Colorado Home To Several Best Online Degrees: U.S. News

After months of campus closures and restrictions, the coronavirus pandemic has given new importance to online education and the flexibility it offers current and prospective college students.

While some colleges have temporarily moved online as an alternative to in-person learning amid the pandemic, a new ranking by U.S. News & World Report gives a nod to select schools and degree programs in Colorado that were specifically designed to be earned online.

A total of 15 colleges and universities in Colorado earned a spot on the 2021 list of best online programs, released Tuesday by U.S. News.

Intended for those looking to complete or further their education, the rankings evaluate more than 1,600 online bachelor's and master's degree programs.

Don’t miss the latest news updates in Colorado. Sign up for free Patch news alerts and newsletters for what you need to know daily.

The rankings did not take into account schools or programs that have temporarily moved online due to the pandemic, according to a release by U.S. News. The list also doesn’t include blended learning programs that combine courses in brick-and-mortar classrooms with online
education.

To determine which schools and programs made this year’s list, U.S. News looked at overall academic quality across a variety of disciplines. In addition to online bachelor's degrees, U.S. News ranked master's programs in business, education, nursing, engineering, computer information technology and criminal justice. Online MBA programs were split from other business degrees and ranked separately.

New this year, U.S. News added rankings of online bachelor's programs in business and psychology.

The methodologies to determine the best programs varied according to specialty. Learn more about the methodologies used at USNews.com.

Here’s a look at how other schools in Colorado fared on this year’s list:

Colorado State University

• Ranked No. 31 in Best Online Bachelor's Programs
• Ranked No. 31 in Best Online Master's Information Technology Programs
• Ranked No. 34 in Best Online Master's Business Programs (non MBA)
• Ranked No. 40 in Best Online Master's Engineering Programs
• Ranked No. 51 in Best Online MBA Programs
• Ranked No. 108 in Best Online Master's Education Programs

Colorado State University - Global Campus

• Ranked No. 10 in Best Online Bachelor's Programs
• Ranked No. 18 in Best Online Master's Criminal Justice Programs
• Ranked No. 39 in Best Online Master's Information Technology Programs
• Ranked No. 58 in Best Online Master's Business Programs (non MBA)
• Ranked No. 76 in Best Online Master's Education Programs
• Ranked No. 79 in Best Online MBA Programs

University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus

• Ranked No. 17 in Best Online Master's in Nursing Programs

University of Colorado - Boulder

• Ranked No. 100 in Best Online Master's Business Programs (non MBA)
• Ranked between No. 74 and No. 97 (in a tie with other colleges) in Best Online Master's Engineering Programs

University of Colorado - Colorado Springs

• Ranked No. 15 in Best Online Master's Criminal Justice Programs
• Ranked No. 32 in Best Online Master's in Nursing Programs
• Ranked No. 46 in Best Online Master's Education Programs
• Ranked No. 67 in Best Online Bachelor's Programs
• Ranked No. 69 in Best Online Master's Engineering Programs
• Ranked No. 88 in Best Online MBA Programs

University of Colorado - Denver

• Ranked No. 24 in Best Online Master's Criminal Justice Programs
• Ranked No. 98 in Best Online Master's Education Programs

University of Denver

• Ranked No. 39 (tied with CSU) in Best Online Master's Information Technology Programs
• Ranked No. 59 in Best Online MBA Programs
• Ranked No. 67 in Best Online Bachelor's Programs (ties with CU CO Springs)

University of Northern Colorado

• Ranked No. 83 in Best Online Master's Education Programs
• Ranked No. 86 in Best Online Bachelor's Programs

Colorado Technical University

• Ranked No. 51 in Best Online Master's Information Technology Programs
• Ranked between No. 59 and No. 74 (in a tie with other colleges) in Best Online Master's Criminal Justice Programs
• Ranked between No. 74 and No. 97 (in a tie with other colleges) in Best Online Master's Engineering Programs
• Ranked No. 113 in Best Online Master's Business Programs (non MBA)
• Ranked No. 127 in Best Online Master's in Nursing Programs

Colorado Mesa University

• Ranked No. 125 in Best Online Master's in Nursing Programs

Regis University

• Ranked between No. 59 and No. 74 (in a tie with other colleges) in Best Online Master's Information Technology Programs

Florida-based Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University moved back up to No. 1 this year among Best Online Bachelor's Programs. For MBAs, Carnegie Mellon University tied with the University of North Carolina–Chapel Hill for the top spot.

Meanwhile, Columbia University had the top-ranked computer information technology master’s program. Tied for No. 1 among Best Online Master's in Nursing programs were Rush University and the University of South Carolina.

Finally, the No. 1 master’s programs in education and engineering are at the University of Florida and Columbia University, respectively.

See the full 2021 list of Best Online Programs here.