Four online programs offered by UNL were recognized in the U.S. News & World Report’s College Rankings 2014 edition in the “Best Online Programs” category, released Jan. 8.

The Graduate Education, Bachelor of Science in Applied Science and Master of Business Administration programs rose significantly in the rankings, while the Master of Engineering made its debut.

The category seeing the largest leap in rankings was Best Online Graduate Education Programs in which UNL vaulted to the 11th spot, up from 110th last year. The program placed third among Big Ten schools on the list, following the University of Indiana-Bloomington and the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. UNL programs included in the Best Online Graduate Education Programs category include family and consumer science education specialization in child, youth and family studies (Master of Education); educational administration area of study in P-12 education administration (Master of Education); special education (Master of Arts and Master of Education); and the teaching learning and teacher education area of study in German language education (Master of Arts).

“This is validation that our students feel they are getting a quality education at a value price and that our faculty are excelling in delivering relevant content and engaging our online students at high levels,” said Marjorie Kostelnik, dean of the College of Education and Human Sciences.

The Bachelor of Science in Applied Science ranked 74th in the Best Online Undergraduate Programs category, up from 135th in 2013.

Steven Waller, dean of the College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources, said the Bachelor of Science in Applied Science degree program is one way CASNR is extending its reach to students around the world.

“We believe a bachelor’s degree should be accessible to everyone — regardless of their circumstances or location,” Waller said.

UNL’s highest ranked online program on the list was the Master of Business Administration, which ranked sixth in the Best Online Graduate Business Programs category, up 11 spots from 2013. The Master of Engineering with a concentration in engineering management debuted at 41st in the Best Online Graduate Engineering Programs category.

These programs are among the more than 100 degree, certificate and endorsement online programs offered by the four campuses of the University of Nebraska system. More information about these and other UNL online programs can be found at online.unl.edu or at NU Online Worldwide, the University of Nebraska’s distance education initiative.