Lake Erie College recognized for online business programs

Chad Felton, The News-Herald, Willoughby, Ohio
·2 min read

Feb. 16—Lake Erie College officials announced this week that the school has been recognized as "one of the best schools for online learning at the master's level" by OnlineMastersDegrees.org.

The college's business programs earned top honors for overall quality, affordability, and commitment to student success, and is ranked No. 10 in the state.

Only 6 percent of regionally accredited postsecondary institutions earned a ranking position, the site noted.

Lake Erie was analyzed along with more than 7,700 universities by using data pulled from the schools themselves and the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System.

According to a news release, OMD's data science team applied a proprietary algorithm to rank all qualifying schools for each of the different master's degree specialties.

Primary data points include:

—Academic counseling services

—Career placement services

—Student/faculty ratio

—Tuition

—Percent of students receiving school-based aid

—Amount of school-based aid per student

"This year, we focused on the schools making it easier for students to compete in today's increasingly difficult job market," stated OMD Co-founder Kyle Darland in the release. "Each ranked school offers a fully or partially online master's program in business at a time when earning a master's has become a minimum barrier to entry for many.

"Providing students with opportunities (to get a master's online) is only part of our rankings," he continued. "Top-ranked schools also had competitive tuition rates and/or scholarships to help drive costs down — and with grocery, gas and other expenses on everyone's mind right now, an affordable master's is key."

According to a recent survey from CareerBuilder, 33 percent of employers are hiring workers with master's degrees for positions that had been primarily held by those with four-year degrees.

Employers cited an "evolution of the skills needed to perform the jobs as the cause of the shift, and an increase in work quality, productivity, and employee retention" as the result.

Jenni Kinnaird, dean of the college, dean of the school of business, said there was no singular architect to Lake Erie's success in securing the recognition.

"This was a complete team effort by our faculty, staff and students who all believe in the mission of our college," she added. "We are extremely proud and honored to have earned this award."

To be eligible for ranking, a university must hold active regional accreditation and have at least one partially online master's program in the ranking subject.

For more information, contact George M. Phillips, Lake Erie College's director of graduate business programs and outreach/adjunct professor of business at gphillips@lec.edu.