Most bachelor’s degrees are provided in four-year programs and IT degrees are no different. The typical program requires 120 semester hours. Students can complete the degree in four years or eight semesters with a full-time course load each semester. It can also be completed entirely online. With full-time attendance, online students can also complete the degree in eight semesters.

Online attendance, for many students, allows for the continuation of a job, operation of a business, or other important matters such as family or community obligations. Unfortunately, this also means that those who attend online often do not attend full-time. In this case, it can take 5-8 years to complete the degree.

The cost of a Bachelor’s Degree in Information Technology includes tuition, fees, and expenses. The expenses include room and board along with books and equipment. Tuition is the major expense for nearly every group of students. The average range of yearly tuition for a bachelor’s degree at private four-year schools is about $36,500. At public schools, the rates depend on the student’s residence. For in-state students, tuition rates would average about $9,600 per year, and the out-of-state rates are about $26,220 per year.

Picking the right school can boost a career by providing high-quality education in the field that a student seeks for their career. When given an opportunity, students can get an immersion in their chosen field complete with internships and hands-on experience.

University HQ strongly recommends that students carefully review their college information to be sure that the program they select matches their career goals.

There are many reasons to select a school, and the student’s career goals should be near the top of that list. Every school or program does not offer a major in Information Technology that suits every student. Each school shapes the course offerings to their own standards, their faculties plans, and other educational resources. It is vital to align the student’s goals with the selection of the school and program.

Some students have a firm idea of their job or career path and require a specific set of courses to achieve the IT degree they desire and to develop a specialization. For example, some students take digital communications to specialize in IT and Digital Communications.

The graduation rates for any school is an important piece of information. The experience of the previous student body is predictive of what the applicant can expect. Graduation rates show you previous students rates of success and the real costs of the education. When students take longer than the on-time date to complete a degree, they add to the cost by about 25% for each year of added attendance.

The current trend in undergraduate education is a strong shift away from four-year degree completion. At public schools, the on-time completion rate is about 35%. The completion rate at the six-year mark is about 58%. At private schools, the four-year rate is higher at about 53%, and the six-year mark shows 65.6% success.

Accreditation is a sign of quality education. The business and educational communities rely upon accreditation to inform their decisions about graduates and their level of knowledge. Regional accreditation of institutions and Information Technology programs has the widest acceptance among employers and schools.

The Council on Higher Education and the US Department of Education authorize accreditation agencies. The system divides the US into regions and assigns an agency to perform accreditation in that region. This type of accreditation has wide acceptance in the business and education communities. Some schools offer accreditation from national accreditation agencies. Students should make sure that any accreditation has approval from the US Department of Education and the Council on Higher Education (CHEA).

There are two types of regional accreditation. Institutional accreditation assesses the entire college or university and this accreditation applies to all the programs and departments. A second type is a programmatic accreditation, and this applies to a specific program, department, or school such as a School of Technology and Sciences. ABET is a group who specifically accredits Computing/Engineering degree programs at the bachelor’s and master’s levels.

At University HQ, we urge students to look at all the potential advantages of selecting a school or program. Post-graduate job assistance should rank high on the list of important things to consider when making the choice. Most students enter an Information Technology degree program with the hope of finding interesting jobs and rewarding career opportunities.

The time spent in school is a great time to prepare for your future career in Information Technology and that can begin with a great internship, business project, referral, mentorship, or hire. Schools that offer extensive job placement and career assistance can do all those things and more.

A school, college, or university is more than a collection of students, classes, and buildings. It is a vibrant community of alumni, business supporters, corporate partners, families of graduates, and the local, regional, or national educational community. The school can open-up a vast array of opportunities when bringing its considerable network and resources to help students get started in their careers.

Students should examine the school information about job placement and assistance. If it is not clear, then they should ask questions about job fairs and outreach to businesses and potential employers.

The overall ranking of a school or program can affect your career or salary. Getting off to a good start after graduation can determine the course of the initial phases of a career. Students get a competitive advantage with a degree from a well-ranked and highly regarded school or program. Ranking can apply to a specific program or department in a school, college, or university. The overall rank of the school is important and so too is the ranking and reputation of the specific Information Technology program.

Experience is an important advantage of education at certain schools. These institutions emphasize hands-on training and learning environments that put the student in real-world situations. Internships and cooperative education help students emerge from school with a degree and a measure of experience in the field.

At University HQ, we understand the impact of accreditation on a graduate’s career and salary. While education raises income, employers will tend to pay more for employees that bring solid academic credentials to their organizations. Accreditation is a guarantee that the graduate received a quality level of education and is prepared to assume the duties expected in the work environment. Accreditation also matters when using academic credits for further education. Students may have difficulty transferring semester credit hours from a non-accredited school to their graduate degree program Don’t let a lack of accreditation hold you back.

University HQ rates accreditation as a priority for students when selecting a program for information technology at any level. Accreditation is an assurance of high-quality education for the student and the future schools and employers that may review the degree.

The school’s accreditation also determines important things for the student’s time in school such as financing the costs of tuition, fees, and expenses. Accreditation is essential for participation in federal student financial assistance, including student loans from the Department of Education

There are two main types of accreditation; they are the regional accreditation and national accreditation. Regional accreditation is the more demanding level of independent review, and regional accreditation has the widest acceptance and respect in the educational and business communities. National accreditation has wide acceptance, particularly among schools that provide vocational and technical education.

Within the branch of regional accreditation, the review can cover the entire institution, or it can cover one program, such as an Information Technology program. The narrow focus of program accreditation is the best form of regional accreditation. The standards reflect the quality of education in the leading schools of a multi-state area.