Arkansas State University improves its U.S. News and World Report online course rankings
by January 16, 2019 2:55 pm 576 views
Arkansas State University is one of the fastest growing universities in the country in terms of online programs offered, according to U.S. News and World Report. The organization released the annual national rankings today on its website.
The largest online provider in the state, A-State Online received improved rankings in all but one area in the 2019 report, according to Dr. Thilla Sivakumaran, executive director of global engagement and outreach said
In the category of online graduate education programs, A-State jumped to 115th in 2019 from after finishing 180th last year. At that level, it is tied with 10 other institutions, including Colorado State University, Georgia College & State University, Ohio Dominican and Maine.
“At both the undergraduate and graduate levels, this year’s U.S. News rankings attest to the high quality online programs we have seen developed and offered by Arkansas State University,” Sivakumaran said. “By achieving higher rankings almost across the board, it shows our commitment to online education. Arkansas State was among the first in our state and region to offer 100% online degree programs. We’ll soon reach a milestone of 10 years of online programs, and the combination of our state-leading enrollment and our years of experience in online delivery with our faculty and staff support is reflected in our overall rising rankings.”
The most dramatic increase was in undergraduate online programs, where ASU finished 114th in the 2019 national rankings. That is a sharp increase from the institution’s ranking of 259th last year. With a score of 73, ASU tied eight other institutions, including Kentucky Wesleyan, Colorado-Colorado Springs, Louisiana-Lafayette and Missouri. ASU ranks 79th in engineering after not being ranked last year, too.
For the Master of Business Administration online program, ASU moved from 12th to 45th this year. While the ranking dropped from 2018, it is attributed to a change that actually makes the program more accessible for prospective students, not a decline in program quality. The ranking at No. 45 is still considered very high in the national survey of more than 300 universities.
The online MBA program now allows students with at least a 3.0 grade point average or those with at least five years of employment with managerial or leadership responsibilities to enter the program. Previously, a Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT) or Graduate Record Exam (GRE) score were required for incoming students. The lower number of students admitted on the basis of the standardized tests resulted in the reduced ranking, according to Dr. C. William Roe, associate dean of the Neil Griffin College of Business and director of graduate business programs.
ASU’s online MBA program has been ranked in the top 15 in the past six consecutive years, and remains the highest ranked online program in the upper Delta region. In addition, the ASU program is ranked number one in “faculty credentials and training” with a score of 100 out of 100 for the seventh straight year.
U.S. News evaluates programs on a system that considers dimensions of engagement, including interaction among professors and classmates; services and technologies, including learning assistance, flexibility and career guidance; faculty credentials and training; and expert opinion among high-ranking academic officials and employers.