UIU Online program ranked No. 1
FAYETTE, Iowa (January 24, 2008)-Upper Iowa University (UIU) is pleased to announce it has been awarded the number one ranking by the Online Education Database (OEDb) Online College Rankings 2008, recognizing it as the leading degree-granting online university.
"This recognition validates our efforts through the years to bring high quality, affordable educational opportunities to students wherever they may be located," said Dr. Suzanne James, UIU senior vice president for the extended university.
OEDb is a non-profit organization that collects, organizes, and disseminates information about online education and institutions that offer online programs. Upper Iowa University topped this year's rankings of 41 national undergraduate colleges and universities.
Of the other top ten schools listed, UIU is followed by LeTourneau University, Liberty University, Nova Southeastern University, California University of Pennsylvania, Grand Canyon University, Regent University, Champlain College, Westwood College, and Tiffin University, respectively.
Each school's ranking is based on data derived from up to eight different metrics: acceptance rate, financial aid, graduation rate, peer Web citations, retention rate, scholarly citations, student-faculty ratio, and years accredited. According to OEDb, the list attempts to make online education more transparent by providing objective rankings that compare the most popular accredited online colleges.
OEDb spokesperson Ashley Merusi said, "OEDb's second annual Online College Rankings saves students valuable time by ranking the top online colleges in an objective, un-biased manner." Those online colleges ranked in the top ten should be especially commended for their commitment to providing a quality education and experience for students."
"This is a significant honor for us," commented David Binder, online program director at Upper Iowa University. "It is a reflection of the remarkable efforts and incredible dedication of our Online Program faculty, staff, and students. We are very proud of them, and of this recognition."
More about OEDb's Online College Rankings 2008 can be found at http://oedb.org/rankings.
For more information about Upper Iowa University and its online program, go to www.uiu.edu or www.uiu.edu/online.