Four online programs included in latest U.S. News rankings
January 24, 2023
According to new data released by U.S. News and World Report on Tuesday, January 24, the University of Southern Indiana has been ranked in several categories for Best Online Programs. These are in addition to the traditional rankings released in September.
U.S. News assessed schools based on a variety of objective factors, such as student engagement, faculty credentials, and services and technologies. The four USI programs, ranked among similar programs at other institutions, include:
Graduate Nursing #33
MBA #110
Bachelor's #161
The rankings evaluate more than 1,800 online bachelor's and master's degree programs. The Best Online Programs include rankings of bachelor's programs as well as select online master's-level disciplines. While the methodologies are different for each discipline, they all incorporate metrics specific to online learning. The rankings only include degree-granting programs that are offered primarily online by regionally accredited institutions. A program's score for each ranking indicator is calculated using data that the program reported to U.S. News in a statistical survey and a peer assessment survey. According to U.S. News, metrics and their weights include:
Engagement (35%): Quality online bachelor's degree programs promote participation in courses, allowing students opportunities to readily interact with their instructors and classmates, as is possible in a campus-based setting. In turn, instructors not only are accessible and responsive but they also are tasked with helping to create an experience rewarding enough that students stay enrolled and complete their degrees in a reasonable amount of time.
Services and Technologies (25%): Programs that incorporate diverse online learning technologies allow greater flexibility for students to take classes from a distance. Outside of classes, strong support structures provide learning assistance, career guidance and financial aid resources commensurate with quality campus-based programs.
Faculty Credentials and Training (20%): Strong online programs employ instructors with academic credentials that mirror those of instructors for campus-based programs, and they have the resources to train these instructors to teach distance learners.
Peer Assessment (20%): A survey of high-ranking academic officials helps account for intangible factors affecting program quality that are not captured by statistics. Also, employers may hold in high regard degrees earned from programs that academics respect.
A full list of all online program rankings can be found on the U.S. News & World Report site.