What Do I Need To Know about San Antonio Online Education?
Online colleges in San Antonio run the gamut. Some schools are fully online and may allow students to earn a degree without ever stepping foot on-campus. Others take a more traditional approach to higher education and operate campuses complete with dorms.
However, even these campus-based schools may offer online degree programs. In some cases, degrees are fully online, just like at the web-based colleges and universities, but for other programs, students may need to complete some requirements on-campus.
San Antonio students can choose from a wide variety of majors as well although business continues to be a popular option. For example, consider the percentage of students who graduated from the University of Texas-San Antonio in the following majors in 2014, as reported by U.S. News and World Report:
- Business, management, marketing and related support services: 23 percent
- Education: 8 percent
- Psychology: 8 percent
- Biological and biomedical sciences: 6 percent
- Engineering: 6 percent
These figures represent the most popular majors for all students at the university but may also reflect choices made at online colleges in San Antonio.
What Degree Levels and Programs in San Antonio Should I Consider?
Regardless of whether you are looking to get into the workforce quickly or are working toward an advanced degree, you may be able to find the program you need at online schools in San Antonio.
Here's a breakdown of the various education levels.
- Certificates: Potentially available at the both the undergraduate and graduate level, certificates are short-term programs that can be used to quickly gain mastery in a specific area.
- Associate degrees: Typically completed in two years, an associate degree in a general field such as the liberal arts may be offered fully online at some schools. Programs for some fields, such as nursing, will have hands-on components that must be completed on-campus.
- Bachelor's degrees: These traditional four-year degrees may be earned on-campus or online, depending on the program. Some colleges and universities have bachelor's degree completion programs that allow students with an associate degree to finish the remaining requirements for a bachelor's degree fully online.
- Master's degrees: Many schools have online programs for popular master's degrees such as MBAs. In some cases, students may complete most of their work online but still be required to visit the campus at certain times during the program.
- Doctoral degrees: As the highest level of education possible, some doctoral degrees may be earned online.
What are the Benefits of a San Antonio Degree Program?
Earning a degree from one of the online schools in San Antonio offers several benefits, including potentially greater employability and higher income.
As of December 2015, the unemployment rate in the city was only 3.5 percent, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. A low unemployment rate may mean employers are willing to offer more competitive salaries and benefits packages to attract qualified job candidates who have the right education.
Higher levels of education are also associated with greater earnings. A report from CollegeMeasures found Texas workers with a master's degree had first-year median incomes $24,000 more than the median income earned by those in their first year after earning a bachelor's degree.
What Jobs in San Antonio Can You Get After Earning Your Degree?
There are no shortage of career options available to graduates of San Antonio schools. Here are a few examples of the various jobs, along with the average income in 2014 for San Antonio workers and the level of education required. Salary data comes from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
- Nurse anesthetists: $249,610, master's degree
- Petroleum engineers: $152,410, bachelor's degree
- Financial managers: $127,990, bachelor's degree or MBA
- Web developers: $60,550, associate degree
Earning a degree can put you on a path to a bright future, and online schools in San Antonio are standing by to see how they can help you turn dreams into reality.
Sources:
- San Antonio ranks near bottom in national brainpower study, W. Scott Bailey, San Antonio Business Journal, February 27, 2014, http://www.bizjournals.com/sanantonio/blog/2014/02/san-antonio-ranks-near-the-bottom-in-national.html
- University of Texas-San Antonio, U.S. News & World Report, http://colleges.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/best-colleges/utsa-10115
- San Antonio Area Economic Summary, Bureau of Labor Statistics, February 23, 2016, http://www.bls.gov/regions/southwest/summary/blssummary_sanantonio.pdf
- Occupational Employment Statistics, San Antonio, TX, Bureau of Labor Statistics, http://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes_41700.htm
- Texas ranks in the Top 5 for best business climates, James Aldridge, San Antonio Business Journal, November 2, 2015, http://www.bizjournals.com/sanantonio/news/2015/11/02/texas-ranks-in-the-top-5-for-best-business.html
- Business Climate, City of San Antonio, http://www.sanantonio.gov/EDD/BusinessClimate.aspx
- Higher Education Pays, CollegeMeasures, http://www.air.org/sites/default/file /Texas_Graduates_Earnings_Report_4.26.13.pdf