Central Michigan University’s online bachelor’s programs are No. 1 in the nation, according to a report released Wednesday by U.S. News & World Report. The Mount Pleasant-based school also placed No. 3 and No. 17, respectively, for its graduate education programs for teachers and administrators and online graduate business programs.
“Much credit can be given to the CMU faculty for our ongoing success,” says Provost Michael Gealt in response to the school’s inclusion in this year’s “Best Online Programs” rankings by the magazine. “Students continually tell us that the accessibility of faculty is tremendous and that requests for information or help are responded to within 24 hours in virtually every case.”
In regards to the university’s online bachelor’s degree programs — offered since 2001 — the report notes that there are 95 full-time and 153 part-time instructional faculty that teach online courses. The school received a perfect 100 for its student engagement score, which measures student satisfaction and instructor responsiveness.
More than 10,000 students are enrolled in CMU’s online classes each year, some as full-time online students and others supplementing their traditional classes at the university’s main campus.
The school’s commitment to online learning is a major success, says Ray Christie, interim vice president of CMU’s Global Campus. “We are committed to making access to quality higher education available to all students — adult, military, civilian, and traditional college students.”
The report — which evaluated online programs based on student engagement, faculty credentials and training, and student services, technology, and peer review — also highlighted other Michigan universities within its top 25 rankings:
- Ferris State University in Big Rapids (No. 24 for nursing)
- Lawrence Technological University in Southfield (No. 17 for engineering)
- Michigan State University (No. 18 for graduate education)
- University of Michigan – Ann Arbor (No. 7 for engineering)
- University of Michigan – Flint (No. 24 for nursing)
- Wayne State University (No. 21 for bachelor’s)
Some of the rankings listed above were shared by multiple universities. To read the full report, click here.
