Whether you attend an online college or a traditional, brick and mortar school, the school that you choose can make a very real difference in your success or failure as a student. It’s important to take your time researching schools in order to select the one that is right for you. Here are five considerations to take when looking for the perfect school.

Location

The first thing that you should look for in a college is its location. If you choose to attend an online college, you may need to visit a campus or other physical location to take exams or attend meetings; you’ll want to make sure that the location makes attendance convenient. If you choose to attend a traditional college, you’ll want to decide if you want to stay close to home or move to another region of the country.

Size

Do you want to attend class with a hundred other students or would you prefer a smaller class with a lower teacher-to-student ratio? It doesn’t matter if you attend class virtually or physically, class size can make a huge difference in your grade. If you feel as though you would do better with smaller class sizes, you’ll want to look for a school with a low student enrollment.

Degree Offerings

Look for a school that has a wide variety of degree offerings. While you may think that you know what you want to do with the rest of your life, it’s not unusual for students to change their course of study once they begin school. Attending a college that offers a variety of degree programs, you’ll ensure your ability to change your course of study should you find that you first choice was the wrong one.

Cost

Cost is a very real factor for many people when it comes to college tuition. Even if you’ll be using financial aid, you don’t want to be paying back student loans for the next 30 years of your life. Look for a college that is affordable and one that offers financial aid in the form of grants, scholarships and loans. Making sure that your college is affordable will mean that you can make it through to graduation without going into unmanageable debt.

Accreditation

Accreditation means that a school has met and maintained a rigorous set of standards. Accreditation also means that, should you decide to change schools, your credits will transfer more readily. If any of the schools on your list aren’t accredited, keep looking. Once you graduate, you’ll find that having a degree from an accredited college or university makes a difference in the companies that will consider you for hire.

Don’t take your choice of college lightly. Even if you’re an incredibly bright and able student, your choice of college can make or break your educational career. By conducting the proper research and choosing your college wisely, you’ll help to ensure your success along the path to graduation.

Nancy Meyers writes for education blogs where you can read more about the The Top 10 Best Online Colleges for Military and G.I. Bill.