NATCHITOCHES – Four online programs at Northwestern State University have been ranked as the best in the nation by Intelligent.com and another program has been ranked second.
The top ranked programs were the paralegal certificate program, the bachelor’s program in allied health and graduate programs in homeland security and the nurse practitioner concentration within the MSN program. The unified public safety administration program’s concentration in fire science was ranked second.
Eight other programs were ranked in the top 10. In the Gallaspy Family College of Education and Human Development, The master’s in learning and development was ranked for its concentrations in adult and workforce development, which cover third-ranked training and development and fourth-ranked adult education and learning, number five early childhood education and homeland security and secondary education which were each ranked sixth.
In the College of Arts and Sciences, the online criminal justice program was ranked fifth and the master’s in English learning language degree was fifth.
The online accounting degree in the College of Business and Technology was ranked seventh.
The website ranked Northwestern State was the seventh most affordable institution offering a significant number of online degree programs.
“We are appreciative for the national recognition of our outstanding online programs,” said Dr. Darlene Williams, vice president for technology, innovation and economic development. “These rankings support Northwestern State University’s commitment to providing a premier experience for our students. I am proud of our faculty and staff who ensure that our academic programs and support services meet a high standard of excellence.”
The comprehensive research guide is based on an assessment of 1,280 accredited colleges and universities. Each program is evaluated based on curriculum quality, graduation rate, reputation, and post-graduate employment. The 2021 rankings are calculated through a unique scoring system which includes student engagement, potential return on investment, and leading third-party evaluations. The methodology algorithm then collects and analyzes multiple rankings into one score to easily compare each university.
