06/01/16 sry
HAYS, Kan. -- Fort Hays State University received attention in May from six online ranking sites for the affordability and quality of its online programs.

CollegeChoice.net
No. 1, Best Online Bachelor's in Education Degree Programs
When the available data about FHSU's virtual Bachelor of Science in education was entered into College Choice's algorithm, it scored a perfect score, earning it the No. 1 spot. FHSU's online education program, which offers students the option to concentrate in early childhood unified, elementary education or elementary education with a special education minor, beat out schools such as the University of Wisconsin, Texas Tech University, Arizona State University, the University of Georgia, the University of Missouri, Drexel University, St. Louis University and New Mexico State University.

"College Choice designed this ranking to help prospective education students make the best choice about where to invest their time and resources," said Christian Amondson, managing editor. "Schools and programs were evaluated based on publicly available information about academic quality, student satisfaction, reputation in the field and return on investment."

To view this ranking, navigate to www.CollegeChoice.net > Rankings > All Rankings > Online College Rankings: Best Online Bachelor's in Education, 2016.

Masters-in-Special-Education.com
No. 1, Top 25 Most Affordable Online Master's in Special Education 2016
FHSU offers a Master of Science in special education with concentrations in gifted or high-incidence. This isn't the only time FHSU's M.S. in special education shows up in a ranking this month. BestCollegeReviews.org, below, also ranks this program as one of the best.

"After using the NCES College Navigator database to identify schools that offer an online master's degree on special education, we ranked the degrees based on in-state graduate tuition," said Laura Kilmartin, online relations for Masters-in-Special-Education.

FHSU's M.S. in special education program, earning the No. 1 spot, beat out schools in Kansas such as Pittsburg State University and Emporia State University. Other schools FHSU beat out include the University of Nebraska at Omaha, Arkansas State University, the University of Arkansas, Columbus State University, Texas A&M University-College Station, Indiana University and the University of Alaska.

To view this ranking, navigate to www.Masters-in-Special-Education.com and in the left-hand column under "rankings," select "Top 25 Most Affordable Online Master's in Special Education 2016."

HealthcareAdministrator.org
No. 9, Top 10 "Affordable" Online Bachelor's Degrees in the U.S.
Healthcare Administrator ranks the FHSU Virtual College in its list of the top 10 most affordable ways to earn an online bachelor's degree, along with Colorado Technical University, Columbia College, the University of Wyoming and Western Governors University, and beating out Oregon State University.

According to Healthcare Administrator, "the high costs of education in the U.S. have shifted people in gaining affordable degree programs. Known colleges and universities conclude that flexibility and affordability are among the top criteria of today's people in search of higher education."

To figure the ranking, Healthcare Administrator "used several parameters, including student feedback, student placement, rate of success, tuition fees and overall course structure," said Andrej Sagaidak with HealthcareAdministrator.org.

View this ranking at http://bit.ly/1TyEKzX.

OnlineCourseReport.com
No. 10, The 20 Best Master's in Marketing Online
Online Course Report considered over 100 online master's programs with emphases in marketing and narrowed it down to the top 20.

The Virtual College at FHSU offers a Master of Business Administration with 11 concentrations, including a marketing option. This program is 34 credit hours with an additional 12 hours for students who have not completed an undergraduate degree in business.

Based on Online Course Report's methodology and data collection, FHSU scored 83-percent for student outcomes, which is based on the percentage of matriculating first year students who graduate within the 150 percent of the estimated total program length. FHSU also scored 54 percent for student services, which is based on the incorporation of career guidance, online library, tutoring, financial aid, advisors, interaction with peers and student clubs.

"This means it outperforms 80 other fully online marketing master's programs in terms of serving its students with technical, financial and career support, as well as in terms of graduation rate and affordability," said Josh Jackson, contributing writer and lead researcher for Online Course Report.

To view this ranking, navigate to www.OnlineCourseReport.com > Rankings > 20 Best Masters in Marketing Degrees Online.

OnlineSchoolsCenter.com
Top 20 Online Schools for Bachelor's of Criminal Justice Programs
"We strive to seek out the best institutions in order to guide potential students towards a unique and fulfilling college experience, and your school stood out among many," said Rowan Jones, researcher and writer for Online Schools Center.

FHSU's Virtual College offers both a B.A. and B.S. in criminal justice. Students can concentrate in law enforcement, corrections, law and the courts, or create their own combination of courses.

