UF Online Rises to No. 4 in the Nation in the U.S. News & World Report 2020 Rankings for Best Online Bachelor’s Programs

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – The University of Florida sets a new standard as a modern research university, receiving national recognition for both traditional classroom programs and online pathways. UF Online, UF’s online undergraduate experience, has now risen to No. 4 in the country for best online bachelor’s programs according to U.S. News & World Report’s 2020 rankings.

With foresight and investment from the State of Florida, UF has been able to launch a fully online set of bachelor’s programs delivered by UF’s award-winning faculty. The program serves just over 4,000 undergraduates and offers 25 UF degree programs. Now at No. 4, it’s time to stand up and holler because the Gator Nation is showing the country what’s possible when it focuses on academic excellence via more versatile learning formats and programs. Several online graduate programs at UF recieved top rankings as well.

Also announced today, U.S. News & World Report’s 2020 rankings recognize UF Online as the No. 2 online bachelor’s program in the country for our veterans. This separate list of rankings by U.S. News recognizes universities that provide excellent online education paired with robust support for student veterans and active duty service members. Through UF Online, students have access to UF’s renowned faculty and degree programs as well as the UF Collegiate Veterans Success Center, Office of Student Veteran Success, and Collegiate Veterans Society—wherever their orders take them.

With the rise to #4 in the nation for online bachelor’s, UF Online moves up and above the longstanding online programs at Arizona State University and Penn State World Campus. The rise to No. 4 can be attributed to UF Online’s success in categories such as: average class size (29), affordable tuition, faculty credentials, selective admissions, technologies and services available to students (ranked No. 1 nationally), the low debt of graduates, and the strong academic outcomes of UF Online students, including high student retention and degree completion.

“All UF Online programs are taught by our campus faculty, with affordable tuition and fees, and our online Gators earn the very same degrees as their residential peers. This model is unique in the country and I’m so proud to see it recognized by U.S. News in 2020 as a top approach to online learning,” said Evangeline Tsibris Cummings, Assistant Provost and Director of UF Online.

UF Online is made possible by ten colleges and hundreds of faculty, academic advisors, and staff, all working to deliver hundreds of online courses to thousands of online students each semester. Launched just six years ago, UF Online has celebrated the graduation of over 2,000 Gators.

The ten UF colleges that offer degrees through the UF Online pathway include: College of Agricultural and Life Sciences, College of the Arts, College of Education, College of Health and Human Performance, College of Journalism and Communications, College of Public Health and Health Professions, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, College of Nursing, the Warrington College of Business and the College of Design, Construction and Planning. Courses are also taught and offered by faculty in the Herbert Wertheim College of Engineering and the College of Medicine.

In 2020, UF Online expands its offerings to 25, now including the B.S. in Tourism, Event and Recreation Management, the B.S. in Advertising: Persuasive Messaging, and the B.S. in Journalism: Sports and Media. In 2017, UF Online launched the Employer Pathways Program and now partners with The Walt Disney Company, Walmart, and Discover Financial Services to support Gators who work at these companies and therefore attend tuition-free if qualified for UF admissions.

Review the rankings for the Best Online Bachelor’s Programs on the U.S. News site. Read more details about UF Online in its U.S. News profile. Visit the UF Online webpage for more information, including how to apply by the summer application deadline of February 3 and fall application deadline of May 4, 2020.