The Harbert College began a new year in a familiar position – ranked among the nation’s elite in U.S. News & World Report Best Online Programs.

Harbert’s online non-MBA programs, which include the Master of Accounting, Master of Science in Finance and Master of Science in Information Systems offerings, earned a No. 6 national ranking out of 165 business schools surveyed for U.S. News & World Report’s 2018 Best Online Programs listing. The college’s Online MBA program placed 11^th nationally among 282 schools. Harbert College has earned high national rankings each year since U.S. News & World Report began evaluating online education programs in 2013.

The website released its annual rankings on Tuesday, Jan. 9.

“These rankings serve as testament to the quality of our online MBA and MS programs, as well as our consistency in serving the needs of our students,” said Stan Harris, Harbert College’s associate dean of Graduate and International Programs. “Our degree programs are worthy of your investment because we offer a world class education as well as a level of personalization that many other programs cannot match. Our online students participate in an immersive classroom experience that is comparable to the learning environment enjoyed by our on-campus students. More importantly, our online students are embraced as members of the Auburn family.”

Consistent with its commitment to providing high value and a strong return on investment, Auburn’s MBA is priced significantly lower than the programs ahead of it in the rankings. Auburn’s MBA tuition is 60 percent the cost of the least expensive and 50 percent of the cost of the average.

U.S. News & World Report’s rankings are based on a variety of factors, including student engagement, admissions selectivity, reputation among peer institutions, faculty credentials and training and student services and technology.  In the case of student engagement, U.S. News examines graduation rates, class sizes, one-year retention rates and adherence to best practices.

“We are very excited to receive another U.S. News and World Report top ranking, said Jim Parrish, director of Full-Time and Online MBA programs. “Not only does this continue to validate that the Harbert College is a major player in graduate online business education, but it also highlights the growth of distance education as a delivery method of choice for many. This ranking is a wonderful gauge of how we operate and what we can do to improve in this space.”

The Harbert College was among the nation’s distance education pioneers, beginning with the delivery of MBA course content to off-campus students by VHS tapes in 1989. These days, on-campus classes are recorded and offered to online students via streaming video either live or at a time convenient to their work schedules. “While we are proud of our tradition in distance and online education, we are focused on the future,” Harris said. “Given the accelerated pace of technological change, it’s important to be adaptable in how we deliver course content while also preserving the highest quality.”

Over the years, Harbert’s AACSB-accredited online MBA, M.S. in Finance, M.S. in Information Systems, and Master of Accountancy programs have also earned national acclaim from the likes of The Princeton Review, Poets & Quants, CEO Magazine, PayScale, Accounting Degree Review and College Choice. The college’s online master’s programs have earned Top 10 rankings from U.S. News & World Report each of the last four years. The website began ranking non-MBA online programs in 2015.

“That track record reinforces the value proposition for students,” said Jennifer Mueller-Phillips, director of the School of Accountancy and KPMG professor. “Our faculty and staff pride themselves on the ability to deliver challenging course content that brings out the best in students and positions them for professional success.”

Since the implementation of Auburn University’s strategic plan in 2013, the university has increased its online course selections by more than 300 percent. The growth also extends to undergraduate degree options as well, with the Harbert College introducing an online Bachelor of Science in Business Administration for spring 2018. The new program targets students and working professionals who have earned some college credits and want to complete their degrees at Auburn.

Interested in earning a graduate degree? Contact a representative of one of our award-winning online graduate programs:

Master of Accountancy: Andee Hodo (334.844.6207)

MBA: Julie Vaught (334.844.4060)

Master of Science in Finance: April Hurley (334.844.4060)

Master of Science in Information Systems: Dianne Hall (334.844.6443)