U.S. News Best Online College Programs Offered In Washington

PULLMAN, WA - Several online programs offered by Washington State universities and colleges are featured in U.S. News' 2019 rankings of the best such programs.

The rankings, released on Tuesday, evaluate both bachelor’s programs and graduate programs in nursing, education, business and engineering. Over 1,500 online programs are featured in the rankings. Online graduate programs in criminal justice, business (non-MBA) and computer information technology are also ranked.

“Online programs can offer a flexible learning environment for students who have to balance classes with working a full-time job, caring for their family or other responsibilities,” Anita Narayan, managing editor of education at U.S. News, said in a press release. “The Best Online Programs rankings allow students to compare accredited programs and find those that best fit their education interests and career goals.”

Florida’s Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University–Worldwide ranked as the No.1 online bachelor’s program.

According to U.S. News, schools at the top of the list have lower indebtedness. The average debt for graduates in the top 10 online bachelor’s programs is about $19,000, U.S. News says.

The top online bachelor’s programs offered in Washington can be found at the following schools:

• Washington State University at Pullman (tied for 20th);
• City University of Seattle (tied for 33rd);
• Central Washington University at Ellensburg (tied for 102nd); and
• Northwest University at Kirkland (tied for 159th).

The top online bachelor’s programs overall are:

• Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University–Worldwide (1)
• Arizona State University (2)
• Ohio State University–Columbus (3)
• Oregon State University (3)
• Pennsylvania State University–World Campus (5)
• University of Florida (5)
• University of Illinois–Chicago (5)
• Colorado State University–Global Campus (8)
• University at Buffalo-SUNY (8)
• University of North Carolina–Wilmington (8)
• University of Oklahoma (8)

For those who want to pursue a business degree, the online MBA program at Indiana University–Bloomington was ranked No.1. It was tied with the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill.

Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh ranked No.3. The University of Florida ranked No.4, and the University of Southern California was ranked No.5.

The top online MBA programs offered by Washington colleges are:

• Washington State University at Pullman (tied for 13th);
• University of Washington (Foster) at Seattle (tied for 126th);
• City University of Seattle (tied for 193rd); and
• Northwest University at Kirkland (tied for 202nd).

Online graduate programs in nursing, education and engineering were also ranked by U.S. News.

Below are the top online programs for each category:

• Johns Hopkins University (1)
• Ohio State University (2)
• St. Xavier University (3)
• Rush University (4)
• University of Colorado (4)

Top nursing programs offered by Washington colleges:

• Gonzaga University at Spokane (tied for 93rd).

• Clemson University (1)
• University of Florida (1)
• Utah State University (3)
• Virginia Commonwealth University (3)
• Michigan State University (5)
• University of Georgia (5)
• University of Iowa (5)

Top education programs offered by Washington colleges:

• Whitworth University at Spokane (tied for 69th).

• Columbia University (1)
• University of California–Los Angeles (2)
• University of Southern California (2)
• Pennsylvania State University–World Campus (4)
• Purdue University (5)

Top engineering programs offered by Washington colleges:

• Washington State University at Pullman (tied for 30th); and
• Gonzaga University at Spokane (ranked 72nd through 94th).

You can view the complete rankings via U.S. News here as well as the methodologies used to compile the rankings for each category.

(Sign up for our free daily newsletters and Breaking News Alerts for the Washington Patch)

AP Photo/Joe Barrentine