Online Ph.D. programs cover the same information that you’ll study in a more traditional Ph.D. program. As an added bonus, you’ll be able to work with professors from around the world who are top minds in your field, as there isn’t a location barrier to stop you. If you’re considering going back to school and want to consider online programs, take a moment to do a bit of research to find top-ranked programs. Rankings vary by field, but here’s a small sampling of some of the top schools for Ph.D. students:

Columbia University

Columbia University is one of the oldest colleges in the United States and part of the elite Ivy League. They have a number of top-rated Ph.D. programs available at this New York campus, but you can also get you education online at this school They Ph.D. programs they offer completely online (with no need to visit the campus for classes or research) are computer science, electrical engineering, industrial engineering /operations research, and mechanical engineering. In these unique programs, you’ll be able to watch recordings of professor lectures, so you can actually earn your degree alongside traditional campus students. Of course, if you attend school at Columbia, whether you’re an online or offline student, you get all the benefits of earning your Ph.D. at an Ivy League school including a robust alumni network, name recognition on your resume, and the ability to work with some of the top professors in the country.

University of Phoenix

You can’t research online schools without coming across the University of Phoenix. This is one of the largest online schools, and also one of the first colleges to offer degree programs completely online. With 100,000 students annually signing up for University of Phoenix programs, you’ll be in good company. They have education programs at all levels, including Ph.D. programs in areas such as business administration, higher education administration, nursing, and industrial/organization psychology. While they have great online programs that offer tons of flexible learning options, keep in mind that you can also take classes or do research in your Ph.D. program at one of their campuses if you like the idea of spending some face time with fellow students and professors.