These Colleges In Virginia Offer 2022’s Best Online Degrees

VIRGINIA —Nearly two years into the coronavirus pandemic, current and prospective college students in Virginia 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 released its annual list recognizing select schools and degree programs in Virginia that were specifically designed to be earned online.

A total of 20 colleges and universities from Virginia earned a spot on the 2022 list of Best Online Programs, released last month by U.S. News.

At No. 68, Regent University in Virginia Beach, a Christian university founded by televangelist Pat Robertson in 1977, was the highest ranked university in the state among Best Online Bachelor's Programs.

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 are the top-ranked schools in Virginia in various categories on this year’s list:

Regent University, Virginia Beach

• Ranked 68th in Best Online Bachelor's Programs

Old Dominion University, Norfolk

• Ranked 40th in Best Online Bachelor's Programs for Business

Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond

• Ranked 56th in Best Online MBA Programs

University of Virginia, Charlottesville

• Ranked 8th in Best Online Master's in Education Programs

Virginia Tech, Blacksburg

• Ranked 20th in Best Online Master's in Engineering Programs

Virginia Tech, Falls Church campus

• Ranked 3rd in Best Online Master's in Information Technology Programs

Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond

• Ranked 20th in Best Online Master's in Nursing Programs

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.