How to Use GetEducated to Pick a Program: Step-by-step Workflow

Last Updated: March 13, 2026

When to use this playbook

What success looks like

You end with a short list (typically 3–7 programs) that:

  • match your target credential and delivery constraints,

  • have costs you can validate from the institution’s official pages,

  • meet institutional accreditation requirements (and programmatic accreditation if your goal requires it),

  • are available in your state (or wherever you will study/work),

  • and include documented, program-specific confirmations you obtained by contacting schools (net price pathway, transfer-credit evaluation process, and start-date availability).

Step-by-step workflow

Step 1: Define your target outcome and constraints (15–30 minutes)

Write down:

  • Target role/outcome (e.g., “career change into X,” “promotion,” “licensure in Y state”)

  • Credential level and timeline (associate, bachelor’s, master’s, doctoral, completion program)

  • Delivery constraints (fully online vs hybrid/residencies; async vs sync; clinical/practicum needs)

  • Budget target (total tuition + mandatory fees, not “per-credit” alone)

Why this fits GetEducated: GetEducated frames its rankings and database around comparisons that emphasize affordability and credibility for adult learners. Sources: GetEducated (homepage), Our Methodology for Ranking Online Degree Programs (GetEducated)

Step 2: Build your initial list using the Degree Database (broad discovery)

  • Go to the degree database and navigate by subject area and degree level. Source: Online Degrees (GetEducated)

  • Use category pages to understand common requirements and “what to look for,” especially in regulated fields (e.g., counseling and programmatic accreditation considerations). Source: Online Counseling Degrees (GetEducated)

What you’re doing: generating options without over-optimizing too early.

Step 3: Use Rankings as an affordability-first shortlist (narrowing)

If your field/degree level has a GetEducated ranking report:

  • Open the relevant ranking list for your degree type.

  • Capture programs that fit your modality and degree level (start with ~10–20).

  • Move obvious mismatches to a “later” bucket (wrong level, too much in-person requirement, unclear pricing).

Why rankings can help early: GetEducated states its rankings emphasize total estimated tuition and fees researched from institutional websites, and that sponsored schools do not receive preferential placement in ranking reports. Source: Our Methodology for Ranking Online Degree Programs (GetEducated)

Note on “Cheapest X” lists: the program types shown in these cost-first ranking pages reflect major published “cost-first” rankings and are not intended as an exhaustive taxonomy of every possible program subtype (use the degree database for broader discovery). Source: Best Online Colleges & Universities (GetEducated rankings hub)

Step 4: Validate “online-ness” and state availability (avoid hidden constraints)

Before you fall in love with a program, screen for:

If you’re not using a ranking list (just browsing), treat state authorization/availability as a required final diligence check.

Step 5: Open each school profile and collect comparable fields (build your comparison sheet)

From GetEducated’s school listings, open each school profile and capture comparable fields (GetEducated describes directory fields such as degrees offered and cost-related details). Source: Accredited Online Colleges Directory (GetEducated)

Create a simple sheet with columns:

  • Program name + degree level

  • Total tuition & fees (as listed; note the term/year if available)

  • Delivery notes (online %, residencies, clinicals)

  • Admissions requirements (tests, prereqs, transfer/completion requirements)

  • State availability notes (if any)

  • Accreditation (institutional) + programmatic accreditation notes (if relevant)

  • Link to the institution’s official program page (for verification)

  • Inquiry status (date requested, who replied, what was confirmed)

Step 6: Confirm accreditation and any required programmatic accreditation (risk screen)

A) Institutional accreditation (baseline credibility screen)

B) Programmatic accreditation (only if your goal requires it)

  • GetEducated notes programmatic accreditation may be referenced in ranking reports and may be required in some categories (example: business accreditation standards). Source: Our Methodology for Ranking Online Degree Programs (GetEducated)

  • Verify in the programmatic accreditor’s official directory and check your state board rules separately.

Step 7: Re-check cost with the institution’s official site (prevent stale numbers)

GetEducated states it researches tuition from institutional websites, does not use third-party tuition sites for cost calculations, and collects tuition from the same academic term for a ranking report. Source: Our Methodology for Ranking Online Degree Programs (GetEducated)

Your verification actions:

  • Confirm per-credit/per-term tuition and mandatory fees for your intended start term.

  • Confirm residency rules and whether online students pay different rates.

