Springs Times

Adams State has been ranked as one of the nation’s best colleges for online master’s programs in education. Just six percent of regionally accredited postsecondary institutions earned a ranking position.

Adams State University has been recognized as one of the best schools for the online Master of Arts in Music Education by OnlineMastersDegrees.org (OMD). The program was ranked fourth in the nation, earning top honors for overall quality, affordability and commitment to student success.

“This year, we focused on the schools making it easier for students to compete in today’s increasingly difficult job market,” said Kyle Darland, co-founder of OMD. “Each ranked school offers a fully or partially online master’s program in education at a time when earning a master’s has become a minimum barrier to entry for many.”

Darland is referencing a recent survey from CareerBuilder, which found that “thirty-three percent of employers are hiring workers with master’s degrees for positions that had been primarily held by those with four-year degrees.” These employers cited an evolution of the skills needed to perform the jobs as the cause of the shift, and an increase in work quality, productivity and employee retention as the result.

“Providing students with opportunities to get a master’s online is only part of our rankings,” said Darland. “Top-ranked schools also had competitive tuition rates and/or scholarships to help drive costs down. And with grocery, gas and other expenses on everyone’s mind right now, an affordable master’s is key.”

OnlineMastersDegrees.org analyzed more than 7,700 accredited universities by using data pulled from the schools themselves and from the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS). After the data was compiled, OMD’s data science team then applied a proprietary algorithm to rank all qualifying schools for each of the different master’s degrees specialties. Primary data points include:

To be eligible for ranking, a university must hold active regional accreditation and have at least one partially online master’s program in the ranking subject. Just 8 percent of U.S. postsecondary institutions earned a ranking position.

About OnlineMastersDegrees.orgOnlineMastersDegrees.org began in 2020 to support online learning at the master’s level. Our user-friendly, research-backed content helps students find scholarships, resources, financial aid, and connect with accredited colleges and universities across the country.

Original source can be found here.