Local satellite campuses offer variety of digital degrees
A study sponsored by Newsweek Magazine and conducted by STATISTA, a data base and statistical analysis organization, identified Texas Tech University as the number one online learning institution in the United States.
The study included 9,000 U.S. citizens who had used online learning regarding their experience in obtaining either an online college degree or online training to acquire knowledge and skills for their job or hobbies.
Those surveyed rated institutions on several criteria, as well as indicating how satisfied they were with the institution and whether they would recommend it to others.
Texas Tech earned the top score among colleges. Others on the list included institutions widely recognized for their online degrees, such as Western Governors University (#10) and Arizona State University (#12).
Officials said the ranking for Tech holds “special significance” for Texas Tech Highland Lakes Regional site, where students take a majority of their courses online.
The degree they earn is equivalent to degrees available on the Tier 1 university’s main campus.
“Our students at Highland Lakes have the quality and convenience of a Texas Tech online education,” said Site Director Celia Merrill in a statement released on Jan. 4. “But they also have the very personal support provided by Advisor Anne Arnecke and Admissions Counselor Lance Pickle.
“IT support from Jonathan Young ensures that they are fully utilizing all the tools that make their online learning effective,” she added. “And our students become part of the community of learners that grows from occasionally coming to our classrooms to meet their student colleagues and faculty members.”
For colleges, the user ratings were combined with data from several sources of public information such as enrollment, graduation statistics, and research activity.
The ratings and public information were first used to create score values, then aggregated to a final score. The final list of top awards included 150 colleges and universities that have at least six degrees available online, and 32 institutions other than colleges that provide online courses.
In addition to overall ratings of satisfaction and recommendation, criteria in the survey included:
• organization and accessibility
• support and service
• cost of program
• perceived organizational reputation
• (expected) success
• practical relevance of contents
Surveyed respondents also rated the importance of each criterion with his or her experience with the institution. Respondents’ assessment of importance determined the weight given to each criterion in the score.
For more information about Texas Tech Highland Lakes in Marble Falls go to highlandlakes.ttu.edu.
