Inside the University of Florida’s online business dynasty: Maintaining the No. 1 online business bachelor’s program

The three pillars behind UF’s dominance: Experience, student engagement and world-class faculty.

For three consecutive years, the University of Florida’s online business bachelor’s degree has been named the No. 1 program in the nation by U.S. News and World Report. Since 2021, it has been in the top 2 programs nationwide.

• 2021 – No. 1
• 2022 – No. 2
• 2023 – No. 1
• 2024 – No. 1
• 2025 – No. 1

The online degree market is one of the fastest-growing segments in higher education, with 4.4 million students at more than 3,900 U.S. institutions. In a time where students have incredible choice when earning a bachelor’s degree online, the University of Florida’s ability to maintain its No. 1 ranking highlights the standard of excellence the institution is known for across higher education.

Warrington’s 25-plus years in online education, continued enhancements to student programs and services, and the college’s world-renowned faculty form the foundation for our continued success. Discover more about how each of these factors help Warrington maintain its No. 1 ranking as the best online business bachelor’s program by U.S. News & World Report.

Delivering online education since 1999

The University of Florida Warrington College of Business has offered online courses for more than 25 years. Over the decades, the college learned the specific needs of online students, allowing it to perfect its online course delivery.

Having worked out the mechanics of how to deliver courses to online students, the college has more time to focus on enhancing the student experience.

“We’ve been in the game for so long that we know our students and what they need to be successful in online courses, inside and out,” explained Erica Studer-Byrnes, Heavener School of Business Assistant Dean and Director. “We know that courses aren’t the only thing that students expect in an online program, though. Community and connection are also critical to their experience and success.”

Enhanced student engagement and services

With course delivery working like a well-oiled machine, Heavener’s Director of Online Programs Adam Jordan has focused on understanding how students want to interact with others in the program and assessing engagement programming.  

In 2021, based on student feedback, Jordan and his team were able to sunset certain programs and replace them with more tailored options. Today, those programs include the Heavener Career and Leadership Challenge and the school’s partnership program with YellowDig, an online community forum.

Launching in 2023, the Heavener Career and Leadership Challenge is a fully online, opt-in extracurricular career readiness program founded on National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) competencies. Initially hosting 17 students, it has grown its population to more than 60 students.

Rachael Kistner (BSBA ’24) is the first graduate of the Heavener Career and Leadership Challenge.

“The HCLC pushed me out of my comfort zone and opened the door to new opportunities, helping me build confidence and skills for a career transition,” Kistner said. “I am grateful for the knowledge and connections I gained!”

YellowDig, a platform that allows students to communicate digitally, share articles, stories, photos and videos, is another tool the Heavener team uses to connect current students with their peers, even when they live across the nation from each other.

Just one month after its initial launch in 2023, about 100 students were actively using the platform, their participation adding up to over 40 posts, 240 comments and 370 reactions. The team also launched its YellowDig Ambassador program, in which students serve as moderators in the community, actively keeping the conversation going between participants.

In-person connection

While online engagement opportunities outside of the virtual classroom have played an important role in helping bring students together, the Heavener Online team saw value in inviting students to the University of Florida’s campus.

In January 2025, about 20 students in the online bachelor’s program made their way to Gainesville to meet their classmates and professors.

For Angie Marchione (BSBA ’26), who lives in Clermont, Florida, the opportunity to visit campus helped bring her closer to her classmates and professors, fulfilling her feeling of being a Business Gator.

“Being a part of The Gator Nation, even online, is something special,” she said. “I was worried about missing out on the ‘college experience’ online, but UF Online has exceeded my expectations. The professors are engaging, the resources are incredible, and, best of all, I feel connected to a vibrant community of learners, even though we’re miles apart.”

Natalie Nguyen (BABA ‘25) agreed that the connections made during the online student meet-up helped her feel more connected to her peers, professors and the university as a whole.  

“I found the on-campus meet-up to be an outstanding experience,” she reflected. “Being able to connect with other online students, meet our professors and talk to our advisors made it a positive event that I plan on attending in the future. Having the opportunity to walk around campus and attend the career fair made it an even more memorable experience.” 

World-class faculty

The professors who teach students like Marchione and Nguyen in their online courses are the same that teach students earning their degree on campus. Warrington’s 100-plus faculty are internationally known for their teaching and research excellence.

In addition to consistently being named among the top schools on the UT-Dallas Top 100 Business School Research Rankings, 11 Warrington faculty are on Stanford’s list of the top 2% of the most influential scientists in the world based on scholarly impact.

Beyond the academic world, media outlets like The New York Times, Forbes, Bloomberg and USA Today turn to Warrington’s faculty for their expert insights. In the last year, Warrington faculty were quoted more than 340 times in news stories.

Among Warrington’s tenure-track faculty, they have amassed hundreds of teaching awards, many of which are voted on directly by students.

“The faculty here at UF has been fantastic,” Nguyen said. “They’ve been helpful in answering any questions that I may have had and are always there to support you as a student.”

Excellence through academics and connections

Overall, students in the online business bachelor’s program at the University of Florida find incredible value in both the education they receive as well as the meaningful connections made through the program, both in their online classes and when they get to meet in person.

“As an online student, I hadn’t gotten many opportunities to engage in my school experience prior to my time at UF,” said Jessica Lloyd (BSBA ‘26). “Typically, everything happens behind a screen and there really isn’t much opportunity to get involved in something beyond your schoolwork. The on-campus meet-ups have really changed my whole online education experience.

“Getting to meet others in my school who are taking the same courses I am and are going through similar experiences has been key to my success and engagement as a UF online student. Meeting with the faculty and staff who are so excited to talk with us, taking a tour of our beautiful campus, getting to take advantage of the many resources UF offers their students. I can’t help but feel proud to call myself a Gator!”