Published January 08, 2014
The University of Louisiana at Monroe continues to earn national recognition for many
of its programs in both affordability and academic excellence. Four ULM online programs
received affordability rankings from AffordableCollegesOnline.org (ACO).
ACO seeks to help students and parents identify the best programs and universities
that fit each individual academic and financial need.
ULM’s criminal justice, education, psychology, and MBA online programs were all recognized
in the 2015 most affordable rankings.
ULM’s online MBA has received numerous national rankings since its inception in 2010.
Most recently, the program was awarded a number 57 ranking from U.S. News and World
Report for Best Online MBA.
ULM’s online MBA came in at number 22 in the nation on ACO’s list for affordability,
with 68 total programs ranked. In 2013, the MBA made ACO’s list at number 27.
Within the methodology—the criteria used to assess each ranking—ACO reviewed factors
including accreditation; non-profit status; student-faculty ratio; faculty credentials;
degrees conferred; and peer review.
ULM’s online psychology program has also received various national recognitions recently,
including a national top-20 “Best Buy” ranking from OnlineU.org in 2014. In ACO’s
2015 most affordable ranking, the online psychology degree ranked at number 28 in
the nation. For this ranking, the methodology factors included: tuition rate; six-year
graduation rate; financial aid availability; academic and career counseling services;
job placement; loan default rate; peer review; and many others.
The methodology for ACO’s criminal justice program rankings followed that of the psychology
ranking. ULM’s online criminal justice program was ranked number 35 in the nation
for affordability. The program offers an array of unique courses, and both online
bachelor’s and master’s degrees.
Dr. Ron Berry, dean of the College of Business and Social Sciences, which is home
to the psychology, criminal justice, and MBA programs, said “During a time when rising
college tuition has impacted many individual’s access to earn a college degree, which
leads to a better life, it is encouraging to see that our programs in psychology,
criminal justice and business remain an affordable option in the online educational
market. Our faculty’s continued efforts to maintain a high level of quality, coupled
with our affordability, make ULM a great education value. I offer my congratulations
and sincere thanks to our faculty for their efforts and commitment to providing high
quality and affordable academic programs.”
Like the online MBA, ULM’s education programs have received numerous national awards,
including a recent national top-10 “Best Value” ranking from OnlineU.org in 2014.
The online teaching degree came in at number 32 on ACO’s list, with the methodology
assessing accreditation; student-faculty ratio; peer review; and six-year graduation
rate.
“We are excited of yet another recognition made towards the School of Education in
the College of Arts, Education, and Sciences. Our outstanding faculty continue to
work diligently to provide quality programs and training for students to succeed in
this competitive market,” said Dr. Sandra Lemoine, dean of the College of Arts, Education,
and Sciences.
ACO uses respected data sources to review its rankings. These sources include: the
National Center for Education Statistics—the primary federal entity for collecting
and analyzing data related to education; the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data
System—the primary federal source for data on colleges, universities, and technical
and vocational post-secondary schools in the U.S.; PayScale.com—a leading provider
of career-related data on a national, state, local, and individual basis; and the
Carnegie Classification—a framework widely used in the study of higher education,
both as a way to represent and control for institutional differences, and also in
the design of research studies to ensure adequate representation of sampled institutions,
students, or faculty.
To view complete rankings, visit affordablecollegesonline.org
