ODU Online Programs Ranked Highest in Virginia for Quality and Affordability
December 16, 2013
Old Dominion University continues to rack up accolades for its online education programs - this time with a ranking as Virginia's top four-year accredited online college.
AffordableCollegesOnline.org, which provides information about affordable higher education options, including financial aid videos, expert advice and cost savings ideas, recently awarded ODU the top spot in its analysis of the quality and cost of Virginia's fully accredited, not-for-profit public and private universities' online degree programs.
"Going back to the early 1990s, Old Dominion University was a pioneer in distance learning and serving the educational needs of communities across Virginia. So, it's no surprise that the university remains a leader in online education today," said ODU President John R. Broderick. "Our nearly 40 online degree programs are taught by nationally recognized and engaging faculty, and individualized student support service continues to be recognized as our signature strength and value. We're proud to lead Virginia, and the nation, in excellent and affordable online learning."
Schools were ranked by Affordable Colleges Online based on data from the National Center for Education Statistics, Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System, Carnegie classifications and the Payscale.com website.
Affordable Colleges Online founder Dan Schuessler noted in a statement that the distance learning landscape is no longer dominated by for-profit schools, as more and more of the nation's top colleges and universities add online options to their catalogs, making it easier for nontraditional students to receive a quality education.
"Offering students great online programs is only half the battle," Schuessler said. "The colleges on our list offer students quality, flexibility and affordability."
For more information about the ranking, visit the Affordable Colleges Online website.
ODU registered more than 23,400 enrollments in online courses during the 2012-13 academic year. The university offers more than 60 online degree and certification programs in various disciplines, with tuition and fees averaging $6,566 per semester.
Other recent accolades for ODU distance learning programs have included:
In October, GetEducated.com gave a "Best Buy" ranking to ODU's online bachelor's degree programs in nursing, psychology and human services, as well as to the Master of Science in nursing program.
In January, U.S. News & World Report listed online graduate programs in ODU's Darden College of Education as eighth among the nation's graduate education programs for student services and technology and 10th for admissions selectivity. The magazine also ranked ODU's online School of Nursing graduate programs second in the nation for admissions selectivity and 10th for student services and technology.
Also in January, the Open Education Database named ODU's online computer science program the fourth best in the country in its 2013 Online Colleges rankings.
ODU online degrees in counseling (master's) and human services (bachelor's) were featured recently on SR Education Group's new website, www.OnlineU.org, as being among the most affordable college online degrees. In the national rankings, the counseling program was 13th and the human services program was eighth in their respective disciplines.
To learn more about online education options at ODU, visit the Distance Learning website.