14 PA Colleges Among Nation’s Best Online Programs

PENNSYLVANIA — Nearly two years into the coronavirus pandemic, current and prospective college students in Pennsylvania are still turning to online schools and programs to get their degrees in the safety of their homes.

To help students decide on their post-secondary education plans, U.S. News & World Report on Tuesday released its annual list recognizing select schools and degree programs in Pennsylvania that were specifically designed to be earned online.

A total of 14 colleges and universities offering online bachelor's degrees from Pennsylvania earned a spot on the 2022 list of Best Online Programs, released Tuesday by U.S. News.

Overall, the rankings evaluated more than 1,700 online bachelor's and master's degree programs.

"The uncertainty caused by the pandemic may result in more people considering the merits of an online education," Liana Loewus, managing editor of education at U.S. News, said in a news release. “As students consider what's right for them and their schedules, they can use the data provided by U.S. News to research their options and make informed decisions about their academic future."

This year’s rankings did not take into account schools or programs that have temporarily moved online due to the pandemic, according to a release by U.S. News. The list also doesn’t include blended learning programs that combine courses in brick-and-mortar classrooms with online education.

To determine which schools and programs made this year’s list, U.S. News looked at overall academic quality across a variety of disciplines. In addition to online bachelor's degrees, U.S. News ranked master's programs in business, education, nursing, engineering, computer information technology and criminal justice. Online MBA programs were split from other business degrees and ranked separately.

The methodologies to determine the best programs varied according to specialty. Learn more about the methodologies used at USNews.com.

Here’s a look at how schools in Pennsylvania offering online bachelor's degrees fared on this year’s list:

16. Pennsylvania State University--World Campus
47. Clarion University of Pennsylvania
55. Duquesne University
74. Neumann University
80. Drexel University
111. Saint Joseph's University
160. Millersville University of Pennsylvania
169. Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania
183. Peirce College
190. Geneva College
190. Temple University
211. California University of Pennsylvania
220. La Salle University
239. Chatham University
239. St. Francis University

Florida-based Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University remained at No. 1 this year among Best Online Bachelor's Programs. There was a three-way tie between Indiana University-Bloomington, University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill and the University of Southern California for the top MBA program.

Meanwhile, Columbia University had the top-ranked computer information technology and engineering master’s programs. Tied at No. 1 for Best Online Master's in Nursing programs were Ohio State University,
the University of Pittsburgh and the University of South Carolina.

Finally, the No. 1 master’s program in education is at Clemson University in South Carolina.

See the full 2022 list of Best Online Programs here.