Editorial Standards & Practices

Accuracy and Integrity

In order to provide the most accurate information, we put all pages through rigorous fact-checking standards and use only trusted sources for data and other information. Some of our trusted sources include:

• U.S. Department of Education – We use this source for information, data, and resources for all things education.
• Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) – This is our trusted resource for career-related statistics and salary information.
• Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) – This is where our rankings data comes from and how we determine what schools to include in our rankings profiles.
• Studentaid.gov – The federal government maintains this site with up-to-date information related to student financial aid and the FAFSA.
• National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) – This is the primary statistical agency of the U.S. Department of Education and the official source of education-related data and statistics.

It’s important to us to ensure that we maintain high accuracy and integrity, which is why we put every piece of content through a rigorous editorial process that includes using seasoned writers with years of experience in their fields, editors and fact checkers, a final editing process by our full-time staff, and final checking prior to publishing. This ensures that we produce work that we can stand behind.

Authority and Expertise

OnlineColleges.me strives to be a leading expert for the online college experience, particularly the following:

• Online College Admissions
• Online College Degrees
• Online College Rankings
• Financial Aid and Scholarships
• Student Life and Well-Being
• Online Student Success Resources

In order to accomplish this, we source experts from all backgrounds who bring their knowledge related to the online college student experience, admissions processes, financial aid, student mental health, and more. Read about each of our experts on our Authors and Experts page.

Additionally, we are committed to reporting that is supported by current data and reviewed by experts in their field, particularly when handling sensitive topics such as those related to mental health and marginalized groups. Our reviewers check for accuracy, sensitivity, bias, and inclusive language to ensure that we are upholding the standards that we value.

A note on AI use: We value human voices at OnlineColleges.me. This is why we don’t use AI content on any of our pages and prioritize adding value through personal experiences.

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

At OnlineColleges.me, we recognize that students come from a diverse array of backgrounds and experiences, and we always aim to show support for students from marginalized groups and other traditionally underserved populations. This is why we create specific resource pages for these students to support their own individual higher-education needs. 

Additionally, we are committed to bringing in voices from both authors and experts of diverse backgrounds, using inclusive language that is as accurate and inclusive as possible based on current standards. We welcome and implement feedback as needed. 

Relevance & Current Information

We are committed to providing the most up-to-date information available. That is why we conduct regular site audits and page updates to ensure information presented on our site is as current as possible.

Transparency & Confidentiality

We value transparency and your privacy. To read more about how we uphold these values, please read more on our detailed Privacy Policy and Advertising Disclosure pages.