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Majors & Degrees

Dakota State University recognized for online programs

May 10, 2017

Dakota State University recently received notable recognition for five of its online programs. Eighteen of DSU’s undergraduate programs and all graduate programs are offered online.

AffordableCollegesOnline.org (ACO) recognized DSU as #5 for best online Ph.D. in computer science, and #12 for best online computer science degrees. DSU’s master’s programs also received rankings, #28 out of 45 for best online master's in computer science and #46 out of 50 for best online master's in healthcare administration.

In other rankings, AffordableColleges.com ranked DSU’s online bachelor’s degree in special education #5, based on flexible online learning and its accredited status. Their ranking formula includes weighing program, financial and student success metrics.

"We wanted to honor the colleges and universities setting the bar for online learning," said Dan Schuessler, CEO and Founder of AffordableCollegesOnline.org. "These schools are going above and beyond the industry standard to help make online education programs an excellent option and more affordable.”

ACO’s ranking scale uses a peer-based value metric, or PBV, which compares the cost of a program to the cost of other programs with the same or a similar qualitative score. It also compares the qualitative score of the program to the score of other programs with the same or a similar cost. Only public, not-for-profit institutions were eligible for the ranking.

The primary data points ACO used to identify the Best Online Colleges of 2017 include the following:

  • Regional accreditation,
  • In-state tuition and fees,
  • Percent of full-time undergraduate students receiving institutional financial aid,
  • Number of online programs offered,
  • Student-to-teacher ratio.