HATTIESBURG, Miss. (WDAM) – Online programs at The University of Southern Mississippi received state and national recognition from the U.S. News and World Report in its 2022 rankings.
USM ranks at the top for online bachelor’s degree programs in the State of Mississippi and lands at No. 68 nationally among nearly 400 online colleges and universities in the survey.
The 2022 national ranking is an improvement from No. 75 last year and a huge jump from No. 93 two years ago.
The university also ranks No. 1 in Mississippi in online bachelor’s degree programs for veterans and business degrees, and they rank No. 44 and No. 51 respectively in the national rankings.
“We are proud of the wonderful success achieved by our USM military and the overall success of the Center of Military Veterans, Service Members and Families,” said Maj. Gen. (U.S. Army, ret.) Jeff Hammond, who serves as the center’s director. “We work hard to lead the way in caring for our students and look forward each day in helping veterans and their families succeed.”
Eric Brooks, the Principal Data Analyst for the U.S. News, stated that the company chooses factors that determine how programs are being given and their success at awarding affordable degrees in a reasonable amount of time.
Graded factors excluded elements like high school grades and standardized test scores, and instead focused on what the programs offer their current students, including engagement, services and technologies, faculty credential and training and expert opinion.
By evaluating factors that call for interactivity, flexibility and support, the U.S. News rankings give students and veterans an idea of what to expect out of online programs such as USM’s bachelor’s degrees.
“We are thrilled to represent both our university and our state on this list,” says Dr. Tom Hutchinson, Dean of Online Learning and Enrollment at USM. “With these rankings, we can assure our students that they are receiving an education that holds up with the other top programs in the country.”
To see the full 2022 report, click here.
Future students looking to work toward a bachelor’s degree can visit USM’s online programs page to get more information and get started.
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