Online programs at UAB continue to excel, according to U.S. News rankings

U.S. News & World Report ranks UAB’s online undergraduate and graduate degree programs among the best in the nation.

Shot from above, woman's hands are typing on a laptop computer on wooden table in Church Street Coffee & Books, 2019.U.S. News & World Report ranks UAB’s online undergraduate and graduate degree programs among the best in the nation.  Four University of Alabama at Birmingham online graduate programs improved their national rankings, and the institution’s online bachelor’s program ranked in the top 30 nationwide, in the latest U.S. News & World Report Best Online Programs rankings.

UAB’s undergraduate online bachelor’s ranking of No. 28 out of 337 ranked schools puts it in the top 8 percent in the United States and remains the best online program in Alabama. The online bachelor’s rankings are based on expert opinion about program quality and statistical indicators that measure the quality of a school’s faculty, research and students.

The College of Arts and Sciences online Master of Science degree in criminal justice received a first-time ranking of No. 32 out of 74 schools, landing in the top 50 percent of programs individually ranked.

The School of Education saw significant gains for its online graduate program, moving from No. 55 to No. 35, placing it among the top 12 percent in the nation. 

UAB’s School of Engineering online graduate program accelerated eight spots to No. 56, showing steady progress for the program.

The Collat School of Business online graduate management information systems degree program moved up two spots to No. 12, which is in the top 16 percent in the country.

“We are very excited and grateful that our commitment to providing an exceptional graduate experience continues to be recognized,” said Lori McMahon, Ph.D., dean of UAB’s Graduate School and the Jarman F. Lowder Professor of Neuroscience. “Our faculty, students and staff are working diligently, despite the pandemic, and this honor is a testament of their dedication and hard work. I am very proud of our UAB community.”

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Additional programs featured in the U.S. News & World Report online national rankings include:

  • Master’s degree in accounting is ranked No. 24 in the Best Online Graduate Business Programs.
  • Master’s degree in business administration is ranked No. 62.
  • Online Bachelor Business program is ranked No. 27 under specialty programs (based on expert opinion).
  • Online Bachelor Psychology program is ranked No. 21 under specialty programs (based on expert opinion).

Highly ranked for veterans

U.S. News & World Report has recently started highlighting the best programs for veterans across all of their surveys, with rankings determined based on answers from the main survey.  

UAB continues to see high rankings in veteran programs, including No. 19 for online bachelor programs and No. 40 for its online MBA program.

“UAB examines the major issues facing veterans and develops course delivery options that help our U.S. veterans access a UAB education,” said Pam Benoit, UAB provost. “We will continue to enhance our ability to meet the opportunities and the challenges any of our students may face. Our faculty are among the best in the country, and our rigorous and diverse curriculum is appealing to students from all walks of life, especially in today’s higher-education environment.”

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This marks the 10th year U.S. News has collected data from distance education master’s and bachelor’s degree completion programs. Each year, U.S. News has expanded the range and depth of its information. For the 2021 edition, it assessed more than 1,600 online degree programs — an all-time high. The rankings measure overall academic quality and are across varying disciplines.  

U.S. News updated its methodology this year to exclude students with graduate GPAs from the undergraduate GPA calculations. The definition of “online” was changed by U.S. News and states “the vast majority of required coursework for program completion is able to be completed via distance education courses,” instead of “all required” coursework.

The complete list of U.S. News rankings can be found online here.