Friends University has earned high rankings for its online bachelor’s and master’s programs from U.S. News & World Report. The 2018 rankings were published today on the U.S. News & World Report website, with Friends University’s rankings appearing here.
Friends’ online Master of Education program was ranked nationally at #76 on the 2018 Best Online Graduate Education Program list. Friends is the highest-ranked private college in Kansas on the list and the fifth-ranked program among 10 Kansas colleges on the list.
The university’s online bachelor’s programs were also ranked as part of the 2018 Best Online Bachelor’s Programs. Friends was ranked in fourth place in the state of Kansas out of 10 Kansas institutions appearing on the list.
A third category where the university ranks highly is in Best Online Graduate Business Programs (Excluding MBA). Friends online graduate business programs ranked second in Kansas, and Friends is the highest-ranking Kansas private institution on the list. Friends programs ranked in this category include the Master of Health Care Leadership (MHCL) and the Master of Management Information Systems (MMIS) degrees.
“Friends University has earned repeated recognitions for our master’s degree programs and is gaining wider recognition for our online bachelor’s programs,” said Dr. Amy Bragg Carey, president of Friends University. “Among our hallmarks are faculty who are truly committed to our students, teaching and scholarship.”
The Master of Education degree began at Friends University in 1987 as an on-campus program and a completely online option was added in 2010. There are two tracks to choose from – Teaching & Learning and Special Education High Incidence (P-12) – and both tracks focus on practical application of effective classroom learning-teaching skills, student advocacy, meeting the learning and assessment needs of all students, and education leadership in an increasingly complex global society.
Online bachelor’s programs at Friends include business management, computer information systems, human resource management, psychology, elementary education and cyber security.
The MHCL program prepares students for executive positions requiring professional leadership in the health care environment and is one of only three university graduate programs recognized in Kansas by the American College of Healthcare Executives (ACHE) Higher Education Network (HEN). The MMIS program was implemented in 1990 and continues to be one of the university’s most popular graduate programs. Students focus on the strategic role information and information security systems have in a business organization.
“Our faculty continuously adapt our online programs to better serve our students,” said Dr. David Hofmeister, dean of the College of Adult and Professional Studies and the Graduate School. “We strive to provide innovative and resourceful learning opportunities online, and 60 percent of our adult and graduate students are enrolled in online classes and programs.”
U.S. News and World Report ranks online higher education programs according to data from each school on student engagement, faculty credentials and training, student services and technology, peer reputation, and admissions selectivity.
Friends University, a Christian university of Quaker heritage, equips students to honor God and serve others by integrating their intellectual, spiritual and professional lives.