Online bachelor’s degree programs at the U of A ranked high at No. 24 in U.S. News & World Report’s 2022 “Best Online Programs” categories. Graduate education and graduate engineering online programs also ranked well.

The U of A’s 12 online bachelor’s degree programs from four colleges ranked 20th among public institutions. In the business subcategory, bachelor’s programs from the Sam M. Walton College of Business ranked 13th nationally and 9th among public institutions. U.S. News ranked 228 institutions nationally in the online bachelor’s degree category.

Online master’s degree programs in engineering from the College of Engineering took the No. 49 spot overall and ranked 37th among public institutions. U.S. News ranked 104 institutions in the online graduate engineering category.

Online master’s degree programs in education rose to No. 60 in 2022, up 12 spots from 2021. These programs from the College of Education and Health Professions ranked No. 53 among public institutions. 

Online programs from academic colleges across the U of A are showcased on the U of A ONLINE website.

“Thanks to our faculty, the University of Arkansas continues to be nationally competitive in online education, which is a very aggressive space,” said Cheryl Murphy, vice provost for distance education. “Our students in these high-quality online programs benefit from our faculty’s commitment to academic excellence and our university’s devotion to student success.”

BACHELOR’S DEGREE PROGRAMS

U of A online bachelor’s degree programs, which ranked 24th in the nation, are offered by the Dale Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food and Life Sciences; the Fulbright College of Arts and Sciences; Walton College; and the College of Education and Health Professions.

U of A online bachelor’s programs include:

• Accounting
• Communication
• English
• General business
• Human resource management
• Human resource and workforce development education
• Human development and family sciences
• Interdisciplinary studies
• Marketing
• Supply chain management
• And programs for registered nurses and licensed practical nurses to earn a Bachelor of Science in Nursing

GRADUATE EDUCATION

Online master's degree programs in education from the College of Education and Health Professions climbed 12 places to the No. 60 spot among 322 ranked institutions in 2022. 

“We’re very pleased that our online master’s degree programs in education have earned recognition among the best online programs in the nation,” said Brian Primack, dean of the College of Education and Health Professions. “We are proud to provide affordable, rigorous and accessible opportunities for people across Arkansas and the world to further their education.”

Graduate education degree programs delivered online:

• Master's and doctoral degrees in adult and lifelong learning
• Master's degree in community college leadership
• Master's degree in educational equity
• Master's, specialist and doctoral degrees in educational leadership
• Master's degree in educational technology
• Master's and doctoral degrees in human resource and workforce development education
• Education specialist degree in curriculum and instruction
• Master's degree in physical education
• Master's degree in special education
• Master’s degree in teaching English to speakers of other languages

GRADUATE ENGINEERING

Online master’s degree programs in engineering from the College of Engineering ranked No. 49 among 104 ranked institutions in 2022.

“It’s gratifying to see our online programs acknowledged for their excellence, because we know they offer convenience and great value to professionals and others who want to pursue an advanced degree but would have difficulty attending on campus,” said Kim Needy, dean of the College of Engineering. “I congratulate the directors, faculty and staff who have developed these master’s degree programs and see that they are updated and improved year after year.”

Graduate engineering degree programs delivered online are master’s degrees in engineering, electrical engineering and engineering management.

METHODOLOGY

U.S. News rankings for undergraduate degree programs are based on four categories: student engagement, student services and technology, faculty credentials and training, and expert opinion, a category formerly labeled peer reputation. Rankings for graduate education and graduate engineering programs include those four categories and selectivity of admissions. Full rankings, data and detailed methodologies are available on the U.S. News website.

U OF A ONLINE

Providing quality online programs is imperative as more people rely on distance learning to access higher education, both at the U of A and nationwide. The U of A offers more than 75 online degree, certificate, microcertificate and licensure programs.

About 15,770 U of A students took at least one online course in academic year 2021, which represented almost 51.96 percent of the student population. About 12 percent of all U of A students, or 3,733 students, studied exclusively online in the same academic year, according to the 2020-2021 Global Campus annual report. Online course data do not include enrollment for courses that were classified by the campus as “remote” during the pandemic.

Nationwide, more than 7 million students studied at a distance in Fall 2019, with nearly half of them taking exclusively distance education courses, according to the National Center for Education Statistics website.

In the last academic year at the U of A, 270 undergraduate students and 858 graduate students earned degrees through online programs.

About the Global Campus: The Global Campus supports U of A colleges and schools in the development and delivery of online programs and courses. It provides instructional design services, technology services and assistance with marketing, recruiting and strategic academic development.

About the University of Arkansas: As Arkansas' flagship institution, the U of A provides an internationally competitive education in more than 200 academic programs. Founded in 1871, the U of A contributes more than $2.2 billion to Arkansas’ economy through the teaching of new knowledge and skills, entrepreneurship and job development, discovery through research and creative activity while also providing training for professional disciplines. The Carnegie Foundation classifies the U of A among the top 3% of U.S. colleges and universities with the highest level of research activity. U.S. News & World Report ranks the U of A among the top public universities in the nation. See how the U of A works to build a better world at Arkansas Research News.