The University of Texas at San Antonio has moved up in the Best Online Programs ranking by U.S. News and World Report. In the 2022 list, released today, UTSA earned the No. 138 (tie) spot out of 361 schools for best online bachelor’s degree programs—moving up from its 2021 spot at No. 246.
The Best Online Programs list includes programs designed to be conducted solely online. For this year’s ranking, U.S. News and World Report evaluated 1,733 programs in the United States and ranked 1,651 online bachelor’s and master’s degree programs.
“The momentum of UTSA Online’s growth and place in the rankings demonstrates our commitment to delivering high-quality educational programs to students,” said Suzana Diaz Rosencrans, assistant vice provost for UTSA Online, an office within UTSA’s division of Academic Innovation. “We premiered in U.S. News & World Report’s Online rankings in the top 75% in 2021 – our jump to the top 40% of the list for Online Bachelor’s Degree programs this year is a testament the dedication and expertise of UTSA’s faculty and staff.”
UTSA currently offers three fully online undergraduate degrees: cybersecurity, multidisciplinary studies and communication. Not to be confused with the high percentage of courses currently being offered online at UTSA in response to the pandemic, these online degree programs are designed to be 100% online.
UTSA’s online B.B.A. in Cybersecurity allows students to build a general knowledge of business alongside highly marketable cybersecurity skills.
In 2021, Intelligent.com also evaluated UTSA’s online cybersecurity degree program, ranking it No. 26 in the nation on its list of the Top 66 Online Cybersecurity Degree Programs and fourth overall in Texas. The online program also earned the “Best Academic Support” designation.
UTSA’s online multidisciplinary studies degree offers flexibility by allowing students to develop a degree plan tailored specifically to their academic and career goals. The program offers four focus areas: sociology, communication, business and health.
The online communication program debuted last year. This program allows students to develop and sharpen their communication skills while earning their undergraduate degree. It also lets them explore digital media, public relations, intercultural and organizational communications.
Students enrolled in UTSA’s online degree programs tend to be older on average than students taking traditional classes. This fall, 57% of these students are 28 or older. While nearly 50% of online students come from Bexar County, the others come from across the state of Texas, with 4% of students coming from out of state.
UTSA received the No. 73 (tie) spot out of 101 schools for best online bachelor’s degree programs for veterans. To qualify for this ranking, each school needed to be in the top half of the Best Online Programs ranks, be certified for the GI Bill and be either a public school that charges in-state tuition or be in the Yellow Ribbon Program, which helps veterans pay for higher out-of-state, private, foreign or graduate school tuitions and fees that the GI Bill does not cover. The schools also need to have a minimum of 25 veterans and active-duty members enrolled in a bachelor’s program.
UTSA has been a longtime leader in ensuring success for its student-veterans and other Roadrunners with military connections. Military Times included the university in its 2021 list of Best for Vets: Colleges.
This year’s U.S. News and World Report ranks were determined based on the following indicators: 35% engagement, 25% services and technologies, 20% faculty credentials and training and 20% expert opinion. Scores were based on data from statistical and peer reputation surveys that the programs reported to the publication.
