U.S. News & World Report has once again ranked Eastern Kentucky University’s online degree programs among the best in the nation. EKU is 39th on the list of Best Online Programs for Veterans. The school also made the top 50 list of Best Online Programs in Nursing for the fifth consecutive year, performing better than any other Kentucky school. EKU’s online bachelor’s programs and graduate degrees in education moved up in the rankings, landing in the top 100.
“We are incredibly proud of our online programs that excel in these high-profile rankings year after year,” said Tim Matthews, executive director of the Office of eCampus Learning. “We have grown dramatically since our first online class was taught in 2006, but the quality of our courses and the commitment of our faculty continues to set the standard.”
EKU is repeatedly recognized as a leader among military friendly schools, and online programs are no exception. The university participates in the Yellow Ribbon Program, which provides funding for tuition expenses that are not covered by the Post-9/11 GI Bill. Active duty service members qualify for reduced tuition. Students and families also benefit from flexible admission and withdrawal policies while on deployment.
Online degrees were assessed using four weighted categories: engagement; services and technology; faculty credentials and training; and expert opinion. Graduate programs were also scored on student excellence, a category that included undergraduate GPAs and acceptance rate.
Student engagement, which refers to interaction between online students and their instructors, plays a key role in student success. Class size, graduation rate, retention rate and time to degree completion were also measured in this category.
In the services and technologies category, the best performing schools reported lower levels of student debt, as well as higher instances of advanced learning technologies and support services such as academic advising, tutoring and career placement assistance.
Faculty and administrators are an important part of the ranking algorithm. Schools rose in the rankings based on the number of faculty with terminal degrees in their disciplines and resources dedicated to preparing instructors to teach in the online environment. U.S. News and World Report also solicited deans and top officials to provide their expert opinions of institutions offering similar programs by completing a peer assessment survey.
Consistently recognized as having some of the nation's best online degree programs, EKU strives to make quality education accessible to everyone. EKU is an accredited, brick-and-mortar institution that has prepared students for success for more than a century. Today, more than 40 undergraduate and graduate degree options are available in a variety of fields. To learn more about EKU Online programs, go to https://go.eku.edu/usnews2020.