The University of Miami’s UOnline graduate degree program has been named No. 14 in Newsweek’s list of “America’s Top Online Colleges” for 2024.
The ranking makes UOnline the top-ranked online program among all colleges and universities in Florida, including the University of Florida (No. 29) and Florida State University (No. 91).
“It is an honor to be recognized by Newsweek in this way and especially to be listed as the highest of all the colleges and universities in Florida,’’ said Rebecca MacMillan Fox, dean of the University’s Division of Continuing and International Education (DCIE), of which UOnline is part. “We are making a University of Miami education, taught by our world-class faculty, accessible to a much broader and more diverse audience than ever before.”
Newsweek based its ranking on a survey of more than 9,000 online students across the country, as well as the magazine’s own research into more than 200 colleges and universities that offer undergraduate or graduate degrees online.
This is the third year Newsweek has produced the list, and it is UOnline’s first time appearing on it.
“We are extremely proud, and it is a credit to everyone in our UOnline family—from the incredible faculty who lead these innovative courses to the dedicated staff behind the scenes who make sure things go smoothly for our students,’’ said UOnline Executive Director Felecia Theune. “This reaffirms that we are providing the kind of practical, real-world education our students need to advance in their careers, and we are delivering it in a way that is relevant and meaningful for their lives."
In the Newsweek survey, respondents were asked to evaluate their college or university in six different categories for online learning: accessibility and organization, support and service, overall reputation, cost, their expected success, and the practical relevance of the program’s courses. They also rated overall satisfaction with the program and whether or not they would recommend it to another.
Those survey responses made up the bulk of an institution’s final score, 80 percent. Another 20 percent of the total score was attributed to institutional factors, such as graduation rates, students per instructor and expenditures per student.
“What we find is that the student experience is not about the latest technology, it’s about the learning experience and how we can make that the best it can be for our students,” Theune added. “There is no greater reward for the work we do than to know that our students are having this kind of positive experience. We know it anecdotally from the students who go out in the world and do great things. This ranking is a way of quantifying it on a broader scale."
Roxana Lemus, who graduated with her MPA from UOnline earlier this year, said the personal service and attention she received as a UOnline student made her feel like she was a part of the larger University community.
“I truly felt like I was a part of UM and taking classes on campus in Miami,’’ said Lemus, who now works as a victim services specialist for the Attorney General’s Office in Miami. “They treat you as a human being, not just a number or a face on the screen. Every professor I had elevated me and empowered me in some way.”
UOnline has been providing online graduate degrees and certificates since 2008. Today, the program offers 10 fully online graduate degrees and 12 certificates in areas from finance and data analytics to music, entertainment management and sport administration. Learn more at uonline.miami.edu.
