Iowa Wesleyan lands on best online schools list

Iowa Wesleyan University has once again been recognized for academic excellence by U.S. News & World Report of the 2021 Best Online Programs. T

he national ranking placed Iowa Wesleyan in the top 200 best online bachelor's programs, fourth in Iowa. In addition, Wesleyan was ranked first in Iowa for its undergraduate business administration online degree.

'At Iowa Wesleyan University, we are continually evaluating what we are doing from a pedagogical and student engagement standpoint, and our IW Online program benefits from our forward-thinking faculty and staff,” said university Provost DeWayne Frazier.

He said the univeristy is continually refining courses to try and engage students in new and creative ways.

'We are very proud of the many accolades our online program is garnering, as we know the hard work that has been implemented to get us to this point. U.S. News and World Report is an organization that does a comprehensive vetting process, and we enjoy participating in their evaluation each year,” Frazier said.

During the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, online courses are no longer just an option for many students - they have become a requirement. The university was well-positioned through the IW Online program to navigate the challenges this year as many of our undergraduate programs shifted to a partially online format for fall semester classes to prevent the spread of the coronavirus among students, faculty and staff.

For working adults with some college credit, completing a four-year degree online may be the most practical way to obtain the knowledge and credentials needed to boost their careers. The vast majority of students enrolled in IW Online have earned at least some college credit. Rather than first-time college students, they are more likely to be working professionals in their 20s to 40s looking to advance in or change their careers.

The fully online program at Iowa Wesleyan experienced more than a 20 percent growth over the previous academic year. More students are choosing the institution for their educational needs.

Iowa Wesleyan offers online undergraduate programs for business administration, including concentrations in accounting, agribusiness, applied science, criminal justice, health care management, human resource management, human services, logistics and supply chain management and management; criminal justice (including concentrations in cyber security and homeland security; human services and nursing degrees. In addition, Iowa Wesleyan offers online graduate programs in education in curriculum and instruction as well as management leadership with concentrations in athletic administration, criminal justice and strategic leadership.

The 2020 U.S. News & World Report ranking assessed online bachelor's degree programs across four general categories, including student engagement (which counted for 35 percent of each institution's score); student services and technology (25 percent); faculty credentials and training (20 percent); and expert opinion (20 percent).