Rawls College graduate programs jump 46 and 31 spots in two categories in U.S. News & World Report’s 2021 Best Online Programs rankings.
U.S. News & World Report released its 2021 Best Online Programs rankings on January 26. Overall, Texas Tech University had six online program areas recognized, including two online graduate degree program areas within the Jerry S. Rawls College of Business. Both of the Rawls College rankings saw significant jumps from the previous year.
Rawls College is now ranked No. 17 in the non-MBA category, up 46 spots from 2020. Included in this category are the Master of Science in Marketing Research & Analytics program and the Master of Science in Data Science program.
"This improvement is a validation of the hard work of our faculty and staff members in creating and delivering high-quality courses in our MS degrees," said Mayukh Dass, associate dean of graduate programs and research and James L. Johnson chair in business administration. "When we design, launch and modify programs, we look at the industry demands and learn from top-ranked programs. These rankings show that we are moving in the right direction."
The Rawls College online MBA program, which was officially launched in spring 2019, is now ranked No. 100, moving up 31 spots from its ranking in 2020.
"Rawls College is a relatively new entrant to the online graduate program arena," said Margaret Williams, dean of Rawls College. "I am especially pleased that the work of the faculty and staff who got these programs off the ground is being recognized."
Williams noted that Rawls College has focused on graduate program growth and has seen a 54% increase in enrollment over the past three years.
"Growing with quality has always been our goal," said Williams. "Jumping 31 spots [in the MBA category] and 46 spots [in the non-MBA category] are strong signals that our programs are gaining recognition."
U.S. News & World Report evaluates online programs separately from the institution as a whole. This helps provide a clearer picture of the services and programs available to distance learners. Data is gathered by statistical survey and analyzed based on several categories, including: student excellence, services and technologies, expert opinion, student engagement, admissions selectivity and faculty credentials and training.
Rawls College continues to be competitive nationally with other universities that offer online business graduate degrees. In fact, Rawls College is the highest-ranked Big 12 university in U.S. News & World Report's non-MBA category.
"Competitive national rankings of our programs show that we are offering high-quality online graduate programs in the state of Texas," said Dass. "Our investments in a dedicated e-learning production team, faculty members who can create and deliver high-quality online classes and a team of staff members who go above and beyond to offer a high level of service to our students are now paying the dividend."
Williams sees these improved rankings as a clear indicator of the value that Rawls College offers to students looking for online graduate business programs.
"We have something unique to contribute in this crowded field, and knowing that students and employers recognize the value of these programs is gratifying."