SRU online degree programs ranked among best in the country by U.S. News & World Report

Slippery Rock University was recognized for its online bachelor’s and graduate degree programs in the U.S. News & World Report’s 2020 Best Online Programs rankings.!

Jan. 14, 2020

SLIPPERY ROCK, Pa. — Slippery Rock University's online bachelor degree programs and online graduate programs in criminal justice and education have been ranked among the best in the nation by U.S. News & World Report.

SRU offers online bachelor's degree completion programs for management; nursing; leadership studies; liberal arts; and philanthropy and nonprofit management.

"National recognition reinforces the strides we've made to develop high-quality academic programs that accommodate students' needs through online learning," said William Behre, SRU president. "This recognition is a credit to our faculty, staff and administrators who invest their time, talents and hard work to offer online programs that produce positive learning outcomes and experiences for our students."

   BEHRE

Online bachelor degree program rankings were based on four categories:
• Engagement (35%): Quality online bachelor's degree programs promote participation in courses, allowing students opportunities to readily interact with their instructors and classmates, as is possible in a campus-based setting. Instructors not only are accessible and responsive, but they also are tasked with helping to create an experience rewarding enough that students stay enrolled and complete their degrees in a reasonable amount of time.
• Services and Technologies (25%): Programs that incorporate diverse online learning technologies allow greater flexibility for students to take classes from a distance. Outside of classes, strong support structures provide learning assistance, career guidance and financial aid resources commensurate with quality campus-based programs.
• Faculty Credentials and Training (20%): Strong online programs employ instructors with academic credentials that mirror those of instructors for campus-based programs, and they have the resources to train these instructors to teach distance learners.
• Expert Opinion (20%): A survey of high-ranking academic officials helps account for intangible factors affecting program quality that are not captured by statistics. Also, employers may hold in high regard degrees earned from programs that academics respect.

Criminal justice programs were ranked based on five criteria, including:
• Engagement (30%).
• Faculty Credentials and Training (20%).
• Services and Technologies (20%).
• Expert Opinion (20%).
• Student Excellence (10%): Students entering with proven aptitudes, ambitions and accomplishments can handle the demands of rigorous coursework. Furthermore, online degrees that schools award judiciously will have greater legitimacy in the job market.

Education programs were ranked according to the following category percentages:
• Engagement (30%).
• Services and Technologies (23%).
• Expert Opinion (20%).
• Faculty Credentials and Training (15%).
• Student Excellence (12%).

Only programs that offered a 100 percent online environment were considered in the rankings.

MEDIA CONTACT: Justin Zackal | 724.738.4854 | justin.zackal@sru.edu