ASU Graduate Programs Rank in Top 40 Nationally

Angelo State University’s nursing and teacher education programs have each been ranked in the top 40 nationally for their online graduate degree offerings by U.S. News and World Report for its 2014 edition of Best Online Programs.

Overall, ASU ranked No. 34 among the 130 U.S. colleges and universities identified by U.S. News and World Report as offering online graduate nursing programs, and ranked No. 36 among the 238 institutions identified as offering online graduate education programs.  This is the second consecutive year the ASU nursing program has made the Best Online Programs list after ranking No. 64 last year, and is a first for the teacher education program.

“We are so pleased for this recognition,” said Dr. Leslie Mayrand, dean of the ASU College of Health and Human Services.  “We pride ourselves in being one of the pioneers in online graduate nursing education and are privileged to serve nurses wanting to advance their education to improve the health of our citizens, as well as educating our future nurses.”

Dr. John Miazga, dean of the College of Education, said, “It is an honor to be recognized for the quality work of our faculty and staff.  We strive to provide our students with high-quality programs that meet today’s work environment and the busy lives of our students.  This recognition is a step in our quest to provide an opportunity for quality graduate education to all adult learners in an affordable and timely manner.”  

The criteria used to configure the rankings included weighted scores in the categories of student engagement (30 percent of score), faculty credentials and training (25 percent), student services and technology (20 percent), peer reputation (15 percent) and admission selectivity (10 percent).

“Offering quality online programs is a major factor in Angelo State showing a steady growth in our graduate student enrollment numbers over the past several years,” said ASU President Brian J. May.  “National recognition of our programs is gratifying, but more importantly, it reinforces the fact that our online graduate students are getting an excellent education.”

Kent Hance, chancellor of the Texas Tech University System, said, “As the demand for online education increases, public higher education must remain innovative to meet the needs of our students. These rankings are a testament to Angelo State University’s success in providing students with the best possible opportunities for online learning. We are proud of the university’s efforts.”

The nine other Texas schools on the nursing program list include the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston, Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi, University of Texas at Tyler, Lamar University, Texas Christian University, West Texas A&M University, University of Texas at Brownsville and University of Texas at Arlington.

The 12 other Texas schools on the education program list include the University of Houston, Sam Houston State University, Texas A&M University-Kingsville, Lamar University, University of North Texas, University of Texas of the Permian Basin, West Texas A&M University, University of Texas Pan-American, University of St. Thomas, Texas Tech University and University of Texas at Arlington.

The full rankings can be found on the U.S. News and World Report website at www.usnews.com/online.