A Guide to Online Colleges in Nevada

Though we often equate Nevada with Vegas — neon lights, gold-minted coins, and occasionally bad behavior — much of Nevada is pure desert. Nearly 90% of the state is managed by divisions of the federal government. As late as 1940, the state was the least populated in the Union, with just 110,000 residents. But when legalized gambling found a foothold (before, it was all off the books) Vegas took off, and other cities soon experienced an influx of people, jobs, and real estate development, as well. Still, Vegas and its surrounding metropolitan area remain the by far the most populous areas; and while the state is rightly known for its entertainment and tourism, there are also plenty of excellent higher education hubs which rank among the best in the region. Further, several Nevada colleges, community colleges, and universities are catching up with the national trend toward online education for its affordability and flexibility.

In-state tuition is often applied to public schools offering online programs. Many online programs require some face-to-face time, or more numerous support services at their brick and mortar locations. Intensive study experiences — often on the weekends or in several week long bouts — enable many online students to accelerate their time until graduation. And students looking at online education can drastically expand their educational options if they also look to hybrid degrees (degrees where degrees can be taken partially, or mostly online). Finally, one of the most common stipulations in scholarships is that students be from a certain state or region, often more funds are available to students seeking degrees in-state.

There are 5 public schools in Nevada that offer online degrees. Great Basin College is the largest, offering 14 associates and 9 bachelors in a wide range of disciplines: Graphic Communications, Human Services, Business, Entrepreneurship, Office Technology, Land Surveying/Geomatics, Computer Programming, Accounting, Nursing (Rn to BSN), Management in Technology, Digital Information Technology, and Education emphases in Early Childhood and Infant/Toddler Education. The College of Southern Nevada is the second-largest online education provider in the state, offering 19 associates and a Dental Hygiene BS. From there, the University of Nevada Las Vegas offers 9 online degrees: a BA in Social Science Studies; 5 masters, including an MHA, MSN (Nursing Educator track), MA in Urban Leadership, MS in Educational Psychology, and an Executive Master of Health Care Administration; plus a Doctor of Nursing Practice, Doctor of Philosophy in Nursing (Post Doctor of Nursing Practice Track), and Doctor of Philosophy in Nursing (Nursing Education Track). The University of Nevada Reno and Truckee Meadows Community College also have online degrees.

There are 2 private schools in Nevada that offer online degrees. Touro University Nevada offers an MS in Camp Administration and Leadership, an MEd in Curriculum And Instruction, and a Doctor of Nursing Practice. (Note that Touro is a Jewish school and integrates religious teaching.) Many Touro courses are delivered through the Blackboard learning platform, developing a dynamic, collaborative learning experience with live chat rooms, group discussion boards, video conferencing, and 24/7 access to course materials. Also private, Sierra Nevada College offers a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and MEd concentrations in Administrative Leadership and Teaching English as a Second Language. All course work is designed for maximum flexibility, and students can progress through with 100% online delivery or hybrid delivery to accommodate individual preferences.

Potential Resident

For a variety of reasons, a student may look to move to the state of their online college program whether specifically required by the program or not — be it for a job, location desirability, school benefits, etc. Different states have different policies, however, and some of them can be rather demanding. Fortunately, Nevada is relatively flexible and simple. For the purposes of in-state tuition benefits, students qualify as Nevada residents if they: are enrollee or graduate of a Nevada high school; a member of the Armed Forces of the United States permanently stationed in Nevada; is a dependent of a family member or legal guardian who has been a resident for 12 months prior to the student's first day of class; has independently established residence 12 months prior to the first day of class; or has classified as an in-state resident by another NSHE institution.

The average tuition per-year for a four-year public school in Nevada for 2015-2016 was $6,667, or $2,500 dollars less than the national average. The year-over-year change was 4%, about the national average, and the five-year change was 15%, just above the 13% national average. For Nevada residents, this is great news. In fact, Nevada had the eighth lowest average tuition in the country for 2015-16, and has had similarly low tuition for the last decade. Not only is this easier on your wallet, it's also much more stable and predictable than many other states. The state suffered a large increase at the height of the Great Recession, but has since returned to normal numbers.

The College of Southern Nevada and Touro University Nevada offer online degrees in Las Vegas. CSN is the largest of these, and the second-largest in the state, with 20 available tracks, most of which are associates. Tracks cover a wide range of fields, including Accounting, Computer Information Technology, Business Management, Ophthalmic Dispensing Technician, Criminal Justice, Law Enforcement, Sociology, Communications, Psychology, History, and Education emphases in Special, Elementary, and Secondary Education, among others. A BS in Dental Hygiene is available, as well. Touro offers an MS in Camp Administration and Leadership, an MEd in Curriculum And Instruction, and a Doctor of Nursing Practice. To the south in Kingman, Arizona, Mohave Community College offers a dozen online degrees.

Truckee Meadows Community College and Sierra Nevada College offer online degrees in Reno. Truckee is the largest of the two, with 5 associates in Business, Criminal Justice, and three Energy Technology concentrations in Geothermal Energy, Solar Energy, and Wind Energy. From there, Sierra Nevada offers a BA in Psychology and MEd concentrations in Administrative Leadership and Teaching English as a Second Language. For those willing to make the trip, California State University in Sacramento offers 3 bachelors in Criminal Justice, Fire Service Management, and Career And Technical Studies; and an MS in Accountancy and Special Education.

The Best Online Colleges in Nevada

Monitoring the accreditation of a university you are interested in attending is incredibly important. Accreditation ensures your credits can transfer that you can receive Federal financial aid, and most importantly that certain standards of educational quality are during your schooling. The highest accreditation standard for most programs in the United States is provided by regional accreditation agencies. The regional accrediting agency for Nevada is the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities, one of six regional accrediting agencies responsible for accrediting schools in Alaska, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Oregon, Utah, and Washington.

Making sure that a University you're hoping to attend is regionally accredited — or accredited by a real and respected accrediting agency — is one of the most important choices you can make in ensuring the quality of your education.

Three Steps for Securing Financial Aid

Through the previous three steps most students find themselves offered some sort of federal grant, work study, private grant, scholarship, or stipend.

Great Nevada Higher Education Resources