U.S. News and World Report has listed Valdosta State University among the nation’s best colleges and universities when it comes to distance education.

U.S. News and World Report released its 2023 Best Online Colleges report today. VSU earned recognition in five categories — Best Online Bachelor’s Programs, Best Online MBA Programs, Best Online Bachelor’s in Business Programs, Best Online Master’s in Education Programs, and Best Online Bachelor’s Programs for Veterans.

VSU is the only Georgia-based institution of higher education to earn a spot on the Best Online Bachelor’s Programs for Veterans list. VSU is also the most highly ranked Georgia-based school to appear on the Best Online Bachelor’s in Business Programs list.  

“Many students today want to be able to learn flexibly, at times convenient to their busy schedules and from anywhere, using modern virtual learning technology. Students also want experiential learning opportunities that allow them to take concepts learned in the classroom and apply them to real world problems,” said Dr. Robert T. Smith, Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs. “At VSU we are very fortunate to have a dynamic and dedicated faculty and staff working together to provide our students with rich, authentic learning experiences, providing students with the support and mentorship they need to thrive in a rapidly changing environment.”

This is the 12^th year U.S. News and World Report has numerically ranked online degree programs, with the annual rankings being described as one of the most extensive evaluations of United States-based public, private, and for-profit institutions of higher education ever published.

This year U.S. News and World Report assessed more than 1,800 programs on several measures of academic quality, including engagement, student services and technologies, faculty credentials and training, student excellence, and expert opinion.

VSU offers 200 academic programs, including more than 60 fully online and nine hybrid, leading to associate, bachelor, master, specialist, and doctoral degrees, as well as to certifications, minors, endorsements, and certificates — and it provides students with real-world experiential learning opportunities along the way.

VSU’s unique model of education — one centered on individualized mentorship and support — empowers students to find genuine happiness and fulfillment after graduation and throughout their life.

In September 2022 U.S. News and World Report honored VSU with coveted spots in five categories of its 38^th annual Best Colleges list, which considers several measures of academic quality, including graduation and retention rates, social mobility, undergraduate academic reputation, student-faculty ratio, average alumni giving rate, graduate indebtedness, and student selectivity.

VSU was recognized for Economic Diversity (one of the 46 most economically diverse national universities in the U.S.), Top Performers on Social Mobility, Ethnic Diversity, Undergraduate Nursing Programs (the top 25 percent of all programs across the nation), and Undergraduate Business Programs.