Rogers State University was recognized for having Oklahoma’s highest-ranked online bachelor’s degree programs, according to U.S. News & World Report’s latest national survey of online education programs.
RSU was included among the nation’s best online bachelor’s degree programs, nationally ranking 73rd out of 190 programs included in the U.S. News rankings released on Jan. 15. Other Oklahoma universities included in the survey were Cameron University and Oklahoma Wesleyan University, overall ranked 101st and 111th respectively.
Among the survey’s component categories, RSU ranked 25th nationally in student services and technology and 51st in faculty credentials and training.
A national pioneer in online education, RSU offers five bachelor’s degrees and four associate degrees, entirely online. Since the inception of its online distance education program in 1992, RSU has earned distinction as the first university in Oklahoma, and one of the first in the nation, to offer bachelor’s and associate degrees entirely via the internet.
This is the second year that U.S. News has surveyed the nation’s best online education programs, but the first in which the publication has included a national ranking. Last year, RSU was the only Oklahoma university to be included in the faculty credentials category, which ranked schools based on the number of instructional faculty who have doctorate degrees or terminal degrees as well as the experience of its instructors in teaching online courses. Last year, RSU also was included in the survey categories for student services/ technology and teaching practices/student engagement, for which it was the top-ranked public university in Oklahoma.
RSU President Dr. Larry Rice said the university is committed to providing Oklahomans with access to higher education when travel or time constraints might otherwise keep them from starting or finishing their college degree.
RSU Online offers bachelor’s degrees in liberal arts with an option in English, liberal arts with an option in global humanities, business administration with an option in management, business information technology with an option in software development and multimedia, business information technology with an option in computer network administration, organizational leadership and applied technology. Associate degrees are available in applied technology, business administration, liberal arts with an option in English, liberal arts with an option in global humanities and computer science.
For more information about the Best Online Education Program survey, visit www.usnews.com/online-education.