Boise State’s Online Program is Among the Best in the U.S.

It's one thing to offer virtual school as a matter of necessity, and it's another thing to make it great.  Boise State is succeeding at both and gaining national attention in the process.

When the pandemic hit last year and lockdowns started, schools across the country that were unprepared had to scramble to put something in place, and students and teachers had to figure out Google Classroom in a hurry.  My daughter's elementary school did have a program in place before the pandemic, but it sure changed a lot between March and September after parents, students, and teachers got together on what worked and what didn't.  Many tweaks were put into place, like having all-day activities instead of a work-at-your-own pace approach so the kids didn't finish for the day at 9:30 am and spend the rest of the time twiddling their thumbs.  Online school at the elementary level has been an adventure, to say the least.  But it's good prep for college.

Boise State didn't seem to miss a beat last year.  Online programs were already happening when the pandemic began, and the university was able to continue with its programs for students here in Boise and all over the world.

U.S. News and World Report released its national rankings earlier this year covering more than 1,200 online programs, and Boise State said several of its programs earned high rankings.  Boise State was the only public or private institution in Idaho to be ranked.  Congrats!

Boise State’s online bachelor’s program ranked 39th nationally.  The most popular majors are registered nurse, respiratory care therapist, multi/interdisciplinary studies, business administration, and radiographer.  The School of Nursing is ranked 42nd for “Best Online Master’s in Nursing Programs.”

Other program-specific rankings at Boise State to earn honors, according to Boise State:

The online Master of Science in Accountancy program ranked 3rd for “Best Online Master’s in Business Programs (excluding MBA).”

The online Master of Business Administration program is ranked 67th for “Best Online MBA Programs.” It also landed at 43rd for the veterans category.

Boise State’s College of Education ranked 118th out of nearly 300 programs for “Best Online Master’s in Education Programs.”

It's pretty awesome that students can conquer college goals from Boise or anywhere in the world through online degree programs.  And, note to elementary kiddos -- stick with the virtual assignments and power points because college may be more of the same.  After ten years of you'll be all practiced up and ready to grab your masters.

No one was exactly prepared for a pandemic, but Boise State was pretty close.  Nice work!