Muncie Reporter

Twelve Ball State Programs Rank in Top 25 of U.S. News & World Report’s 2023 “Best Online Programs” List

Newest rankings released today by U.S. News & World Report showcase Ball State University’s national standing as a top provider of affordable online degree programs in high-demand fields.

Ball State earned 12 top-25 rankings in U.S. News’ 2023 “Best Online Programs” list, an annual assessment of nearly 2,000 online bachelor’s and master’s degree programs offered by institutions across the country.

“For almost 25 years, Ball State University has been at the forefront of offering quality, innovative online programs that give our students the flexibility to earn their degrees around their schedules,” said Ball State President Geoffrey S. Mearns. “I am grateful that our University has once again been nationally recognized by U.S. News & World Report, and by our peer institutions across the country. I am also proud of our faculty and our Ball State Online staff for their excellent work.”

Ball State degrees nationally recognized in the 2023 U.S. News & World Report “Best Online Programs” included:

•    12th: Master’s in Information and Communications Sciences

•    19th: Master of Business Administration (MBA)

•    24th: Master’s in Nursing

•    25th: Bachelor’s degrees (full list below)

•    25th: Master’s degrees in Education programs (full list below)

Ball State’s national online rankings in specialty areas included:

•    7th: Master’s in Special Education

•    12th: Master’s in Educational Administration and Supervision

•    12th: Master’s in Curriculum and Educational Technology

•    20th: Bachelor’s in Applied Behavior Analysis

•    24th: Bachelor’s degree programs in Business Administration and Logistics and Supply Change Management

Ball State also continues to rank highly among U.S. News & World Report’s best online programs for veterans, including:

•    14th: Master’s degrees in education programs (full list below)

•    21st: Master of Business Administration (MBA)

Six Ball State Online degrees improved their respective national rankings from the previous year’s U.S. News & World Report “Best Online Programs” listing, including: bachelor’s degrees (up 22 spots from last year); Master’s in Information and Communications Sciences (up seven spots); Master’s in Special Education (up five spots); Master’s degrees in Education programs (up three spots); and Master of Business Administration (MBA) and Bachelor’s in Applied Behavior Analysis (each up one spot). Ball State’s national ranking in best online programs for veterans in master’s degrees in education programs and its Master of Business Administration (MBA) also each improved by one spot, respectively.

“These results are no coincidence,” President Mearns said. “As outlined in our strategic plan, Ball State has prioritized serving its learners throughout their lifetime educational journey, while also continuing to anticipate and respond to workforce needs. Our catalog of quality online programs—taught by highly experienced faculty and offered at a competitive cost—empower our students to have fulfilling careers and meaningful lives, and to enhance the vitality of the communities that we serve.”

Since offering its first online degree, a master’s in Nursing, in 1999, Ball State has expanded to offer 110 online academic programs, led by the same respected faculty who teach on campus. More than 5,800 online-only undergraduate and graduate students were enrolled at Ball State for the Fall 2023 semester.

Adding to the value of their education, Ball State Online students are offered specialized resources, including concierge services and attentive advisers that help them effectively and efficiently navigate their college experience.

The U.S. News & World Report rankings are compiled annually and take into account factors such as faculty credentials, student engagement (which includes retention and graduation rates), class size, peer reputation, and the quality of the university’s student services and technology. Further details about the rankings and how they were determined are available at usnews.com/online.

For more information about Ball State’s online degree programs, visit bsu.edu/online.

List of ranked programs

Ball State’s bachelor’s degrees programs that were ranked in this year’s U.S. News & World Report “Best Online Programs” include:

•    Applied Behavior Analysis

•    Business Administration

•    Criminal Justice and Criminology

•    Data Analytics

•    Early Childhood Education (non-licensure program)

•    General Studies

•    Logistics and Supply Chain Management

•    Registered Nurse to Bachelor of Science 

The University’s Master’s degrees in Education programs that were ranked include:

•    Adult and Community Education

•    Athletic Coaching Education

•    Business Education

•    Career and Technical Education

•    Curriculum and Educational Technology

•    Educational Administration and Supervision

•    Educational Psychology

•    Elementary Education

•    Mathematics Education (K-12, all concentrations)

•    Mathematics Education (post-secondary)

•    Music Education

•    Quantitative Psychology

•    Secondary Education

•    Special Education

Original source can be found here.