ASU was ranked No. 1 in best online degrees in Arizona by the SR Education Group for 2020.
Additionally, ASU was ranked No. 19 in the nation for 2020 Best Online Colleges and Degrees by the group.
The SR Education Group is an education researcher publisher that pulls data from 1,943 online colleges in order to rank online schools in the nation. The best online schools in the U.S. are determined based on tuition research, accreditation and PayScale salary data, according to the group.
“In our 10th year of publishing college rankings, we are proud to lead the way in offering the most accurate, comprehensive, and accessible rankings for online students," Sung Rhee, CEO and founder of SR Education Group, said in a press release. "We know that program costs and return on investment are two objective, important factors to current students."
According to the ranking, ASU Online has the highest median alumni salary in Arizona, at $87,600.
In the 2019 U.S. News and World Report’s “Best Online Bachelor's Programs,” ASU was ranked No. 2 in the nation. Their ranking was determined on four different categories: student engagement, student services and technology, faculty credentials and training and peer reputation.
ASU has over 300 online programs, including bachelor's degrees, masters programs and certificates in different fields.
The number of students who complete degrees online is increasing in Arizona and across the nation. ASU online has grown from 400 students to over 30,000 students in the past six years.
Alyssa Trimlett, a senior studying mass communication and media studies, said transferring to online schooling has helped her significantly balance her life.
"Being an online student has given me more time to work and support myself," Trimlett said. "Which I believe is very important while in college."
Trimlett said she can focus better in a closed environment and does not miss the face-to-face interaction that comes with in-person classes.
"It has changed my college experience completely and has made me extremely less stressed than I would be taking classes on campus," Trimlett said.
A spokesperson for ASU Online did not respond to a request for comment.
Reach the reporter at eborst@asu.edu and follow @ellieeborstt on Twitter.
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Ellie Borst is the executive editor of The State Press, overseeing the publication and its four departments: online, magazine, multimedia and engagement. She plans to graduate in May 2022 with her master's in legal studies and got her bachelor's in journalism in 2021. Previous roles she has held since joining SP in 2018 include digital managing editor, magazine managing editor, community and culture desk editor, and arts and culture reporter.