CANYON — An independent analyst has ranked three of West Texas A&M University’s programs as the best in the country and a total of 25 WT programs in the Top 10 of the nation.
In all, 52 WT programs were ranked by Intelligent.com, a trusted resource for higher education planning. The site’s research ranks programs based on flexibility, faculty, course strength, cost and reputation.
Intelligent.com implemented a unique methodology that ranks each program on a scale from 0 to 100 across five categories. The scoring system compares each university according to program strength, student readiness, return on investment, cost and student engagement. Researchers compared 704 programs from 2,900 universities and colleges across the United States.
WT offers flexible distance learning that appeals to busy adults or hybrid models that include on-campus and online formats. Experts at Intelligent.com assessed programs that help students enhance and develop advanced skills for a variety of in-demand positions.
“The breadth of programs represented in Intelligent.com’s rankings shows how deeply WT is committed to excellence in all areas,” said Dr. Neil Terry, provost and executive vice president of academic affairs. “Such rankings demonstrate our commitment to providing high quality, economically feasible education to students across Texas and the world as the University strengthens its position as a regional research university, as laid out in the long-range plan WT 125: From the Panhandle to the World.”
That plan is fueled by the historic, $125 million One West comprehensive fundraising campaign. To date, the campaign has raised more than $85 million.
Among WT’s top rankings:
• No. 1 Best Online Master’s in Database Management Degree Programs
• No. 1 Best Online MBA in Information Systems Management Programs
• No. 1 in Most Affordable Online Master’s in Educational Leadership Programs and No. 3 in Best Online Master’s in Educational Leadership Programs
• No. 2 in Best Online MBA in Healthcare Management Programs and No. 5 in Best MBA in Healthcare Management Degree Programs
• No. 3 in Best Colleges in Texas
• No. 3 in Best Online Master’s in Finance Programs
• No. 3 in Most Affordable Online Master’s in Nursing Programs
• No. 4 in Best Bachelor’s in Health Science Degree Programs
• No. 4 in Best Master’s in Digital Marketing Degree Programs
• No. 5 in Best Bachelor’s Degrees and Programs
• No. 5 in Best Probation Officer Degree Programs
Other Top 10 rankings are in bachelor- and graduate-level degree programs in finance, economics, graphic design, emergency management, history, information technology, marketing and more. For all 52 ranked programs, see below.
Studies show that obtaining a degree increases income substantially, degree holders earning 84 percent more than those with only high school diplomas or those without a completed GED. The percentage difference in earnings continues to grow with higher learning degrees such as masters, doctoral or professional degrees, with the unemployment rate decreasing to as much as 1.1 percent for those with a doctorate.
These are only the most recent honors in a series of accolades. WT’s online MBA ranked No. 19 on The Princeton Review’s Top 50 list, its highest yet. The University’s undergraduate elementary teacher preparation program has been named among the top in the country, and its online bachelor of nursing program was recently named one of the 10 best in the country. The University was ranked among the Top 10 safest campuses in the country and the safest in Texas, and the University Police Department was, for a second time, named a Recognized Law Enforcement Agency from the Texas Police Chiefs Association Foundation.
In more than 1,200 online programs surveyed by U.S. News & World Report in 2020, WT has, among Texas schools, the No. 1 online bachelor’s program, online bachelor’s programs for veterans, online MBA programs for veterans, online specialized graduate business program for veterans and online graduate information technology program. WT also ranks No. 2 for online specialized graduate business program and No. 4 for online MBA program, also among Texas schools.
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