USM Earns Impressive National Ranking for Online Programs

Tue, 11/22/2022 - 09:11am | By: Van Arnold

The University of Southern Mississippi (USM) has been recognized as one of the nation’s top online colleges in rankings recently released by Newsweek magazine. USM earned a No. 34 ranking out of 200 universities listed. No other Mississippi university is ranked in the top 60.

For the second year, Newsweek and global data firm Statista worked together to find “America's Top Online Colleges 2023” and “America's Top Online Learning Providers 2023.” The lists are based on a survey of about 9,000 online learners and in-depth research about the institutions.

“This shows that students from across the country are interested in obtaining a high-quality degree, and they have found it at Southern Miss,” said Amanda Cascio, Director of Marketing and Enrollment in USM’s Office of Online Learning. “This recognition highlights our competitive online degrees among other institutions and is a positive reflection of our accomplished faculty members and program coordinators.”

USM currently has 3,248 fully online students enrolled for the fall 2022 semester. Cascio notes that by offering mostly asynchronous degree options, students can complete their degree on their own time while balancing full-time jobs or other responsibilities.

“Our faculty members offer courses that reflect the trends in their industries, so students are prepared for jobs after graduation,” said Cascio. “We offer multiple admission points throughout the year, competitive tuition prices, and quick completion times.”

The America's Top Online Colleges 2023 list highlights the nation’s top colleges and universities based on an online survey with over 11,400 assessments from more than 9,000 respondents that participated in online college degree programs and/or general online learning courses in the United States.

Respondents shared their experiences by rating the institutions regarding several criteria: organization and accessibility, support and service, cost of program, perceived organizational reputation, expected success, and practical relevance of contents. Additionally, the evaluation criteria included institutional indicators, overall satisfaction with the organization, and to what extent they would recommend it to others.

To learn more about online programs at USM, call the Office of Online Learning at 601.266.5518 or visit: https://www.usm.edu/online-learning/index.php