U of A Online Bachelor's and Master's Programs Rise in 'U.S. News' Rankings

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FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – Online undergraduate degree programs offered by the University of Arkansas ranked significantly higher in this year’s ‘Best Online Programs’ from U.S. News & World Report. Online graduate education programs also rose in rankings, and graduate engineering programs ranked well.

U.S. News ranked U of A online bachelor’s degree programs No. 36 nationally among 308 ranked institutions and No. 25 among public institutions.  Last year’s rankings were No. 49 nationally and No. 32 among public institutions.

“The university can be proud of its high-quality online offerings, the strength of which is recognized by the 2017 U.S. News & World Report rankings,” said Donald Judges, interim vice provost for distance education.

U.S. News recognized all five U of A online bachelor’s degree programs offered by the J. William Fulbright College of Arts and Sciences, the Sam M. Walton College of Business, and the College of Education and Health Professions.

All U of A online programs are showcased on the University of Arkansas ONLINE website.

Graduate education programs in the College of Education and Health Professions climbed to No. 47 nationally among 262 ranked institutions and No. 39 among public institutions. Last year’s rankings for these programs were No. 53 nationally and No. 43 among public institutions.

“We are pleased to see these programs continue to rise in the U.S. News & World Report rankings,” said Michael T. Miller, dean of the College of Education and Health Professions. “Many of them prepare professionals vital to the success of education and health systems in our state and nation.

“The rankings take into account factors that our faculty and staff believe in and strive to provide in online education, including high-quality student engagement, student services and technology,” Miller continued. “Our administration works hard to ensure we can employ faculty with strong credentials and training in online teaching, another factor that the rankings take into account. The strong working relationship with Global Campus makes this possible.”

Graduate education degrees delivered online are master’s and doctoral degrees in adult and lifelong learning, master’s and doctoral degrees in educational leadership, a master’s degree in educational technology, master’s and doctoral degrees in human resource and workforce development education, an educational specialist degree in curriculum and instruction, a master’s degree in physical education and a master’s degree in special education.

Graduate engineering programs from the College of Engineering ranked No. 40 nationally among 87 ranked institutions and No. 29 among public institutions. 

“The College of Engineering is pleased to see that our commitment to high- quality, affordable online engineering programs is once again reflected in these rankings,” said John English, dean of engineering. “Thanks to the efforts of Dr. Ed Pohl, who directs the online Master of Science in Engineering program, we can offer this resource for engineers who want to further their education. Ultimately, it is the success of our students that matters the most.”

Graduate engineering programs include master’s degrees in engineering and electrical engineering.

The U of A is committed to providing high-quality online programs by providing support and resources to faculty and by participating in initiatives such as the Quality Matters Program, a nationally recognized nonprofit, quality-assurance program of Maryland Online Inc. This faculty-centered program provides training for faculty and staff members to design online courses based on national education standards and provides a peer review process.

About the Global Campus: The University of Arkansas Global Campus supports academic units in the development and delivery of online and distance education programs and courses.  It provides instructional design services, access to national distance education organizations, and assistance with strategic academic program development, recruiting and marketing.

About the University of Arkansas: The University of Arkansas provides an internationally competitive education for undergraduate and graduate students in more than 200 academic programs. The university contributes new knowledge, economic development, basic and applied research, and creative activity while also providing service to academic and professional disciplines. The Carnegie Foundation classifies the University of Arkansas among only 2 percent of universities in America that have the highest level of research activity. U.S. News & World Report ranks the University of Arkansas among its top American public research universities. Founded in 1871, the University of Arkansas comprises 10 colleges and schools and maintains a low student-to-faculty ratio that promotes personal attention and close mentoring.