Arizona Online Leaps into the Top 10 in US News & World Report Rankings
After only six years of operation and five years of rankings eligibility, Arizona Online made its first top 10 appearance in the 2021 Best Online Bachelor's Programs rankings by U.S. News & World Report.
Arizona Online climbed to No. 7 overall – and No. 6 among public universities – out of 337 programs, further solidifying itself as a national leader in online education.
"The University of Arizona has worked tirelessly to develop exceptional educational opportunities for students throughout the world, both in our traditional classrooms and in online settings," said University of Arizona President Robert C. Robbins. "This ranking places us among the nation's most prestigious online education programs and shows our commitment to flexibility and accessibility. I am very proud of what Arizona Online continues to accomplish."
With a four-spot jump from last year's No. 11 overall placement and a 74-spot increase from the university's inaugural appearance in 2017, Arizona Online is one of the nation's fastest-rising universities in the rankings.
"In six years, Arizona Online has grown from having a limited number of fully online programs to offering nearly 40 online bachelor's degrees," said Liesl Folks, senior vice president for academic affairs and provost. "Our main priority is to prepare students for successful careers by providing access to quality online education and keeping the human interaction at the forefront of the learning experience."
This year, Arizona Online placed No. 5 overall and No. 4 among public universities in its bachelor's program offerings for veterans. Other veteran-specific rankings include these online master's programs:
- No. 4: computer information technology
- No. 7: MBA
- No. 10: nursing
- No. 16: engineering
In addition to bachelor's programs, U.S. News & World Report ranks online graduate programs.
Arizona Online saw significant year-over-year improvements in graduate-level offerings. In information technology graduate programs, which includes information systems, computer science, computer engineering and software engineering, Arizona Online placed tied for No. 6 out of 74 programs and No. 5 among public universities. The university ranked No. 18 for its online master's in industrial engineering and No.17 for its online master's in engineering management.
Two other Arizona Online graduate programs also earned strong placements. In engineering programs, Arizona Online tied at No. 30 overall – up eight spots from last year. In education programs, it tied at No. 46 overall.