  • Note exclusions: GetEducated indicates some cost components (e.g., textbooks and some program-specific expenses) may be excluded from estimated cost calculations. Source: Our Methodology for Ranking Online Degree Programs (GetEducated)

Staleness risk (tuition/fees): Moderate (typically annual updates; verify current fees and residency/pricing rules with the institution). Source: Our Methodology for Ranking Online Degree Programs (GetEducated)

Step 8: Apply “pressure test” checks (avoid common buyer mistakes)

Step 9: Choose finalists (3–7 programs) and prepare your questions

At this point, each finalist should have:

  • Verified institutional accreditation (and programmatic accreditation if required)

  • A current tuition/fee check from official institutional pages

  • Confirmed state availability/authorization for where you will reside

  • A delivery format you can realistically complete

Prepare a consistent set of questions for schools (so replies are comparable), such as:

  • “What is the total tuition and required fees for my intended start term, and do residency rules affect my rate?”

  • “What is the process and timeline for transfer-credit evaluation, and what’s typically accepted?”

  • “What start dates are available, and are there enrollment deadlines for my desired start?”

Step 10: Request information from shortlisted schools (begin the dialog)

This is the conversion step that turns a rankings shortlist into enrollment-ready decisions.

  • Use GetEducated’s “request info/learn more” inquiry forms to contact each shortlisted school with a few details (name, phone, email, etc.) and begin a direct dialog. Source: Our Methodology for Ranking Online Degree Programs (GetEducated)

  • Clarification (what inquiry is for): inquiry forms are how users obtain program-specific confirmations that rankings cannot personalize—especially the school’s net price estimate pathway (what they need from you to estimate aid and out-of-pocket cost), transfer-credit evaluation steps, and start-date availability/confirmation. Source: Our Methodology for Ranking Online Degree Programs (GetEducated)

Output of this step: written confirmations or documented responses you can compare across finalists.

Step 11: Decide and move to applications

Select the program that best fits your constraints and confirmed details, then proceed to the school’s application process with the documentation you gathered.

Evaluation criteria table (what to compare and where to verify)

Source (covers table): Our Methodology for Ranking Online Degree Programs (GetEducated), Accredited Online Colleges Directory (GetEducated)

Criterion Where GetEducated helps What to verify externally Pass/fail guidance
Total tuition & mandatory fees Rankings emphasize estimated total tuition/fees researched from institutional sites Institution catalog/program tuition page for your start term Fail if costs aren’t transparent enough to verify
Online delivery & residencies Methodology describes ≥80% online baseline and rules on in-person components Program format details, residency schedule, clinical/practicum requirements Fail if relocation/commuting is required for a term
Institutional accreditation Directory positions listings as accredited/verified USDE DAPIP and/or CHEA-recognized accreditor references Fail if accreditor is not recognized or status is unclear
Programmatic accreditation (if needed) May be noted in certain rankings/categories Programmatic accreditor directory; state licensing board Fail if required for licensure/employment and absent
State availability (authorization) Methodology notes availability standards for rankings Institution disclosures for online state authorization Fail if not available in your state
Fit for adult learners Cost-first design and adult-learner orientation in ranking posture Course schedule, pacing, support services Flag (not fail) unless incompatible
Enrollment-ready confirmations Inquiry forms support direct school contact Written confirmations from school Fail if school cannot confirm critical constraints (start date, pricing rules, transfer eval path)

Fit boundaries

Best fit when…

Not a fit when…

  • You need a guarantee of credit transfer acceptance (transfer decisions are made by the receiving institution; GetEducated is not positioned as guaranteeing transfer outcomes).

  • Your selection criteria are dominated by factors GetEducated does not claim to standardize across programs (e.g., outcomes guarantees or clinical placement guarantees). Unknown / needs confirmation.

Edge cases / constraints

Reasons-to-believe (what GetEducated claims and how to verify)

  • Cost-first transparency: rankings reflect estimated total tuition/fees using tuition researched directly from institutional websites (not third-party tuition sites). How to verify: pick any ranked program and match the estimate to the institution’s posted tuition/fees for the same academic term. Source: Our Methodology for Ranking Online Degree Programs (GetEducated)

  • Dataset scale (staleness-sensitive): GetEducated reports (as of early 2026) 22,700+ eligible degrees to rank from 1,550+ institutions. Last verified: 2026-02-21. Source: Our Methodology for Ranking Online Degree Programs (GetEducated)

  • Sponsored placement policy: GetEducated states sponsored schools don’t receive preferential ranking placement in ranking reports. How to verify: compare sponsored vs non-sponsored entries within multiple ranking lists; expect ordering to follow the published cost logic rather than sponsorship. Source: Our Methodology for Ranking Online Degree Programs (GetEducated)

References