WASHINGTON, Jan. 21, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — U.S. News & World Report, the global authority in education rankings, today released the 2025 Best Online Programs rankings. Designed for individuals looking to complete or pursue their academic goals, the rankings evaluate nearly 1,800 online bachelor’s and master’s degree programs at regionally accredited institutions.
“For those who wish to further their education but whose life circumstances call for increased flexibility to study outside the confines of a physical classroom, there are many distance learning programs to choose from,” says LaMont Jones, managing editor for education at U.S. News. “The 2025 Best Online Programs rankings examine factors that benefit the typical distance learner and serve as a helpful starting point for those seeking to find the right online program for their educational goals.”
The rankings focus solely on degree-granting programs that are offered online, including several master’s-level disciplines: MBA, business (non-MBA), engineering, information technology (including computer science), criminal justice, education and nursing.
The methodologies are different for each discipline, but all incorporate metrics assessing how well these programs are designed for distance learners and their effectiveness at awarding affordable degrees in a reasonable timeframe. That includes traditional college-age students, working parents, military service members, as well as established professionals and lifelong learners.
2025 U.S. News & World Report Best Online Programs
BACHELOR’S PROGRAMS
1. University at Buffalo – SUNY
2. University of Florida
3. University of Illinois – Chicago (tie)
3. University of North Carolina – Charlotte (tie)
MBA
1. Indiana University – Bloomington
2. University of North Carolina – Chapel Hill
3. Carnegie Mellon University
Business, non-MBA
1. Carnegie Mellon University (tie)
1. Texas A&M University – College Station (tie)
3. Arizona State University
Information Technology
1. Johns Hopkins University
2. Columbia University
3. University of Alabama at Birmingham
Criminal Justice/Criminology
1. University of New Haven
2. University of California – Irvine
3. University of Massachusetts – Lowell
Education
1. Clemson University
2. University of Florida
3. San Diego State University (tie)
3. University of Illinois Urbana – Champaign (tie)
3. University of North Texas (tie)
3. University of Wisconsin – Madison (tie)
Engineering
1. University of California – Los Angeles
2. Purdue University – Main Campus (tie)
2. University of Illinois Urbana – Champaign (tie)
