U.S. News Releases 2017 Best Online Programs
Online education is rising in popularity, especially among working adults who desire flexibility to complete coursework outside the boundaries of a physical campus.
A report last year by the Babson Survey Research Group revealed that the number of U.S. college and graduate students enrolled in at least one online course rose by 3.9 percent between fall 2013 and 2014. Career aspirations are the primary reason to pursue an online degree, according to separate survey data released by Aslanian Market Research and the Learning House.
Those considering an online degree can use U.S. News' 2017 Best Online Programs rankings, released today, to compare their options.
For the sixth year, U.S. News ranked online bachelor's degrees along with master's degree programs in business, computer information technology, education, engineering and nursing. U.S. News also ranked online criminal justice master's degree programs for the third year, and online MBA programs were once again ranked separately from other business degrees.
[Explore this year's top 20 online bachelor's degree programs.]
U.S. News also ranked the Best Online Programs for Veterans for the fifth year. To be eligible, a program must rank within the top half of schools in the 2017 Best Online Programs rankings -- a change from last year, when a school needed to be in the top 75 percent. An online program must also belong to a school that's certified for the GI Bill and helps veterans reduce tuition costs via the Yellow Ribbon Program or by offering in-state tuition to out-of-state veterans.
Starting this year, U.S. News required schools in the veterans-focused rankings to enroll a critical mass of students with military backgrounds: a total of 25 veterans and active service members at the undergraduate level, and 10 total for each of the seven graduate-level rankings. Due to these methodology changes, fewer schools were included than last year.
Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University--Worldwide once again topped the list of online bachelor's programs for veterans for 2017, followed by the University of Oklahoma.
This year, U.S. News analyzed data from more than 1,300 online degree programs. U.S. News ranks programs offered completely online, although a program is still eligible if it has in-person components such as orientations, clinical requirements, testing and support services. The rankings don't distinguish between for-profit and nonprofit programs and don't include blended programs that combine on-campus and online learning.
U.S. News ranks online programs using factors such as faculty credentials and training, student engagement, peer reputation, and student services and technology. Admissions selectivity is also weighed for all rankings except online bachelor's programs.
Some programs saw major gains or drops in the rankings, which is typically due to schools completing survey questions they hadn't previously and slight adjustments to the methodologies as schools collect and report more data. The total number of programs submitting data, which has risen each year, also plays a role.
[Get advice from online students and faculty on the Online Learning Lessons blog.]
Here is a sampling of some of the top programs in the 2017 rankings.
Bachelor's: Embry-Riddle earned the top spot for the second consecutive year among online bachelor's programs; however, Pennsylvania State University--World Campus -- which tied for No. 1 last year -- dropped to a six-way tie at No. 8. Temple University rose to No. 2 from No. 6 last year, while the University of Oklahoma soared to No. 3 from a tie at No. 30. Arizona State University rose to No. 4 from a tie at No. 11 last year.
MBA: Many of last year's highest-ranked online MBA programs continued to hold top spots this year, with Temple University's Fox School of Business again at No. 1. Carnegie Mellon University's Tepper School of Business rose to No. 2 from No. 6 last year, while Indiana University--Bloomington's Kelley School of Business and the University of North Carolina--Chapel Hill's Kenan-Flagler Business School both dropped a spot to No. 3 and No. 4, respectively.
[Discover the 20 best online MBA programs.]
Business (master's): Among non-MBA online business master's programs, Indiana's Kelley School remained in the top spot. The University of Texas--Dallas rose two spots to No. 2, and Arizona State University's W.P. Carey School of Business stayed at No. 3.
Education (master's): The University of Florida again claimed the top spot among online education programs, while the University of Houston -- which tied for No. 1 last year -- fell to No. 2. Florida State University remained third.
Nursing (master's): This year, St. Xavier University earned the top spot among online nursing master's programs -- a rise from No. 3 last year. The Medical University of South Carolina remained at No. 2. Duke University, at No. 5 last year, and Ohio State University, formerly at No. 4, tied for third.
Engineering (master's): The Henry Samueli School of Engineering and Applied Science at the University of California--Los Angeles remained No. 1 among online engineering programs, tying with the University of Southern California's Viterbi School of Engineering, which held the No. 2 spot last year. The Fu Foundation School of Engineering at Columbia University stayed at No. 3.
Computer information technology (master's): The University of Southern California and Virginia Tech held onto their spots in the online computer information technology rankings at No. 1 and 2, respectively. New York University -- a program new to the list -- ranked No. 3.
Criminal justice (master's): There was some movement in the online master's programs in criminal justice rankings, which combine criminal justice and criminology programs. Sam Houston State University, ranked No. 1, rose two spots from last year, and the University of Nebraska--Omaha, ranked second, leapt from a tie at No. 18 last year. The University of California--Irvine rose one spot to No. 3 this year.
Trying to fund your online education? Get tips and more in the U.S. News Paying for Online Education center.
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