UF Warrington among US News’ leaders in online education

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – In line with the University of Florida’s ascension to the top 5 public schools in the nation, the UF Warrington College of Business’ online programs have been ranked among the best by U.S. News & World Report. The UF MBA Online program and the Heavener School of Business’ online bachelor’s degree are both among the nation’s top 5 programs.

“With nearly 25 years in the online education arena, Warrington has built quality, engaging, and accessible online programs for both graduate and undergraduate students,” said Saby Mitra, Warrington College of Business Dean. “Our focus on innovation and excellence has propelled our students to becoming forward-thinking business leaders.”

For the tenth consecutive year, the UF MBA Online program has been named among the top 5 programs on US News’ “Best Online MBA Programs,” this year coming in at No. 5 overall and No. 3 among U.S. publics. UF MBA was also ranked the No. 1 online program for veterans by U.S. News. Several factors have contributed to the UF MBA Online program’s continued success, including:

• An engaging program that promotes participation and interaction with instructors and classmates. With a score of 90 points out of 100, UF MBA is the fifth best public program for student engagement.
• The best and brightest students with proven aptitudes, ambitions and accomplishments. Scoring 91 points out of 100, UF MBA is the No. 8 public program for student excellence.
• A well-respected and renowned program by academic officials and employers. UF MBA’s score of 3.8 makes it the No. 4 public program as assessed by peers.
• Graduates who use their UF MBA education to transform their careers. Graduates of UF MBA’s Professional formats, which includes the Online MBA, increase their salaries by an average of 30% within 3 months of graduation.

For alumnus Joe Arrunategui (MBA ’21) the UF MBA Online program enabled him to change functions within his industry without losing out on his salary or years of work experience while working towards his degree.

“I would recommend the UF Online MBA program to others simply because of the cost-benefit analysis,” said Arrunategui, who is joining Amazon as a Senior Product Manager. “It is a degree that will pay its dividends in both the short and long term from a personal and professional standpoint. Anyone can benefit from the ability to switch industries and functions after graduating with your MBA. The UF Online MBA is cost-effective while delivering high-caliber professors and colleagues. Lastly, you will be joining a powerful and collaborative alumni network spanning the globe.”

To create its annual “Best Online MBA Programs” rankings, U.S. News sent surveys to the 356 schools that offer online MBAs. The rankings are based on five weighted categories: Engagement (30%) Expert Opinion (25%), Student Excellence (15%), Faculty Credentials and Training (15%), and Student Services and Technology (15%).

In addition to its overall ranking from U.S. News & World Report, UF MBA ranked among the top programs in three of the four specialty subject rankings. In each of these rankings, UF MBA was the top program in the state of Florida.

• General Management – No. 4 publics; No. 4 overall
• Marketing – No. 5 publics; No. 5 overall
• Finance – No. 6 publics; No. 7 overall

The online bachelor’s degree program in the Heavener School of Business, offered in partnership with UF Online, was named the No. 2 program in the nation. With a score of 3.7, the Heavener School is tied with Pennsylvania State University in the second-place position on U.S. News’ “Best Online Bachelor’s in Business”.

A graduate of the online bachelor’s degree program and business owner, Alan Thompson (BSBA ’21) found his UF online education immediately valuable.   

“I can say from being a business owner and getting a business degree, I felt that the education was really impactful,” Thompson said. “I have a running notebook of probably 200 things to implement over the next couple of years.”

In addition to Heavener’s ranking, UF Online ranked No. 1 overall for bachelor’s degree programs and No. 2 overall for bachelor’s degree programs for veterans. As highlighted by these rankings, and in parallel to its rise to the top 5 of on-campus programs, the University of Florida and the UF Warrington College of Business provide nationally recognized, top-ranked teaching excellence across all platforms. It is the highest-ranked university in Florida and is increasingly preeminent nationally.  

To create its list of best national online bachelor’s programs, U.S. News & World Report surveyed 381 schools that offer online bachelor’s degrees. The rankings were based on four weighted categories: Engagement (35%), Services and Technologies (25%), Faculty Credentials and Training (20%) and Expert Opinion (20%).

The Heavener School of Business, in partnership with UF Online, offers both an online Bachelor of Science in Business Administration (BSBA) and a Bachelor of Arts in Business Administration (BABA). Through this partnership, students benefit by being exposed to some of the nation’s top professors, elite coursework and leadership development opportunities, while earning their degree 100% online.