Three Va. universities ranked among top 10 in nation for online degrees

U.Va., Virginia Tech and VCU earned top 10 spots in U.S. News & World Report's Best Online Programs rankings.

Published January 15, 2020 by Sydney Lake

Online degrees from three Virginia universities were cited in the U.S. News & World Report’s 2020 Best Online Programs rankings.

The University of Virginia’s Curry School of Education and Human Development was ranked third in the nation for online master’s in education programs. Master’s degrees offered through the online program include administration and supervision; curriculum and instruction; reading education; and education psychology: social foundations. Students must complete 30 to 33 credit hours to complete the degrees.

Virginia Tech’s online master’s degree in information technology was ranked fourth in the nation and No. 3 for veterans. The online program is offered through a joint venture of the College of Engineering and the Pamplin College of Business at Tech. Students complete 100% of the degree requirements online — 11 courses, or 33 credit hours — including classes such as information systems development, machine learning with big data and health care information technology.

Tech’s online graduate engineering program ranked No. 10 this year, moving up six places from last year. The College of Engineering offers five master’s degree programs and four certificate programs. Students take courses from the Department of Computer Science, the Bradley Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, the Department of Accounting and Information Systems, the Department of Business Information Technology and the Department of Management.

Virginia Commonwealth University also ranked among the top 10 universities in the nation for online master’s in education programs, claiming spot No. 8. The program is offered through VCU’s School of Education, which offers students master’s degrees in educational leadership, reading or special education. The programs can be completed online, but some programs include an externship or residency component as part of the degree.

U.S. News and World Report’s rankings evaluated more than 1,600 online bachelor’s and master’s degree programs. The master’s programs include seven disciplines, ranging from nursing and business to engineering. Rankings are based on factors including student-instructor access, graduation rates and instructor credentials.