Bethel University named best online school in Tennessee in 2015-16 survey

Tennessee

Bethel University was named the top accredited online school in Tennessee for the 2015-2016 school year.

Accreditedschoolsonline.org recently analyzed data from hundreds of colleges across the nation with online degrees at the bachelor’s level. The goal was to discover which colleges offer the most notable balances of academic rigor, student support, and affordability for online learning – and Bethel University topped the list.

“We are thrilled with the ranking, which includes vital data that every college student should take into account when choosing a university,” said Kelly Sanders-Kelley, Executive Vice President of Bethel’s College of Professional Studies.  “Moreover, coming on the heels of other recent awards — to include Best Criminal Justice Program in Tennessee, and 2nd in the nation in BestColleges.com’s list of Best Online Christian Liberal Arts Colleges – the ranking confirms what we have always believed:  Bethel does things right.”

“To have a nationally known and very respected agency like Accredited Schools Online independently rank our Online Programs as Number 1 in Tennessee is a huge honor for Bethel University,” said the school’s President, Dr. Walter Butler.  “We strive to be the best, and this lets us know that others think we are the best.  I thank our faculty and staff for their hard work in this achievement, and I know it further shows why so many students in our Volunteer State are choosing Bethel University to further their education online.  We are proud to be a part of higher education to our citizens of Tennessee.”

To determine the rankings, data analysts and college experts developed a proprietary scoring system to rank these colleges based on various cost-to-quality criteria and metrics, or the ASO Peer-Based Value. This proprietary metric compares qualitative aspects of colleges with similar costs against the tuition of colleges with similar quality metrics. The general criteria and scoring metrics include the student-faculty ratio; not-for-profit status; the number of online bachelor’s degrees available; the online tuition rate; the loan default rate; the six-year graduation rate; and job placement and career counseling for graduates.

Over 55,000 Tennessee college students are currently taking at least one online course, according to a recent study by the Babson Survey Research Group.

“We wanted to recognize schools that are implementing convenient and cutting-edge technological learning opportunities to all students,” said Doug Jones, CEO and Founder of Accredited Schools Online. “These schools are not only offering exceptional programs, but they have expanded their program excellence to the much-desired online environment.”

Headquartered in McKenzie, Tenn., Bethel University offers a variety of degree programs, both on campus, in a traditional format, and online.  It is one of the oldest private institutions in Tennessee, and among the fastest-growing universities in the South. To learn more about Bethel University’s College of Professional Studies programs, both on-campus and online, go to BethelSuccess.net, or call 877-4BETHEL.