U.S. News & World Report released the 2022 Best Online Programs rankings this week. The report evaluated more than 1,700 online bachelor’s and master’s degree programs, and ranked four University of Pittsburgh online programs as some of the best in the nation.

Two programs managed by Pitt Online, the online programs development unit located at the University Center for Teaching and Learning, earned high rankings this year. The Master’s in Nursing online programs offered by the School of Nursing ranked number one in the country according to the report, finishing in a three-way tie for Best Online Master’s Programs in Nursing. This marks the first time since beginning online programs in 2009 that the online master’s nursing programs have been ranked number one in the country. Additionally, the Master of Education programs from the School of Education joined seven other universities in a tie for 34th overall in the category of Best Online Master’s in Education Programs. This indicates a 24-spot improvement in the rankings over the 2021 report, when the programs ranked 58th overall.

Two online programs from the Katz Graduate School of Business also earned a spot in the rankings, with one specialty program receiving recognition for the first time. Katz’s online MBA program ranked 16th out of 328 schools in the category of Best Online MBA programs, an improvement from a ranking of 59th last year. Additionally, the online finance program ranked 15th in Best Online Finance MBA Programs—the first recognition of its kind for this specialty track by the U.S. News & World Report.

The Best Online Programs rankings only include programs that are designed to be administered online, so the report did not evaluate schools or programs that are temporarily virtual due to the coronavirus pandemic. U.S. News uses data gathered directly from each institution. The methodologies are based on factors such as student engagement, faculty credentials, and student services and technology. Only degree-granting programs that are offered primarily online by regionally accredited institutions were considered. To learn more, visit the U.S. News & World Report.

Congratulations to the faculty and staff at the Schools of Nursing, Education, Business, and the Teaching Center for this accomplishment!