To view this ranking, navigate to www.OnlineSchoolsCenter.com and in the right-hand column, under "online programs," select "Top 20 Online Schools for Bachelor's of Criminal Justice Degree Programs."

BestCollegeReviews.org
A new ranking site, Best College Reviews, recognizes FHSU's Virtual College as the No. 8 best online and No. 4 most affordable college in the country.

Best College Review began its search for the top schools by analyzing more than 400 virtual programs, then narrowed that list down to colleges that offer 10 or more online programs, which left them with a list of 80-plus colleges and universities. Within that list, Best College Review ranked FHSU programs 11 times in addition to the Virtual College's overall No. 8 and No. 4 rankings.

Best College Reviews methodology ranks each school by affordability of the average out-of-state tuition, flexibility for additional specializations or accelerated tracks, and by academic reputation according to U.S. News and World Report.

To view all of the rankings, navigate to www.BestCollegeReviews.org and select "college rankings."

The programs:
No. 4, The 25 Best Online Master's in Organizational Leadership
FHSU offers a Master of Professional Studies with a concentration in organizational leadership.

The program totals 30 credit hours. Twelve credit hours required for the concentration are Organizational Systems-Change and Leadership, Leadership in Teams and Collaborative Environments, Research Methods, and Organizational Intervention Strategies. Students are required to complete an internship or research project.

In this ranking, FHSU beat out the University of South Dakota and Colorado Technical University.

No. 8, The 20 Best Online Master's in School Counseling Programs
At FHSU, students earning the Master of Science in counseling can concentrate in school or community counseling. Practicum experience and an internship are both required to complete the online program along with three four-day, on-campus courses.

No. 9, The Best Online RN-to-BSN Programs
Virtual students can earn their Bachelor of Science in nursing if they are licensed as a Registered Nurse. Students are able to fulfill the clinical portion of the program in their hometowns.

The nursing program is accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education.

In this ranking, FHSU beat out Texas Tech University and Ball State University.

No. 11, The 25 Best Online Bachelor's in Human Resources
FHSU's online Bachelor of Business Administration in management with a concentration in human resources tied with Trident University International and Colorado Technical University as the 11th best online program.

"We are highly impressed that FHSU's program ranks so well and stands out from competitors," said Jack Kelle, Best College Reviews.

No. 11, The 25 Best Online Psychology Degree Programs
FHSU offers both a B.A. and B.S. in psychology, which beat out Loyola University-Chicago and Florida Technical Institute.

No. 11, The 25 Best Online Master's in Nursing Programs
FHSU offers a Master of Science in nursing with two emphases: education, which specializes in teaching strategies, curriculum development and evaluation, and administration, which prepares students to take on leadership roles in the rapidly changing healthcare environment.

The M.S.N. program, earning the No. 11 spot, beat out Duke University, Western Governors University and Indiana State University.

No. 11, The 25 Best Online Master's in Nursing Administration
Earning a master's in nursing comes after a student obtains RN status and has earned a B.S.N. from an accredited school. The administration emphasis is ideal for nurses who want to pursue leadership careers in hospitals and other healthcare agencies.

FHSU's M.S.N. program, earning the No. 11 spot, beat out the University of Pittsburgh, Indiana State University and Kaplan University.

No. 15, The 25 Best Bachelor's in Business Administration Online Programs
FHSU offers a Bachelor of Business Administration in international business and economics, management, human resources, management information systems, marketing, and tourism and hospitality management.

In this ranking, FHSU's B.B.A. program beat out Pennsylvania State University and California State University-Fullerton.

No. 19, The 25 Best Bachelor's in Criminal Justice Programs
FHSU's virtual B.A. and B.S. in criminal justice tied with the University of Phoenix and Ashford University for the No. 19 spot as best program.

Students majoring in criminal justice can concentrate in law enforcement, corrections, law and the courts, or create their own combination of courses.

No. 20, The 25 Best Online Master's in Special Education Programs
FHSU offers a Master of Science in special education through the Department of Advanced Education programs, and the program can either be completed for gifted or high-incidence special education.

FHSU's M.S. in special education program, earning the No. 20 spot, tied with Boise State University and Eastern Kentucky University.

No. 20, The 20 Best Online Bachelor's in Early Childhood Education
Students earning their Bachelor of Science in education from FHSU can concentrate in early childhood unified, elementary or elementary with special education minor.

According to the Kansas Department of Education, graduates with the early childhood unified endorsement can teach regular and special education at the birth to third-grade level. The elementary emphasis qualifies graduates to teach kindergarten through sixth grade.