Given the wide range of options for students to further their education online, it is important to determine what factors impact overall student perceptions of online course quality. Specifically, the study validates the reliability of Merrill's (2012) First Principles of Instruction as factors that impact students' perceptions of online course quality, through a survey design that explores longitudinal data from an online RN-BSN degree completion nursing program. The 9 online courses included in the study ran for 10 terms from 2011-2012 and included response data from 339 course evaluations. Results from a factor analysis and stepwise regression reveal that the best predictors of determining whether students will report overall satisfaction with course quality are "instructional design" factors and the use of the First Principles of Instruction (Merrill 2002, 2007, 2009b, 2012). These results validate the advantages of incorporating Merrill's principles into online course design to ensure course quality and improve student satisfaction. Implications for online program design, quality assurance, and future studies are discussed.