UND MBA, MPA programs named Top 10 best buys nationally

An independent, nationally recognized research firm has ranked two University of North Dakota degree programs among the country’s very best values.

GetEducated.com, LLC, an online education research company which reviews and ranks accredited online university degree programs, ranked the UND online Master of Public Administration (MPA) as No. 3 and the online Master of Business Administration (MBA) as No. 8 on the 2010 Top Ranked Best Buys for accredited online MBAs and MPAs. Colleges do not pay to be included in these rankings.

Both programs are in the UND College of Business and Public Administration (CoBPA); UND Online and Distance Education facilitates delivery of COBPA programs to students around the world through online technology.

“This is great news for our online degree programs, and they are among the key points of differentiation that we have been using to position our online programs,” said CoBPA Dean Dennis Elbert. “UND’s online MBA and MPA programs have top-level accreditation, the foundation of a brick-and-mortar campus, and affordable in-state tuition regardless of residency. These rankings help us validate that position.”

“Compared to many other schools on the Top 10 Best Buys list, UND offers the same rate of tuition for online courses regardless of your residency status,” Elbert said.  “This means that you will pay UND’s in-state tuition rate for your online MBA or MPA degree regardless of where you live.”

GetEducated’s rankings are based on a national survey of 69 AACSB-International accredited business schools that offer 133 master’s degrees in business administration using distance learning technology.

The MBA “top value” rankings include only schools that provide these online degrees for less than the national average costs of $32,926. According to these rankings, graduate students should be prepared to pay as little as $8,234 or as much as $119,300 for an AACSB International-accredited graduate degree in business administration (MBA). UND’s average cost for an online MBA degree is about $12,000.

The MPA best-value list includes only programs that cost less than the national average of $18,600 for these degrees. These rankings were calculated by comparing publicly posted tuition and distance education fees at 21 regionally accredited and regional candidate universities in the U.S. that offer 31 master’s degrees through distance education in the career areas of public administration and public affairs. This is a ranking of the least expensive online master’s degree programs.

Founded in 1989, GetEducated.com, http://www.geteducated.com, is a consumer group that publishes free online university reviews and rankings. Online degree programs are ranked for cost, quality, and credibility.