Rankings for online programs continue to become more prevalent. It probably has to do with accredited online degree programs becoming more popular and online learning become more acceptable even in traditional academic circles. I just ran across rankings for distance learning MBA programs in the Economist. Most of the schools listed are U.K. based although the top spot is a U.S. based school (University of Florida.) I am still looking into what criteria was used but here is an excerpt:
“The University of Florida’s Warrington School of Business tops the Economist Intelligence Unit’s ranking of distance-learning MBA programmes. Florida’s students are especially impressed with the quality of the school’s distance-learning materials, the programme’s value for money and their sense of connection to the school. Spain’s IE Business School ranks second, with Britain’s Warwick University third.
Distance-learning MBAs are becoming an increasingly important sector of business education, allowing students from around the world to earn degrees from top-quality schools without having to change jobs or move abroad—often at a fraction of the cost of a full-time programme. For these very reasons they are also becoming more popular with employers.”