CHARLES TOWN, W. Va.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jan. 8, 2014--
American
Public University System (APUS) today announced that its
undergraduate programs have been named to U.S. News & World Report’s
annual qualitative ranking of top online degree programs for the second
consecutive year. APUS ranked
#34 nationally out of 283 schools offering online bachelor’s degree
programs, or in the top 12 percent overall.
“It’s gratifying to have our undergraduate programs again be recognized
for overall quality,” said Jennifer Stephens Helm, VP of institutional
research and assessment for APUS. “However, while US News adjusted its
ranking criteria this year to incorporate input from stakeholders, we
believe there remains a disproportionate focus on graduation statistics
similar to IPEDS, at the expense of the tangible learning and career
outcomes most relevant to adult learners.”
“Since approximately 90% of our students are working adults and do not
take a full-time course load, their attendance and persistence are not
readily balanced with their career and life commitments. Through our
ongoing dialogue with US News, it is our hope that their future rankings
will better reflect these dynamics, along with the documented,
third-party validation of the academic quality of our programs,” Helm
added.
For more than two decades, APUS has offered affordable, accessible,
quality academic programs to military and civilian students in a
collaborative, 100% online classroom led by faculty
scholar-practitioners who are leaders in their fields. The University
and its senior leadership have been nationally
recognized by the Sloan Consortium for excellence in online
education. It also participates in the National Survey of Student
Engagement and was recently selected as one of 12
Founding Institutions for the pilot of the John N. Gardner Institute
for Excellence in Undergraduate Education’s Gateways to Completion™
(G2C™) process. APUS was the first fully-online university to
participate in the Institute’s Foundations of Excellence Program, and
was also recently chosen to participate in the inaugural offering of the Higher
Learning Commission’s (HLC) Academy for Student Persistence and
Completion.
About American Public University System
American Public University System, winner of the Sloan Consortium's
Ralph E. Gomory Award for Quality Online Education and first three-time
recipient of Sloan's Effective Practice Award, offers more than 90
online degree programs through American Public University and American
Military University. APUS's relevant curriculum, affordability and
flexibility help more than 100,000 working adults worldwide pursue
degrees in a diverse variety of subjects. For further information, visit www.apus.edu.
Source: American Public University System
American Public University System
Brian Muys, 571-358-3145
bmuys@apus.edu