University's online degree programs rise in U.S. News & World Report annual rankings
Wednesday, Jan. 10, 2018
MANHATTAN — In its latest set of annual college rankings released Jan. 9, U.S. News & World Report recognized 19 of Kansas State University's online degree programs for excellence as Best Online Programs for 2018.
U.S. News & World Report recognizes five major areas of study in its 2018 listing of Best Online Programs ranking. Online programs that are ranked in the top 100 in the country include four of Kansas State University's online bachelor's programs, four online master's in education programs, nine engineering master's programs, the professional business administration master's and a computer information technology graduate degree.
Online programs at the university are offered through a partnership between each college or department and Kansas State University Global Campus.
Kansas State University has been ranked for many years in U.S. News & World Report's annual listing, but the number and level of the rankings continue to increase for all programs. In addition its overall rankings, the publication also ranks its Best Online Programs for Veterans, and Kansas State University's eligible programs fared even better.
For the first time, the university's online bachelor's degrees are ranked in the top 100 in the country coming in at No. 94 overall and No. 54 among top programs for veterans. Kansas State University's online bachelor's degrees receiving this ranking include general business, interdisciplinary social science, human development and family science, and early childhood education.
"Kansas State University Global Campus has been offering bachelor's degrees aimed at enriching the lives of working adults for more than 50 years," said Duane Dunn, interim dean of K-State Global Campus. "Extending the quality education provided by K-State through the use of technology makes earning a bachelor's degree accessible and flexible to anyone, anywhere."
Kansas State University also has a number of online graduate programs ranked among the top 50 in the country.
In the computer information technology category of the U.S. News & World Report's rankings, the university's master's in software engineering was ranked for the first time, coming in at No. 22.
"This ranking demonstrates the high quality of software engineering in the computer science department," said Scott DeLoach, professor and head of the department of computer science, a part of the College of Engineering. "As one of our four focus areas, we have several world-class software engineering researchers and educators in our department. The fact that these individuals take the time to reformat their teaching materials for online delivery and spend extra time engaging distance students demonstrates their dedication to the program and the department."
Kansas State University continues to rank highly for engineering online graduate degree programs, coming in at No. 33 overall and No. 15 among top programs for veterans in 2018. The graduate engineering programs include mechanical, electrical, chemical, civil, software, nuclear engineering, engineering management and operations research.
"It's always good news when our graduate programs are recognized on the national level by such institutions as U.S News & World Report," said Ronaldo Maghirang, associate dean for research and graduate programs in the College of Engineering. "It is justification of not only our top-notch faculty and students, but also the caliber of research they undertake and receive funding for."
The university has four online master's degrees in education ranked at No. 43 overall and No. 11 among top programs for veterans for 2018. The online education degree programs included in this ranking are academic advising, learning and leadership, curriculum and instruction, and a Master of Arts in teaching, which allows students who already have a bachelor's degree in an area other than teaching to earn a degree that allows them to gain a teaching certificate.
"The success behind our online degree programs lies in innovation and the faculty’s unequivocal commitment to creating a connection with each student," said Debbie Mercer, dean of the College of Education. "The fact that our faculty translates — so seamlessly — the art of teaching in an online environment is testimony to their dedication to rigorous content while allowing us to reach so many students outside our geographical footprint."
Kansas State University's Professional Master's in Business Administration, or PMBA, ranked No. 36 in the U.S. News & World Report listing. The program, offered through the College of Business Administration, offers flexibility to the working professional with an eight-week course structure and five start times a year for the program.
"This tremendous accomplishment would not be possible without the efforts of the faculty and staff supporting the Professional MBA program," said Suzy Auten, the program's director. "The success they have in teaching, designing high-quality courses and providing individual support to our students will continue to make the program and our graduates stand out among our competitors."
In creating its rankings, U.S. News & World Report analyzes program effectiveness in a variety of ways, including student engagement, admissions selectivity, peer reputation, faculty credentials and training, and student services and technology.
"First and foremost, Kansas State University has great faculty that go above and beyond when developing new online programs," said Long Huynh, associate dean of Global Campus. "We wouldn't be successful without their commitment. Additionally, I believe the dedication of our staff in providing student and faculty support makes Global Campus programs stand out. These rankings are a testament to their hard work."
For information about K-State Global Campus award recognitions and rankings visit global.k-state.edu/about/achievements.
For information about online degree programs offered visit global.k-state.edu.
