KENNESAW, Ga. | Jan 10, 2017

Business programs named in top 25, engineering programs enter ranking for first time

U.S. News & World Report has named Kennesaw State University’s online learning programs among its “Best Online Programs” for 2017.

Among the eight categories evaluated by U.S. News & World Report, Kennesaw State ranked in the top 100 for four of its graduate degree programs in business, engineering, computer information technology and nursing.

The Master of Business Administration in the Michael J. Coles College of Business ranked No. 21, earning it the top spot for online MBA programs among Georgia colleges and universities. The program was among 179 business programs ranked in this year’s list.

Engineering graduate degree programs in Kennesaw State’s Southern Polytechnic College of Engineering and Engineering Technology ranked in the U.S. News’ prestigious list for the first time in 2017. Ranked at No. 56, Kennesaw State was the only Georgia institution named to the graduate online engineering programs ranking.

“Our rise in the U.S. News & World Report online rankings is a significant coup for Kennesaw State and our distance learning program,” said Sam Olens, president of Kennesaw State. “While rankings are only one measure of the University’s performance, it does signal the strength that Kennesaw State has in providing an innovative online learning environment and how the University continually delivers students with exceptional approaches to learning.”

The Master of Science in Information Technology (MSIT) program in the College of Computing and Software Engineering ranked 38th in the nation, falling slightly from last year’s No. 28 ranking. With 38 universities included, it still ranks among the top three programs in Georgia.

The graduate nursing degree programs in the WellStar College of Health and Human Services broke into the top 100 ranking this year at No. 97. It is one of four Georgia universities named to the ranking. In addition, Kennesaw State’s online bachelor’s degree programs ranked at No. 186.

“These online rankings affirm our dedication in providing top-quality academic programs in an online learning environment, and validates our commitment to provide talented students with rigorous degree options that allow them to maintain a healthy balance between their workplace, families and academic pursuits,” said Elke Leeds, associate vice president for Technology Enhanced Learning at KSU.  

Now in its sixth year, the U.S. New & World Report ranking only assessed degree-granting programs offering 100-percent online classes. The 2017 rankings evaluated more than 1,300 online degree programs at colleges and universities throughout the nation.

At Kennesaw State, more than 7,000 students take online courses each year, with students earning their bachelor’s, master’s, specialist and doctoral degrees without ever coming to campus. KSU offers 20 fully online master’s degree programs, 12 bachelor’s degree programs, four specialist degree programs and two doctoral programs.

For more information on the U.S. News & World Report rankings, go to www.usnews.com/online.

For more information about Kennesaw State’s online learning, visit learnonline.kennesaw.edu.

A leader in innovative teaching and learning, Kennesaw State University offers undergraduate, graduate and doctoral degrees to its more than 47,000 students. Kennesaw State is a member of the University System of Georgia with 11 academic colleges. The university’s vibrant campus culture, diverse population, strong global ties and entrepreneurial spirit draw students from throughout the country and the world. Kennesaw State is a Carnegie-designated doctoral research institution (R2), placing it among an elite group of only 7 percent of U.S. colleges and universities with an R1 or R2 status. For more information, visit kennesaw.edu.