OSU’s online-learning ‘Ecampus’ earns another top-5 national ranking
CORVALLIS, Ore. (KTVZ) — Oregon State University has been ranked one of the nation’s five best providers of online education for the fourth consecutive year by U.S. News & World Report, judged on the strength of its faculty and the distance learning opportunities they deliver.
The annual report, released Tuesday, ranks Oregon State Ecampus No. 5 out of nearly 400 higher education institutions in the category of Best Online Bachelor’s Programs. OSU has placed in the nation’s top 10 each year since 2015.
The publication includes four additional top-25 rankings for Oregon State:
- No. 2 — Best Online Psychology Bachelor’s Programs.
- No. 4 — Best Online Business Bachelor’s Programs.
- No. 13 — Best Online Bachelor’s Programs for Veterans.
- No. 24 — Best Online Master’s in Engineering Programs
Oregon State Ecampus works with more than 1,000 OSU faculty members to develop and deliver courses online. Those efforts reach Ecampus students in all 50 states and more than 60 countries.
“We’re proud that Oregon State’s distance students have access to the same rigorous degree programs and can learn online from the same expert faculty as OSU’s on-campus students,” said Ecampus Associate Provost Lisa L. Templeton. “Broad access to high-quality online learning opportunities is important now more than ever. We’re pleased to share this national recognition with the entire Oregon State community.”
U.S. News & World Report evaluates online bachelor’s programs on four factors: student engagement; faculty credentials and training; services and technologies; and expert opinion. Overall, Oregon State scored 97 points out of 100 and ranked among the nation’s best in terms of faculty expertise and Ecampus’ ability to prepare those instructors to teach online.
The student engagement factor centers on interactions with instructors and classmates. Ecampus classes also emphasize interaction with the course content. One example involves students collecting soil samples in their local communities and analyzing them using at-home lab kits sent by Oregon State.
“What I’ve enjoyed most about the online coursework is that there were so many opportunities for hands-on experiences,” said Mayra Radzinski, a natural resources major in central Texas. “When I started I was like, ‘I don't see how in the world I'm going to possibly learn about something that's so tangible — soil, water.’ I was really impressed with the labs and the projects.”
In 2020-21, Ecampus served more than 12,000 individual students exclusively online. Among those who enrolled, more than 8,500, or nearly 70%, were pursuing an Oregon State bachelor’s degree online.
That includes Geoff Boldt, an economics student in southern Oregon who works in real estate appraisal. He says his online studies through OSU Ecampus benefit him in real time as he works to build a career.
“I’m actively working in a field that uses my future degree, and I’m able to apply what I’m learning online immediately. This helps me understand how relevant the material is and makes the classes that much more interesting,” said Boldt, who expects to graduate later this year.
