US News and World Report ranked Nicholls’ one-year-old online program 143 out of 205 schools to recognize the best online schools.
All the schools in the United States who offer online degrees were ranked on one year retention rates, graduation rates, required rates and the required time to graduate online.
Nicholls was ranked second out of three online colleges in Louisiana who offer courses that pertain exclusively to online degrees.
Coordinator of Distance Education Andrew Simoncelli said, “It is a great honor to be on this list. It is a remarkable achievement.”
Simoncelli also said that while Nicholls was ranked second out of three schools in Louisiana for the best online programs, there are more schools in Louisiana who offer online classes that did not even rank, so Nicholls has much more achievement than it appears.
Nicholls has offered online classes for about 15 years, but they never offered degrees where you take all your necessary courses to graduate online until last year.  
Nicholls started their online education program in January 2013, and as of Jan. 8, 2014, Simoncelli said the program has around 170 enrolled students.
Kayley Boudreaux, family and consumer sciences junior from Lockport, said, “I’d rather online classes because they are not as stressful as normal classes because you can do all the assignments at home in a relaxed environment.”
To become an online student, you have to apply through the online program, which is different than applying for regular admission at Nicholls. It costs $250 per credit.
Not all the degrees offered at Nicholls are offered online, but the degrees that are offered online are Business Administration, English, General Family and Consumer Sciences, History, Interdisciplinary studies, Nursing and Sociology. The online program also offers master’s degrees for Educational Leadership, Educational Technology and Math.
According to Simoncelli, more online degrees will be offered when the demand for it increases.
The courses are taught in eight-week sessions beginning in January, March, May, August and October. Students who take three courses per session can earn a bachelor’s degree in three years.
The professors willing to teach the online degrees had to take a two-week online course that taught them how to teach online.
Simoncelli said that online courses are not for everyone, but for those whose lifestyle cannot fit into the normal daily college life.