as complex as higher education can leave out institutions that deserve to be celebrated, regardless of how thoroughly we conduct our search. That’s why we invite nominations from administrators, faculty, and counselors to review schools to add to our cohort. Based on the nomination and vetting process that we’ve used throughout Colleges of Distinction’s 24-year operation, we’ve found that this greatly benefits our cohort at Abound.

Schools that fall outside of our assigned parameters can choose to go through a selection process that includes a team review, survey request and, when appropriate, an interview with the administration. Our team looks over the graduate school and online website sections to look at the size of staff, resources available to students, and the transparency of the information provided.

Our application and interview consist of a variety of questions that return back to the principles of our Four As. Questions cover the breadth of online programming and how long it has been in place, when and in what format classes are offered, and how students are supported efficiently and effectively through their education.

Frequently Asked Questions:

How do I choose the best graduate school for me?

There are several factors to consider when choosing the best graduate school for you, such as the program’s curriculum and faculty, location, cost, available resources and support, and reputation. It’s important to do your research and compare multiple options before making a decision.

What are the admission requirements for the best graduate schools?

Admission requirements can vary by program and institution. Typically, graduate school programs require a bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution, a minimum GPA, and standardized test scores (such as the GRE). Other requirements may include letters of recommendation, a statement of purpose, and a résumé or CV.

How can I find the best graduate schools that offer online programs?

Abound: Grad School is an exceptional resource for students seeking to further their education and advance their careers through graduate studies. Students can use Abound’s tools to explore, compare, and find the best grad school programs that fit their unique goals, interests, and aspirations.

Abound’s Grad School website offers a wide variety of features that make it easy for students to identify and select graduate programs that meet their needs. This site provides detailed program information, including admission requirements, tuition costs, and size, which together allow students to make informed decisions about their academic and professional futures. Additionally, Abound’s team of experienced experts has vetted all the 250 graduate programs listed on the website to ensure they meet the highest standards of quality and academic rigor. Therefore, students can trust that they are choosing from among the best programs available.

How much does it cost to attend the best graduate schools?

The cost of attending the best graduate schools can vary greatly depending on the program, institution, and location. Using U.S. Department of Education Data for the 2020-2021 academic year, the average cost of tuition and fees for a master’s degree program at a public institution was $10,941 for in-state students and $20,373 for out-of-state students. For private, not-for-profit institutions the average cost of tuition is $19,613. It’s important to research and compare costs before making a decision.

What are the career prospects for graduates of the best graduate schools?

Career prospects for graduates of the best graduate schools can vary greatly depending on the program and industry. Some programs, such as those in healthcare or technology, have strong job outlooks and high earning potential. Before making any decisions, take the time to research career prospects for individual programs and industries. You can even reach out to schools with programs you are interested in and ask them where their graduates have found employment.

What are the differences between the best graduate schools and other schools offering similar programs?

The differences between the best graduate schools and other schools offering similar programs can also vary based on such factors as reputation, faculty, resources, and location. The best graduate schools typically have higher rankings and reputations, which can lead to better job prospects and earning potential. However, other schools may offer more affordable tuition, more flexible scheduling options, or specialized programs that better fit individual needs and goals.

Contact Us / Content Licensing

All logos and editorial content on https://abound.college and any of its affiliate sites are trademark and copyright protected. All commercial use requires the express written consent of Abound. To request permission for use please contact our exclusive licensing partner Adcetera at abound@adcetera.com.

Updated March 27th, 2024