2023 Best Online Programs Ranking Includes IL Schools: U.S. News

ILLINOIS — Nearly 40 bachelor’s and master’s programs at accredited universities in Illinois are ranked among the 2023 Best Online Programs released Tuesday by U.S. News & World Report.

The rankings are designed for people who want to complete their bachelor’s and master’s degrees but need the flexibility to complete the coursework online. U.S. News is the only media organization that ranks online degrees at the program rather than the school level.

The University of Illinois-Chicago, the University of Illinois-Champaign-Urbana, Saint Xavier University, and Rush University, Chicago, all ranked in the Top 10 in various categories, according to the report.

U.S. News ranked programs in eight disciplines. Programs in Illinois that made the grade are:

Bachelor’s Degree

• The University of Illinois-Chicago, Ranked No. 2
• Loyola University, Chicago, Ranked No. 21
• Illinois State University, Ranked No. 25
• The University of Illinois-Springfield, Ranked No. 42
• Concordia University-Chicago, Ranked No 49
• DePaul University, Ranked No. 74
• The University of St. Francis, Joliet, Ranked No. 85
• Western Illinois University, Ranked No. 93
• Dominican University, Ranked No. 176
• Moody Bible Institute, Chicago, Ranked No. 176
• Illinois College, Ranked No. 186
• Governors State University, Ranked No. 223
• Judson University, Ranked No. 267
• Blessing-Rieman College of Nursing and Health Sciences, Ranked 272-359
• DeVry University, Ranked 272-359
• National Louis University, Ranked 272-359
• St. Francis Medical Center College of Nursing, Ranked 272-359

Master’s Programs

MBA

• Southern Illinois University, Ranked No. 58
• The University of St. Francis, Ranked No. 124
• North Central College, Naperville, Ranked No. 162
• Lewis University, Ranked No. 185
• Governor’s State University, Ranked No. 220
• Western Illinois University, Ranked No. 234
• McKendree University, Ranked No. 255
• Concordia University, Chicago, Ranked 261-344
• DeVry University, Ranked 261-344
• Eastern Illinois University, Ranked 261-344
• Greenville University, Ranked 261-344
• Judson University, Ranked 261-344
• Business, Non-MBA
• University of St. Francis, Joliet, Ranked No. 75
• The University of Illinois-Springfield, Ranked No. 87
• Loyola University, Chicago, Ranked No. 93
• Lewis University, Ranked No. 119
• Southern Illinois University, Ranked No 154
• Greenville University, Ranked No. 160-211
• Judson University, Ranked 160-211
• Computer Information Technology
• DePaul University, Ranked No. 66
• Lewis University, Ranked No, 72-93
• Saint Xavier University, Ranked No. 72-93
• Criminal Justice/Criminology
• Lewis University, Ranked No. 59
• Western Illinois University, Ranked No. 72-59

Education

• The University of Illinois, Champaign-Urbana, Ranked No. 3
• University of St. Francis, Joliet, Ranked No. 58
• Northern Illinois University, Ranked No. 82
• McKendree University, Ranked No. 89
• The University of Illinois-Springfield, Ranked No. 117
• Eastern Illinois University, Ranked No. 253-329
• Greenville University, Ranked No. 253-329

Engineering

• University of Illinois-Champaign-Urbana, Ranked No. 4
• Southern Illinois-University, Ranked No. 86-113
• The University of Illinois-Chicago, Ranked No. 86-113

Nursing

• Saint Xavier University, Chicago, Ranked No. 5
• Rush University, Chicago, Ranked No. 10
• Northern Illinois University, Ranked No. 58
• Lewis University, Ranked No. 79
• St. Francis Medical Center College of Nursing, Ranked No. 95
• McKendree University, Ranked No. 98

U.S. News evaluated some 1,832 programs — the highest in the history of the rankings — to arrive at the 2023 list. Of those, 1,730 were ranked.

Online learning increased in popularity at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, U.S. News noted, but many of the institutions whose programs are ranked were ahead of the curve and had offered online programs for years.

Most of those evaluated offer degree completion programs that give students who have completed some of the requirements the flexibility to complete their degrees, according to Eric Brooks, the lead data analyst at U.S. News.

“The methodology is developed with those students in mind, setting these rankings apart from those that are focused on recent high school graduates pursuing higher education for the first time,” Brooks said in a news release.

While the methodologies are different for each discipline, they all incorporate metrics specific to online learning.

The online bachelor’s level ranking does not use standardized tests, instead relying on other factors such as faculty credentials and training, services and technologies available to students, student engagement, and expert opinion on the academic quality of programs.

Master’s degree programs, in addition to these criteria, are also ranked based on student excellence. Blended learning programs — a combination of both face-to-face and distance instruction — are not included in the rankings.