Ohio State Online Bachelor’s Programs Ranked Among Nation’s Top 5 by U.S. News & World Report

The Ohio State University’s portfolio of fully online programs is growing in number and national recognition.

U.S. News & World Report has again ranked Ohio State Online programs among the top in the nation in its 2025 Best Online Programs Rankings announced today (Jan. 21, 2025).

The university’s online bachelor’s programs ranked No. 5 nationally – marking its place within the top 10 for the 10th time since online programs were first ranked at Ohio State 12 years ago.

The College of Nursing’s RN to Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN); the School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences’ Bachelor of Science in Health Sciences and AS to Bachelor of Science in Radiologic Sciences in the College of Medicine; and the College of Dentistry’s RDH to Bachelor of Science, Dental Hygiene contributed to the 2025 ranking.

Ohio State is also the only institution in Ohio to be ranked within the top 50 for undergraduate online programs.

This year’s rankings mark the 11th consecutive year the College of Nursing’s online master’s programs have ranked within the top 10, tied with Duke University for No. 3 in the nation (ranked No. 4 in 2024).

Ohio State’s online Master of Science in Nursing features five specialization areas, two of which received rankings this year. The Master of Science in Nursing in Family Nurse Practitioner ranked No. 5 (tied with Drexel University) and is top-ranked among public institutions in this category.

The university’s Master of Science in Nursing in Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner was the top – and only – public institution ranked within the Online Psychiatric Mental Health, Across the Lifespan category. Ohio State ranked No. 3 overall and tied with Drexel University and George Washington University.

“Continued online program growth and excellence is driven by our shared commitment to accessibility, workforce development, affordability, serving Ohio, and increasing options and opportunities for student success,” said Jason Lemon, vice provost and dean for online learning. “We are excited to serve learners in Ohio, and beyond, when and where they need education through online degree opportunities.”

Ohio State’s online programs have previously been recognized for being military-friendly by organizations like the National Veterans Leadership Foundation and the Pat Tillman Foundation. This year, U.S. News & World Report Best Online Programs rankings added to that, recognizing Ohio State’s Fisher College of Business with a No. 3 rating for its online business programs for veterans (tied with Rutgers University – New Brunswick and Newark). Ohio State was eligible to be ranked in this category for the first time thanks to its growing military and veteran enrollments.

Fisher’s Specialized Master in Business Analytics (SMB-A) program jumped forward in the rankings to No. 5 (No. 25 in 2024) in the graduate business (non-MBA) category, tied with Duke University and the University of Massachusetts-Amherst.

Ohio State’s online engineering master’s degree programs – the Master of Global Engineering Leadership, the Master of Engineering Management and the Master of Science in Welding Engineering – also saw a jump in the rankings from No. 34 in 2024 to No. 22 in 2025, tied with the University of Arizona and Virginia Commonwealth University.

In the Best Online Master’s in Engineering Management Programs category, Ohio State ranked No. 13 (ranked No.14 in 2024), tied with the University of Maryland-College Park. The university was also the only Ohio university to be ranked in this category.

Together, Ohio State’s Master of Learning Technology offered by the College of Education and Human Ecology and the Master of Arts in Art Education from the College of Arts and Sciences were ranked alongside four other institutions at No. 54 in the Best Online Master’s in Education programs.

Over the past decade, Ohio State Online’s academic program portfolio has grown to nearly 90 degrees and certificates offered by 13 of Ohio State’s 15 colleges.

“Ohio State has expanded and supported its fully online degree options and increased their quality at the same time. This has been possible through strong partnerships between Ohio State Online, the academic colleges and senior university administration,” Lemon said.

Affordability and quality of instruction are at the forefront of the consideration of U.S. News & World Report. The site uses insights from these factors and others to rank online programs at regionally accredited institutions across the country.