UHV selected as one of best online universities in Texas
University of Houston-Victoria’s robust online degree programs and affordable tuition helped the university land a spot in a ranking of top Texas online higher education institutions.
UHV is ranked No. 12 among four-year public institutions and No. 23 overall in the 2015-2016 Best Online Colleges in Texas, according to Affordable Colleges Online. The intent of the ranking is to determine which colleges offer the most notable balances of academic rigor, student support and affordability for online learning.
The ranking includes both public and private colleges and universities. Of the public institutions in the lowest tuition group, UHV had the sixth best ranking.
“We put great value in being accessible and convenient in our degree delivery, so this ranking is welcome news,” UHV Interim President Vic Morgan said. “Whether students take one online course or complete a degree entirely online, they will receive the same high-caliber instruction as our face-to-face courses.”
AffordableCollegesOnline.org is a resource for online learning and college affordability information. Texas offers the second most online degree programs of any state in the nation.
To determine rankings, the company’s data analysts and college experts developed a scoring system to rank schools based on various cost-to-quality criteria and metrics. AffordableCollegesOnline.org looked at the number of online bachelor’s degrees available, student-to-faculty ratio, online tuition costs, six-year graduation rates, loan default rates, and job placement and career counseling for graduates.
UHV offers 11 online undergraduate bachelor’s degree programs. All but one of the university’s Bachelor of Business Administration programs can be taken online once lower-division courses are completed. Students majoring in communication, English, history, criminal justice and psychology in the UHV School of Arts & Sciences also can take classes online after completing the necessary lower-division courses.
UHV has 14 online graduate degrees and concentrations. All of UHV’s graduate business programs and graduate Arts & Sciences degrees are online, including publishing and creative writing. In addition, the UHV School of Education, Health Professions & Human Development has several online choices for students wanting a master’s degree in special education, adult and higher education, or curriculum and instruction.
Many students take a hybrid of online and face-to-face classes. In both cases, they normally will not have large classes. UHV keeps class sizes small to allow students to develop meaningful connections with their instructors and peers, Morgan said.
UHV continues to provide access to many degrees for students who can’t attend day classes because of work and family responsibilities, said Jeffrey Cass, UHV provost and vice president for academic affairs.
“We realize that flexibility and convenience are important considerations for students seeking to start or continue their higher education,” he said. “That’s why we’ve put such a high priority on offering many quality online and hybrid programs to cater to working individuals.”
UHV plans to extend its online program inventory in the future to meet workforce needs.
To see the Best Online Colleges in Texas rankings, visit www.affordablecollegesonline.org/online-colleges/texas.
The University of Houston-Victoria, located in the heart of the Coastal Bend region since 1973 in Victoria, Texas, offers courses leading to more than 80 academic programs in the schools of Arts & Sciences; Business Administration; and Education, Health Professions & Human Development. UHV provides face-to-face classes at its Victoria campus, as well as an instructional site in Katy, Texas, and online classes that students can take from anywhere. UHV supports the American Association of State Colleges and Universities Opportunities for All initiative to increase awareness about state colleges and universities and the important role they have in providing a high-quality and accessible education to an increasingly diverse student population, as well as contributing to regional and state economic development.
