As University of Tennessee strives to connect with online students, some rankings rise

University of Tennessee improved its ranking in some areas for its online program offerings in 2023, according to data from US News and World Report.
University of Tennessee improved its ranking in some areas for its online program offerings in 2023, according to data from US News and World Report.

As University of Tennessee at Knoxville administrators work to improve the school's online offerings to meet the demands of students who want remote options, some of its programs are climbing in national rankings.

The university's online master's degree in supply chain management program, for instance, is ranked at No. 4 in the business category by U.S. News and World Report.

UT is the only university in the state to be ranked among the top 100 in the category.

For the supply chain program catered specifically to veterans, which has been a focus in recent years, the master's degree in supply chain management is ranked No. 2 behind the University of Southern California.

"We pride ourselves in our ability to server our veterans," said Shay Scott, a Haslam College of Business professor.

While in-person education was a top priority of the business college over the years, that outlook is changing as students seek out classes that meet them where they are, Scott said.

It's an emphasis for the greater university as well, Provost John Zomchick told Knox News.

"We are investing in online programming and building out our capacity for more online programs, especially to extend support to our faculty," Zomchick said.

UT established its distance education program in the 1980s and now offers more than 70 fully online programs. The university is considering adding different types of programs, Zomchick said.

In fall of 2022, the university enrolled 1,828 students in its distance learning programs, according to data shared with Knox News by the university. Out of this, 162 were undergraduates.

The university is proud of its outreach to veterans, Zomchick said.

"We seek to serve our veterans in all areas," he added, through initiatives such as the Veterans Success Center.

Business rankings shine, others fall

The supply chain management program is the only one that was submitted for the business master's category, Scott told Knox News. The program was launched in 2019 and enrolls 197 students.

UT launched its online MBA program this semester. The program is ranked No. 4 overall, tied with Penn State.

"This was our debut, and quite a nice one," Scott said.

Last year, the university ranked 80th in the country for its online bachelor's programs, tied with six other universities. This year, it moved up to 74, tied with 10 others, according to the U.S. News and World Report data.

Not all programs moved up. UT's master's in engineering program went from 27th last year to 37th this year.

The university's overall ranking is 115.

How much do University of Tennessee online classes cost?

UT's per-credit cost for online education last year was $378 for in-state students and $453 for out-of-state students. This year, that number is up to $439 for in-state and $514 for out-of-state, which is an increase of about 16% for in-state and about 13% for out-of-state.

In comparison, the University of Florida, which has retained the top spot two years in a row, is priced about $130 per credit hour for Florida students and $552 for out-of-state students.

Areena Arora is a data and investigative reporter. You can reach her at areena.arora@knoxnews.com, and follow her on Twitter @AreenaArora. Support our newsroom's exclusive, in-depth local coverage by subscribing at knoxnews.com/subscribe

This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: University of Tennessee sees overall progress in online course ranking