US News ranks ASU among best in nation for online programs

Arizona State University’s online bachelor’s programs in business and online master’s in educational administration have been ranked No. 1 in the country by U.S. News & World Report.

In addition to the No. 1 rankings, ASU Online also earned top-three rankings in a total of 12 categories as part of the 2022 Best Online Programs report, including online bachelor’s programs for veterans (second), online master’s in electrical engineering programs (second) and online master’s in special education programs (third).

“These rankings are points of pride for our Academic Enterprise and provide students that are considering these online programs confidence that their academic experience in an online degree program at ASU will be of the highest quality,” said Nancy Gonzales, executive vice president and university provost. “Our robust portfolio of online degree offerings has been critical to the progress we have made in fulfilling our ASU Charter commitment of making higher education accessible at scale to today’s learners.”

Additionally, as part of its overall Best Online Bachelor’s Programs category, U.S. News ranked ASU among the top 10 in the country, at No. 6, ahead of Penn State World Campus and the University of Arizona.

In 2021, ASU Online enrolled more than 81,000 undergraduate and graduate students in one of the more than 200 fully online degree programs. Since ASU launched its first online program offering in 2006, more than 62,000 students have graduated through ASU Online.  

The university has continued to be a leader in online education, expanding the program offerings to include the fine arts and hard sciences. ASU was the first university to launch an ABET-accredited undergraduate electrical engineering degree in 2013, and currently offers more than 120 undergraduate and graduate STEM programs, including biological sciences, biochemistry and astronomical and planetary sciences. More than 16,500 students were enrolled in an online STEM program during the fall 2021 semester.

“As a university, we are committed to ensuring that a robust slate of rigorous, high-quality degrees offered by a Tier I public university are made accessible beyond the walls of our physical campus,” said Phil Regier, university dean for educational initiatives and CEO of EdPlus at ASU. “We are honored to be recognized as a leader in this space and for the academic excellence of the programs offered through ASU Online.”

Additional 2022 Best Online Programs rankings for ASU include:

Education: The Mary Lou Fulton Teachers College ranked in the top 10 nationally for overall graduate programs in education. It also earned top rankings in the following speciality categories:

• No. 2 — best online graduate education programs for veterans.
• No. 2 — curriculum and instruction.
• No. 4 — educational/instructional media and design. 

Engineering: Ranked in the top 15 nationally for its online graduate engineering programs, the Ira A. Fulton Schools of Engineering also received top-five rankings in two specialty categories:

• No. 2 — management engineering.
• No. 4 — industrial engineering.

Business: ASU’s online graduate programs in business (non-MBA) and the online MBA program were both ranked in the top 10 by U.S. News. The W. P. Carey School of Business also ranked among the top five nationally within the following specialty areas for the online MBA: 

• No. 2 — marketing.
• No. 2 — business analytics.
• No. 3 — finance.
• No. 3 — general management.
• No. 4 — best online MBA program for veterans.

Criminal justice: The Watts College of Public Service and Community Solutions was ranked in the top 10 nationally for the online master’s in criminal justice. The program was also ranked fifth in the country for best online graduate criminal justice program for veterans.

U.S. News does not provide individual rankings for online undergraduate programs. The Best Online Bachelors Program rankings are based on four categories: engagement, services and technologies, faculty credentials and training, and expert (peer) opinion. 

For 2022, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University and the University of Florida tied for the top spot in the Best Online Bachelors Program category.

Top photo by Jill Richards