NJ Universities Among Nation's Best Online Programs: U.S. News

NEW JERSEY — Dozens of bachelor's and master’s programs at accredited universities in New Jersey ranked among the 2023 Best Online Programs released Tuesday by U.S. News & World Report.

The rankings are designed for people who want to complete their bachelor’s and master’s degrees but need the flexibility to complete the coursework online. U.S. News is the only media organization that ranks online degrees at the program rather than the school level.

U.S. News ranked programs in eight disciplines. Programs in New Jersey that made the grade include:

UNDERGRADUATE
Bachelor’s Degree

• Rowan University, 85th
• Rutgers University-Camden, 85th
• Berkeley College, 139th
• Kean University, 272nd to 359th

MASTER'S PROGRAMS
MBA

• Rutgers University-Camden, 73th
• Stevens Institute of Technology, 73rd
• Montclair State University, 85th
• Rowan University, 115th
• New Jersey Institute of Technology, 132nd
• Rider University, 169th
• Berkeley College-Woodland Park, 261st to 344th
• Fairleigh Dickinson University, 261st to 344th

Business, Non-MBA

• Rutgers University-New Brunswick and Newark, 16th
• Stevens Institute of Technology, 27th
• Montclair State University, 38th
• Rutgers University-Camden, 73rd
• New Jersey Institute of Technology, 95th
• Rowan University, 110th
• Rider University, 126th
• Fairleigh Dickinson University, 160th to 211th

Computer Information Technology

• Stevens Institute of Technology, eighth
• New Jersey Institute of Technology, 29th
• Montclair State University, 53rd

Criminal Justice/Criminology

• Saint Elizabeth University, 22nd
• Rowan University, 58th
• Fairleigh Dickinson University, 72nd to 95th

Education

• Montclair State University, 10th
• Rowan University, 58th
• Seton Hall University, 58th
• Rutgers University-New Brunswick, 97th
• Stockton University, 178th
• Monmouth University, 231st
• Fairleigh Dickinson University, 253rd to 329th
• Georgian Court University, 253rd to 329th
• Kean University, 253rd to 329th
• New Jersey City University, 253rd to 329th
• William Paterson University, 253rd to 329th

Engineering

• Stevens Institute of Technology, 28th
• New Jersey Institute of Technology, 47th
• Rowan University, 79th

Nursing

• Seton Hall University, 33rd
• Felician University, 85th
• Rowan University, 109th
• Ramapo College, 113th
• Montclair State University, 124th
• Fairleigh Dickinson University, 141st to 185th

U.S. News evaluated some 1,832 programs — the highest in the history of the rankings — to arrive at the 2023 list. Of those, 1,730 were ranked.

Online learning increased in popularity at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, U.S. News noted, but many of the institutions whose programs are ranked were ahead of the curve and had offered online programs for years.

Most of those evaluated offer degree completion programs that give students who have completed some of the requirements the flexibility to complete their degrees, according to Eric Brooks, the lead data analyst at U.S. News.

“The methodology is developed with those students in mind, setting these rankings apart from those that are focused on recent high school graduates pursuing higher education for the first time,” Brooks said in a news release.

While the methodologies are different for each discipline, they all incorporate metrics specific to online learning. View the methodologies here.

The online bachelor’s level ranking does not use standardized tests, instead relying on other factors such as faculty credentials and training, services and technologies available to students, student engagement and expert opinion on the academic quality of programs.

Master’s degree programs, in addition to these criteria, are also ranked based on student excellence. Blended learning programs — a combination of both face-to-face and distance instruction — are not included in the rankings.

Find each U.S. News list here.