Mar 21, 2017 12:08 PM EDT By Khaleb Skye A. Cruz, UniversityHerald Reporter

As employers demand more skills than educational attainment from applicants today, the popularity of online degree programs has increased radically. Udemy is offering more than 17,000 classes until March 23 for about $15 only. The deal ends at exactly 6 a.m. EST. So, here are the top 5 best seller online courses on the site last year and the most wanted choices for 2017.

Online vs Traditional

First, students prefer online classes more than going to traditional schools because of two things: time and money. Online education has been a cheaper and a less time-consuming alternative for more than a decade now. Also known as "online boot camps", these programs provide students with less time to complete a particular track and land into jobs faster than those who are having four-year courses.

When it comes to quality, Skilled Up reported that e-learning is an entirely different path to take but offers equal opportunities to people. Nevertheless, students can also choose a hybrid model of both the traditional and online classes. This way, they can strike a balance between affordability and flexibility or concentration and interaction.

Top 5 online classes

According to Business Insider, five of the top online programs on Udemy tackle writing, web development, and photography. All of which are offered for $15 from an original price of $200. With more than five-star ratings, people who want to start their own websites may take up the "Complete Web Developer Course 2.0".

On the other hand, the "Ultimate Excel Programmer Course" looks very promising since Microsoft Excel is one of the most needed online tools at this time. Also, the "Complete iOS 10 Developer Course -Build 21 Apps" will help students create the next "Flappy Bird" or "Candy Crush". Consequently, "Writing With Flair: How To Become An Exceptional Writer" and "Photography Masterclass: Your Complete Guide To Photography" caters to aspiring bloggers. Both offer lectures on how to make articles short but dense and tutorials on how to efficiently use DSLR cameras.

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