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UNCW Among Top 20 Online Bachelor's

The University of North Carolina Wilmington is included among U.S. News and World Report’s top 20 best online bachelor’s degree programs in 2023, ranking 18th nationally on the popular annual list of U.S. colleges and universities. Several UNCW graduate programs in nursing, business and education are also recognized as best online programs. 

Tied at 18th with N.C. State and Washington State Universities in the overall category, UNCW was also selected for “Best Online Bachelor’s Programs for Veterans,” improving in the rankings to 29th, up from 34th a year ago.

“We are excited to be ranked in the top 20 for best online programs in the nation. This is a testament to the dedicated UNCW faculty and staff who lead and support our expanding portfolio of online programs,” said Provost James J. Winebrake. “We remain committed to delivering affordable, accessible and high-quality educational experiences that provide students greater opportunity for their own future success.”

U.S. News considers a variety of factors in developing its ranking of “Best Online Bachelor’s Programs,” which applies to undergraduate programs that are fully online. UNCW’s qualifying bachelor’s degree program for 2023 is the RN to BSN online nursing program.

Among the online graduate programs recognized by U.S. News, the UNCW’s Master’s in Nursing online program ranked 50th overall among “Best Online Master's in Nursing Programs,” tied with the University of Missouri and the University of West Georgia. Additionally, the online Master’s in Nursing for Veterans program ranked 13th in its category.

The UNCW online Master’s in Business Administration program advanced nearly 80 spots on the U.S. News list of “Best Online MBA Programs,” tied with seven schools at 124th.

Meanwhile, UNCW’s online non-MBA graduate business degree in areas such as finance, marketing and management made its debut on the “Best Online Master’s in Business Programs” list, ranked 115th and tied with Miami, Rowan and Seattle Universities.

Additionally, UNCW’s Master’s in Education online program is among the best in its category, ranked 204th with nine other schools.

2022 was a banner year for UNCW as it celebrated its 75th anniversary, surpassed its goal to raise $100 million through Like No Other: The Campaign for UNCW, added new academic programming and welcomed its 7th chancellor, Dr. Aswani K. Volety.

UNCW highlights during the 2022-23 academic year include:

Ranked 103rd among national public universities in U.S. News & World Report “Best Colleges 2023” list, tied with Florida A&M; Indiana University–Purdue University Indianapolis; and University of Wyoming. Among UNC System universities, only UNC-Chapel Hill and N.C. State University placed higher on the list than UNCW.

Included in the 2023 Fiske Guide to Colleges and the Forbes’ Top Colleges of 2022.

Named 15th best university for military service members and veterans by Military Times.

Earned the national designation of “Innovative and Economic Prosperity University” by the Association of Public and Land-grant Universities for its strong commitment to community and economic engagement.

Planned launch of new 10-year strategic plan in spring 2023.

“We are pleased to be recognized once again by U.S. News & World Report as one of the best in the nation for the quality of our online programming," said Chancellor Volety. "Our new strategic plan will guide the university as it continues to develop and refine the quality of all of our academic programs, research endeavors, and partnerships to prepare students for careers in emerging industries and high-demand jobs.”

Eight other UNC System universities were included in the U.S. News & World Report “2023 Best Online Bachelor’s Programs” rankings; among them, only UNC Charlotte (tied at 4th) placed higher on the list than UNCW.


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