For the first time, U.S. News & World Report has ranked the University of Houston-Victoria School of Business Administration one of the nation’s best graduate schools.

The annual “Best Graduate Schools” ranking is a highly regarded resource for those seeking the best schools for attaining a master’s, professional or doctoral degree. The 2014 report, released on Tuesday, ranked the university’s School of Business Administration No. 139 among online graduate business programs.  

The UHV School of Nursing was ranked No. 295 for its graduate nursing program. Rankings of graduate health fields, such as nursing, were based on earlier surveys and were republished in the 2014 report.  

Phil Castille

UHV President Phil Castille said he was pleased that both schools were ranked.  

“On behalf of our students and the communities UHV serves, I am proud to receive this recognition,” he said. “This demonstrates once again that UHV has high quality academic programs even though our tuition and fees are some of the lowest in the state. We will strive to continue to improve our rankings while maintaining access and affordability for our students.”  

The online business programs were ranked using criteria such as graduation rate, program accreditation, admissions criteria and faculty credentials. The school was one of nearly 860 programs surveyed by U.S. News. Only accredited schools with programs that met the federal standard of 100 percent online course delivery were evaluated.  

Farhang Niroomand

“I was pleased to learn that the business school was ranked by U.S. News for the first time,” said Farhang Niroomand, dean of the UHV School of Business Administration. “Our faculty and staff work hard to prepare our students for a successful business career. It is great to see that their work is paying off with recognitions like this.”  

U.S. News is one of many organizations that have recognized UHV’s School of Business Administration. The Princeton Review has named the school among the best business schools for seven consecutive years. The school has been ranked for greatest opportunities for minority students by the Princeton Review (No. 2) and Entrepreneur Magazine (No. 2). GetEducated.com put the school in its “Top 25 Best Buys in Distance Learning and Online MBAs.” Fortune Small Business Magazine named the school No. 3 for best college for aspiring entrepreneurs.  

The business school also is accredited by AACSB International – The Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business. In 2010, the school received reaccreditation from AACSB, a hallmark of excellence achieved by fewer than 5 percent of business schools in the world.  

The UHV School of Nursing is the university’s newest school. The nursing program started in 2006 and was granted school status by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board in 2007.  

Kathryn Tart

“Our first Master of Science in Nursing students graduated in 2009, so it is wonderful to be ranked after just two years of graduating MSN students,” said Kathryn Tart, founding dean of the UHV School of Nursing. “The ranking is a testament to the work done by the faculty and staff, and the high quality of students the School of Nursing attracts. We know we are meeting nursing education needs for the communities we serve.”  

The U.S. News nursing ranking was originally published in 2011. All the health rankings are based solely on the results of peer assessment surveys sent to deans, administrators and faculty at accredited degree programs and schools in each discipline.  

The UHV School of Nursing’s undergraduate and graduate programs are accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education and have full approval from the Texas Board of Nursing and the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board. In November, the UHV School of Nursing was granted membership in the Texas Medical Center. 

For more information about the business school, email busadvisor@uhv.edu or call 800-687-4293. For more information about the nursing school, email whatleyt@uhv.edu or call 361-570-4370.