These Colleges In California Offer 2022’s Best Online Degrees

CALIFORNIA — Nearly two years into the coronavirus pandemic, current and prospective college students in California are still turning to online schools and programs to get their degrees in the safety of their homes.

To help students decide on their post-secondary education plans, U.S. News & World Report on Tuesday released its annual list recognizing select schools and degree programs in California that were specifically designed to be earned online.

A total of 34 colleges and universities from California earned a spot on the 2022 list of Best Online Programs, released Tuesday by U.S. News.

Overall, the rankings evaluated more than 1,700 online bachelor's and master's degree programs.

"The uncertainty caused by the pandemic may result in more people considering the merits of an online education," Liana Loewus, managing editor of education at U.S. News, said in a news release. “As students consider what's right for them and their schedules, they can use the data provided by U.S. News to research their options and make informed decisions about their academic future."

This year’s rankings did not take into account schools or programs that have temporarily moved online due to the pandemic, according to a release by U.S. News. The list also doesn’t include blended learning programs that combine courses in brick-and-mortar classrooms with online education.

To determine which schools and programs made this year’s list, U.S. News looked at overall academic quality across a variety of disciplines. In addition to online bachelor's degrees, U.S. News ranked master's programs in business, education, nursing, engineering, computer information technology and criminal justice. Online MBA programs were split from other business degrees and ranked separately.

The methodologies to determine the best programs varied according to specialty. Learn more about the methodologies used at USNews.com.

Here’s a look at how other schools in California fared on this year’s list:

University of Southern California, Los Angeles

• Ranked No. 1 in Master's In Business Programs

University of California, Irvine, Irvine

• Ranked No. 1 in Graduate Criminal Justice

• Ranked No. 1 in Master's Engineering Programs