Stevens Institute of Technology President Nariman Farvardin has long felt that master’s programs were best suited for online learning — and that many institutions of higher education would move more of those programs to more virtual learning.
On Tuesday morning, Stevens got a bit of affirmation that its online master’s programs are viewed with high regard.
Stevens scored well in many areas of the 2022 U.S. News & World Report Best Online Programs ranking, including:
- MBA programs: No. 42 (tie);
- Overall master’s in business (non-MBA): No. 28 (tie);
- Master’s in information technology: No. 8;
- Master’s in engineering: No. 25 (tie).
The Best Online Programs rankings only include programs that are designed to be administered online. In other words, the rankings do not evaluate schools or programs that are temporarily virtual due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Liana Loewus, managing editor of education at U.S. News, said the importance of online education increased dramatically during the pandemic.
“The uncertainty caused by the pandemic may result in more people considering the merits of an online education,” she said. “As students consider what’s right for them and their schedules, they can use the data provided by U.S. News to research their options and make informed decisions about their academic future.”
As the only media organization to evaluate online degrees at the program level rather than the school level, Loewus said U.S. News uses data gathered directly from each institution. The methodologies are based on factors such as student engagement, faculty credentials and student services and technology. Only degree-granting programs that are offered primarily online by regionally accredited institutions were considered.
Here’s a look at how New Jersey schools ranked in certain categories:
Bachelor’s degrees
Overall
- Berkeley College: No. 87 (tie);
- Rutgers University-Camden: No. 122 (tie);
- Rowan University: No. 138 (tie);
- Kean University: No. 190 (tie).
Business
- Rutgers-Camden: No. 17 (tie);
- Berkeley College: No. 98 (tie).
Master’s degrees
MBA
- Stevens: No. 42 (tie);
- Rutgers-Camden: No. 69 (tie);
- Montclair State University: No. 78 (tie);
- Rowan: No. 137 (tie);
- New Jersey Institute of Technology: No. 137 (tie).
Master’s (non-MBA)
- Rutgers University-New Brunswick and Newark: No. 26 (tie);
- Stevens: No. 28 (tie);
- NJIT: No. 87 (tie);
- Rowan: No. 110 (tie);
- Rider University: No. 131 (tie);
- Fairleigh Dickinson University: No. 148-193 (tie).
Information technology
- Stevens: No. 8;
- NJIT: No. 31 (tie);
- Montclair State: No. 61 (tie).
Engineering
- Stevens: No. 25 (tie);
- NJIT: No. 63 (tie);
- Rowan: No. 79-104 (tie).
Nursing
- Seton Hall University: No. 15 (tie);
- Felician University: No. 100 (tie);
- FDU: No. 135-179 (tie);
- Rowan: No. 135-179 (tie).
