Schools
U.S. News Best Online College Programs Offered In NC
U.S. News & World Report has ranked the best online bachelor's programs and graduate programs in seven subjects.

NORTH CAROLINA — Several online programs offered by North Carolina universities and colleges are featured in U.S. News’ 2019 rankings of the best such programs.
The rankings, released on Tuesday, evaluate both bachelor’s programs and graduate programs in nursing, education, business and engineering. Over 1,500 online programs are featured in the rankings. Online graduate programs in criminal justice, business (non-MBA) and computer information technology are also ranked.
“Online programs can offer a flexible learning environment for students who have to balance classes with working a full-time job, caring for their family or other responsibilities,” Anita Narayan, managing editor of education at U.S. News, said in a press release. “The Best Online Programs rankings allow students to compare accredited programs and find those that best fit their education interests and career goals.”
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Florida’s Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University–Worldwide ranked as the No.1 online bachelor’s program. According to U.S. News, schools at the top of the list have lower indebtedness. The average debt for graduates in the top 10 online bachelor’s programs is about $19,000, U.S. News says.
The top online bachelor’s programs offered by North Carolina are:
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- University of North Carolina - Wilmington — No. 8
- University of North Carolina - Charlotte — No. 37
- North Carolina State University - Raleigh — No. 58
- Western Carolina University — No. 58
- Appalachian State University — No. 93
The top online bachelor’s programs overall are:
- Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University–Worldwide (No. 1)
- Arizona State University (No. 2)
- Ohio State University–Columbus (No. 3)
- Oregon State University (No. 3)
- Pennsylvania State University–World Campus (No. 5)
- University of Florida (No. 5)
- University of Illinois–Chicago (No. 5)
- Colorado State University–Global Campus (No. 8)
- University at Buffalo-SUNY (No. 8)
- University of North Carolina–Wilmington (No. 8)
- University of Oklahoma (No. 8)
For those who want to pursue a business degree, the online MBA program at Indiana University–Bloomington was ranked No.1, which was also tied with The University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill. Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh ranked No.3. The University of Florida ranked No.4 and the University of Southern California was ranked No.5.
The top online MBA programs offered by North Carolina colleges are:
- University of North Carolina - Chapel Hill — No. 1
- North Carolina State University — No. 17
- East Carolina University — No. 90
Online graduate programs in nursing, education and engineering were also ranked by U.S. News.
Below are the top online programs for each category:
NURSING
- Johns Hopkins University (No. 1)
- Ohio State University (No. 2)
- St. Xavier University (No. 3)
- Rush University (No. 4)
- University of Colorado (No. 4)
Top nursing programs offered by North Carolina colleges:
- Duke University — No. 6
- University of North Carolina - Greensboro — No. 13
- East Carolina University — No. 27
- Winston-Salem State University — No. 53
- University of North Carolina - Charlotte — No. 62
EDUCATION
- Clemson University (No. 1)
- University of Florida (No. 1)
- Utah State University (No. 3)
- Virginia Commonwealth University (No. 3)
- Michigan State University (No. 5)
- University of Georgia (No. 5)
- University of Iowa (No. 5)
Top education programs offered by North Carolina colleges:
- East Carolina University — No. 29
- North Carolina State University - Raleigh — No. 29 (tie)
- University of North Carolina - Charlotte — No. 29 (tie)
- University of North Carolina - Greensboro — No. 61
- Appalachian State University — No. 77
ENGINEERING
- Columbia University (No. 1)
- University of California–Los Angeles (No. 2)
- University of Southern California (No. 2)
- Pennsylvania State University–World Campus (No. 4)
- Purdue University (No. 5)
Top engineering programs offered by North Carolina colleges:
- North Carolina State University — No. 8
- University of North Carolina - Charlotte — No. 33
- Duke University — No. 48
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