WT programs earn high marks from U.S. News & World Report

From Staff Reports
·5 min read
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A buffalo fountain on the campus of West Texas A&M University is seen in this file photo.

West Texas A&M University (WT) programs earned high rankings this week in the annual lists of secondary education issued by U.S. News & World Report.

WT's online undergraduate program landed at No. 2 in Texas and is tied for No. 30 in the country, according to newly released 2023 rankings from the publication. Several undergraduate and graduate programs also rank highly state- and nationwide, according to a news release, with 11 total programs earning the magazine’s coveted Best Program status: online bachelor’s programs, online bachelor’s programs for veterans, online undergraduate business programs, online MBA, online MBA for veterans, and graduate programs in computer information technology, criminal justice, education, engineering, business (non-MBA) and nursing.

U.S. News & World Report assessed more than 1,800 online degree programs around the country based on a variety of objective factors, such as student engagement, faculty credentials, and services and technologies. The rankings are a key resource for students seeking information about online programs for degree completion and career advancement, the release notes.

“West Texas A&M University is one of the only universities in the nation to be recognized as a quality leader in all eight categories U.S. News & World Report evaluates in the annual rankings,” said Dr. Neil Terry, provost and executive vice president for academic affairs. “The University has offered online courses for 25 years and is in an excellent position to continue as a national leader in online instruction for the next 25 years, as the Geneva Schaeffer Education Building will be a hub for innovation and support of distance learning.”

WT’s online undergraduate program ranks behind only Texas A&M University in the state and is tied with the likes of University of Massachusetts–Lowell and University of Missouri across the nation. WT’s online bachelor’s program for veterans also ranked No. 1 in Texas and tied for No. 16 in the country.

The One West campaign will have a major impact on WT’s continued growth in the online-education field with the renovation of the Geneva Schaeffer Education Building, following a $45 million legislative allotment and a $2.5 million gift from the Stanley Schaeffer family. The building is currently being transformed into the home of cutting-edge advancements in WT’s distance learning program and also will house the WT Graduate School and new spaces for research.

In addition, WT earned eight Best Graduate Program accolades by the magazine.

“WT graduate programming continues to receive these national types of recognitions, demonstrating the worth of the degree in reputation, quality, affordability and flexibility,” said Dr. Angela Spaulding, vice president for research and compliance and dean of the Graduate School.

WT’s Graduate School scored highly compared to other universities in Texas:

  • No. 1 in Texas in computer information technology (tied for No. 16 overall)

  • No. 2 in Texas in engineering

  • No. 3 (tied) in Texas in MBA and No. 3 (tied) in Texas in MBA programs for veterans

  • No. 4 in Texas in graduate business degrees in specialized disciplines—master of finance and economics and master of professional accounting (tied for No. 38 overall)

  • No. 6 in Texas in criminal justice (tied for No. 30 overall)

  • No. 7 in Texas in nursing

  • No. 8 in Texas in education

The included programs in the Paul and Virginia Engler College of Business have been recognized as part of the Best Program rankings for 11 consecutive years.

“Our undergraduate online offerings and graduate programs in business, computing, and nursing have been part of U.S. News & World Report and other external rankings for several years,” Terry said. “Education, engineering, and public administration/criminal justice programs have emerged as the best online programs in their disciplines in recent years.”

Since 1997, WT has been a pioneer in online learning. The Best Online Programs include rankings of bachelor’s programs as well as the following master’s-level disciplines: MBA, business (non-MBA), computer information technology (including computer science), criminal justice/criminology, education, engineering, and nursing.

“Most of the undergraduate programs in the Best Online Programs rankings are degree completion programs, meaning the vast majority of their students already have some college credit,” said Liana Loewus, managing editor of education at U.S. News. “The methodologies are 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.”

Prospective students can see how WT compares to other institutions and how the rankings are calculated on USNews.com.

U.S. News: WT Bachelor’s, MBA Programs for Veterans Tops in State

West Texas A&M University offers the No. 1 online bachelor’s programs for veterans and the No. 3 online MBA program for veterans in Texas, according to recently released rankings from U.S. News & World Report. The veteran-specific rankings were released along with university-wide rankings Jan. 24 as the magazine announced its 2023 standings. In those rankings, WT earned 11 total Best Program accolades.

WT Military and Veteran Services offers a number of educational benefits programs for service members and their dependents, including scholarships, tuition assistance for active-duty military and extensive resources. WT also offers fee waivers for active-duty undergraduate students and veteran students at the Virgil Henson Activities Center, among other benefits.

WT’s online undergraduate program for veterans also is tied for No. 16 in the country. The online MBA program for veterans is tied for No. 42 in the country, rising from No. 48 in 2022.

“These prestigious rankings demonstrate how seriously WT is committed to providing quality, affordable education to our veteran population,” said James Thompson, WT’s military and veterans community coordinator. “The University prides itself on celebrating the work, dedication and sacrifices made by military veterans, and we strive to honor their service by helping them succeed in fulfilling their educational dreams.”

This article originally appeared on Amarillo Globe-News: WT programs earn high marks from U.S. News & World Report