Analyst: WT’s Online Graduate Education Programs Among Best in Country

Copy by Chip Chandler, 806-651-2124, cchandler@wtamu.edu

CANYON, Texas — West Texas A&M University’s education graduate programs are among the best in the nation, according to newly released rankings from a national analyst.

OnlineMastersDegrees.org ranked WT at No. 35 in its recent rankings of online master’s degrees in education.

WT is in the Top 10 of schools in Texas included in the rankings.

“We are honored to receive this ranking for our online master's programs,” said Dr. Beth Garcia, assistant dean of graduate programs and the Sylvia Nugent Professor of Education in the Terry B. Rogers College of Education and Social Sciences. “Most of the graduate students we serve have full-time jobs; as vital as it is to continue education in the current climate, it’s necessary for our students to be able to advance their education through the flexibility of online courses.”

Since 1997, WT has been a pioneer in online learning, fundamentally because it offers students in the Panhandle region and beyond easier access to higher education.

“This year, we focused on the schools making it easier for students to compete in today’s increasingly difficult job market,” said Kyle Darland, co-founder of OMD. “Each ranked school offers a fully or partially online master’s program in education at a time when earning a master’s has become a minimum barrier to entry for many.”

Darland is referencing a recent survey from CareerBuilder, which found that “33 percent of employers are hiring workers with master’s degrees for positions that had been primarily held by those with four-year degrees.” These employers cited an evolution of the skills needed to perform the jobs as the cause of the shift, and an increase in work quality, productivity and employee retention as the result.

“Providing students with opportunities to get a master’s online is only part of our rankings,” said Darland. “Top-ranked schools also had competitive tuition rates and/or scholarships to help drive costs down. And with grocery, gas and other expenses on everyone’s mind right now, an affordable master’s is key.”

OnlineMastersDegrees.org analyzed more than 7,700 accredited universities by using data pulled from the schools themselves and from the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System. After the data was compiled, OMD’s data science team then applied a proprietary algorithm to rank all qualifying schools for each of the different master’s degrees specialties. Primary data points include:

• Academic counseling services
• Career placement services
• Student/faculty ratio
• Tuition
• Percent of students receiving school-based aid
• Amount of school-based aid per student

To be eligible for ranking, a university must hold active regional accreditation and have at least one partially online master’s program in the ranking subject. Just 6 percent of U.S. postsecondary institutions earned a ranking position. 

For information on WT’s extensive online programs, visit wtamu.edu/online.

WT’s commitment to being a learner-centered university is a key component of the University’s long-term plan, WT 125: From the Panhandle to the World.

That plan is fueled by the historic, $125 million One West comprehensive fundraising campaign. To date, the five-year campaign — which publicly launched in September 2021 — has raised more than $120 million.

About OnlineMastersDegrees.org

OnlineMastersDegrees.org began in 2020 to support online learning at the master’s level. Our user-friendly, research-backed content helps students find scholarships, resources, financial aid, and connect with accredited colleges and universities across the country.

About West Texas A&M University

WT is located in Canyon, Texas, on a 342-acre residential campus. Established in 1910, the University has been part of The Texas A&M University System since 1990. WT, a Hispanic Serving Institution since 2016, boasts an enrollment of about 10,000 and offers 59 undergraduate degree programs and more than 40 graduate degrees, including two doctoral degrees. The University is also home to the Panhandle-Plains Historical Museum, the largest history museum in the state and the home of one of the Southwest’s finest art collections. The Buffaloes are a member of the NCAA Division II Lone Star Conference and offers 14 men’s and women’s athletics programs.

—WT—