OSU’s online Ecampus scores high nationally
CORVALLIS, Ore. (KTVZ) -- For the third time in six years, Oregon State University is ranked as one of America’s five best providers of online education by U.S. News & World Report.
In the rankings released Tuesday, Oregon State Ecampus is No. 5 out of more than 350 institutions in the category of Best Online Bachelor’s Programs. OSU has placed in the national top 10 every year since 2015.
Oregon State Ecampus delivers 31 bachelor’s programs online, including business administration, computer science, fisheries and wildlife sciences, and natural resources.
“OSU Ecampus shares this national recognition with the entire OSU community and the nearly 1,000 Oregon State University faculty members and 10 academic colleges offering degrees online,” said Ecampus Associate Provost Lisa L. Templeton. “We are more dedicated than ever to providing students around the world with affordable access to transformative learning experiences online.”
In fall 2019, Ecampus served a total of 7,467 students exclusively online. That’s an increase of 902 students – or 13.7% – from fall 2018. Among those enrolled in fall 2019 classes, 5,999 students were enrolled in undergraduate degree programs and 1,468 in graduate degree programs.
With OSU students learning online in more than 50 countries, learner engagement is an inherent challenge, Templeton said. “What many Ecampus students find – and what the consistent top-10 rankings signify – is that meaningful connections are made in OSU’s online classroom.”
“I engaged with students and my professors through a lot of methods, and it inspired me to keep working,” said Joshua Chan Burgos, an Ecampus anthropology and sustainability double major from Florida who graduated last June. “If there was a concept I didn’t understand or if we were working on a project, we came up with solutions as a team. That made me feel part of the community, and that was important to me.”
U.S. News & World Report evaluated university and college online learning programs based on four criteria: student engagement; student services and technology; faculty credentials and training; and expert opinion. Oregon State’s high ranking largely reflects the expertise of its faculty and Ecampus’ ability to prepare those instructors to teach online.
Overall, OSU received a score of 94 out of 100.
Oregon State features prominently in two more national rankings released today by U.S. News & World Report:
- OSU is 12th in the category of Best Online Graduate Engineering Programs. The College of Engineering offers master’s degrees online in engineering management and radiation health physics.
- The university is ranked No. 3 overall in the category of Best Online Bachelor's Programs for Veterans.
