OSU’s Ecampus online bachelor’s program ranked No. 3 in US
Oregon State University has jumped to be among the nation’s top three leaders in online education, according to rankings released Tuesday by U.S. News & World Report.
The annual report features Oregon State Ecampus at No. 3 among nearly 400 institutions in the category of Best Online Bachelor’s Programs. This marks the fifth consecutive year Oregon State has been ranked in the nation’s Top 10 and is the university’s highest placement yet.
Two OSU engineering programs earned similar acclaim by being ranked ninth for Best Online Graduate Engineering Programs. The College of Engineering offers master’s degrees online in industrial engineering and radiation health physics.
“We are proud that Oregon State is recognized nationally as a model of success for undergraduate and graduate online education,” said Edward Feser, OSU provost and executive vice president. “We owe that reputation to the work of more than 800 outstanding Oregon State faculty members who partner with our talented OSU Ecampus staff and a heavy emphasis on student success.”
U.S. News & World Report bases its ranking of online bachelor’s programs on four factors: student engagement; faculty credentials and training; services and technology; and expert opinion. Overall, Oregon State scored 96 points out of 100.
“What makes Oregon State Ecampus unique is the fact that our learners can choose from the same offerings, learn from the same world-class faculty and earn the same degrees as OSU’s on-campus students,” said Lisa L. Templeton, associate provost for OSU Ecampus. “Our online classes meet industry best practices and utilize the latest technologies to create an enriching, interactive learning environment.”
OSU Ecampus delivers 25 bachelor’s degrees online to students worldwide. A hallmark of Ecampus programs – at the undergraduate and graduate levels – is the degree of interactivity and hands-on work students are able to do at a distance.
“As an Ecampus student, I wasn’t tied to my computer. I did birding field trips with a professional birder and on my own, which helped me get my job today,” said Jordan Levi, a bird research technician in New York who earned a B.S. in Fisheries and Wildlife Sciences last June. “I chose Oregon State because they had such a highly ranked online program, and I knew their fisheries and wildlife program would really expand my knowledge.”
Oregon State offers an additional 29 graduate degree and certificate programs via online and hybrid delivery. The university has distance students in all 50 states and more than 50 countries.
In the 2017-18 academic year, more than 23,300 Oregon State students took at least one OSU Ecampus class online. In fall term 2018, a total of 6,565 students were enrolled fully online in Ecampus courses, a 7.9 percent increase over the previous year.
Ecampus employs innovative collaborations that give working professionals increased access to educational opportunities via online programs.
All rankings are available online at https://www.usnews.com/education/online-education.
