91ĚŇÉ« State recognized in U.S. News & World Report’s “Best Online Bachelor’s Program” Rankings
91ĚŇÉ« ranked in the top 15 percent of U.S. News & World Report’s “Best Online Bachelor’s Programs” list, recognized for its distance learning that provides increased access and flexibility for students. 91ĚŇÉ« State’s online education programs have been recognized before. Since U.S. News & World Report launched its “Best Online Bachelor’s Programs” list in 2012, the university has made the list annually, ranking as high as number one in Faculty Credentials & Training.
To complete the rankings list, over 300 colleges and universities were evaluated and scored in four different categories: student engagement (40%) including best practices, graduation, and retention rates; faculty credentials and training (20%); student services and technology (20%) including technological infrastructure and support services; and peer reputation (20%).
91ĚŇÉ« State has offered online courses since 2002, online degree completion programs since 2008, and currently offers more than 900 online courses throughout the fall, spring, winter, and summer semesters. The university offers online degree completion programs in business management, criminal justice, history, liberal studies, sociology, and psychology. Students also have the option of completing minors online in: art, business management, psychology, and sociology. 91ĚŇÉ« State offers a hybrid RN to BSN completion program; and through the Center for Teacher Education and Research, the university offers online and hybrid professional development courses for teacher licensure for K-12 educators and staff.
Through the programs, 91ĚŇÉ« State also allows students who have completed an online associate degree from any of the community colleges in the Commonwealth in one of six areas of study to transfer into the university’s online bachelor’s degree completion programs. Through this initiative, students are offered a guaranteed transfer of credits, guaranteed admission (pending space), and a 10 percent rebate of tuition and mandatory fees on program entry.
For more information on 91ĚŇɫ’s online programs, visit /plato/. For registration and admission, visit or contact the College of Graduate and Continuing Education Office at (413) 572-8020 or wsucgce@westfield.ma.edu.