UMass continues to assert role as a regional and national leader in online education
BOSTON -- Online bachelor’s degree programs at UMass are the best in New England and among the best in the nation according to newly released rankings from U.S. News & World Report.
The 2019 Best Online Programs rankings named UMass Amherst, UMass Lowell and UMass Boston to the top 50 among online bachelor’s degree programs at No. 20, No. 25 and No. 49, respectively. Those same rankings list UMass campuses in Amherst, Lowell and Boston as offering the top three online bachelor’s programs in New England.
According to U.S. News & World Report, the Best Online Programs are those that excel according to traditional academic standards – such as graduation rates and faculty qualifications – and how effectively institutions adjust programs and student services for online learners.
“These rankings underscore our unyielding commitment to excellence and affirm our focus on expanding and enhancing our presence in online education,” said UMass President Marty Meehan. “As demographics and economics drive disruption in higher education, UMass will continue to ensure that affordable and accessible education is available through digital modalities.”
In 2018, Meehan announced the university’s intention to expand its online education platform to reach more working adults, people with incomplete college credit and others seeking to advance their careers.
“The strength and excellence of online degree programs offered by our campuses, reflected in these rankings, will remain a primary focus as we create new models to serve adult learners, degree completers and professionals seeking enhanced credentials,” said UMassOnline CEO Don Kilburn. “The trend in digital education is for co-existing models that take advantage of operational efficiencies and opportunities for innovation while serving the needs of distinctly different audiences.”
In addition to the success in the online bachelor’s degree category, UMass campuses also received acclaim for the quality of other online degree programs, placing first in New England in the following categories:
- UMass Amherst’s online MBA from the Isenberg School of Management, which was also ranked No. 17 nationally.
- UMass Lowell’s online graduate education program, which ranked No. 19 nationally.
- UMass Amherst’s online graduate nursing program, which ranked No. 35 nationally.
Other noteworthy rankings include:
- Two online graduate programs at UMass Lowell were ranked among the top 10 in the nation, with criminal justice at No. 5 and information technology at No. 10.
- UMass Boston’s online graduate education program rose 34 spots to No. 54 nationally, and No. 2 in New England.
- UMass Dartmouth’s online bachelor’s program, one of the newest programs, was also one of the fastest-rising nationally, jumping 20 spots overall.
In September, the University of Massachusetts was one of the only public university systems in the nation to have all of its undergraduate campuses ranked as National Universities in U.S. News & World Report’s Best Colleges list, making it one of the top public university systems in the country. UMass Medical School has consistently been ranked among the top in New England for the quality of its primary care education and ranked No. 46 for research in U.S. News & World Report’s Best Graduate Schools rankings.