UHV online degree programs earn national rankings
The University of Houston-Victoria recently was ranked nationally on AffordableColleges.com’s 50 Most Affordable Online Bachelor’s Degrees and its Affordable Online Master’s Degrees lists.
UHV was named 18th on the most affordable bachelor’s degrees list for all of its undergraduate programs and 32nd on the master’s degrees list. In addition, four UHV degrees were ranked:
- 6th – Affordable Online Bachelor’s Degrees in Finance
- 12th – Affordable Online Master’s Degrees in Computer Science
- 18th – Affordable Online Master of Business Administration Programs
- 28th – Affordable Online Criminal Justice Bachelor’s Degrees
“Affordable, accessible education are two instrumental factors in UHV’s success,” UHV President Vic Morgan said. “The university has a commitment to promote higher education, and these rankings are excellent acknowledgements of the efforts our faculty, staff and administration make to enable learning for students who to want to improve their situation through education.”
The website evaluated colleges by creating a score based on several factors, including graduation rate, tuition cost, availability of financial aid, loan default rate, enrollment, full-time student retention, admission and the student-to-faculty ratio. The different factors are combined into a score used to rank the schools. UHV is the only Texas school on the overall bachelor’s degrees list.
AffordableColleges.com cited UHV’s affordable tuition as well as the high percentage of students who receive financial aid. In addition, the website applauds the university for providing resources to help students enrolled in online programs such as the Student Success Center’s writing assistance, peer tutoring and tech support.
“Online learning has become such an important component in higher education at UHV and the nation, and we work to make this tool available to as many students as possible,” Morgan said. “The university faculty has a history of reaching out to students through online platforms and offering quality instruction both face to face and online.”
Farhang Niroomand, dean of the UHV School of Business Administration, was pleased that two of the school’s programs were included in the rankings.
“The School of Business Administration places a strong emphasis on offering a quality, affordable and convenient education for its students,” Niroomand said. “Our students come from all around the world, and we are proud to help shape the careers and futures of future business leaders through these online programs.”
Jeffrey Di Leo, dean of the UHV School of Arts & Sciences, said the rankings are an external validation of the advances the programs have made.
“Our computer science and criminal justice programs offer impressive opportunities for our students, especially when combined with our excellent faculty,” Di Leo said. “The accessibility and affordability combined with the faculty’s expertise and open teaching methods give our students a step up in their future careers.”
The criminal justice program has made a lasting impact through online courses, said Keith Akins, associate professor of criminal justice and director of the graduate program. The criminal justice graduate and undergraduate programs were built with a focus on reaching both traditional and nontraditional students, he said.
“Our approach has been to take education to the students instead of expecting them to come to us,” Akins said. “Many of our students already are working in the field, and online courses allow them to work around their schedules. That allows students to share their on-the-job experiences in the classroom and turn those situations into learning opportunities for everyone.”
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.
