While we don’t typically cover higher education, the latest announcement from U.S. News & World Report that the publication will begin to collect data from all online bachelor’s and five master’s degree level education programs in the United States does reflect the growing appetite for information on this burgeoning form of education delivery. Below is an excerpt from a letter U.S. News editor Brian Kelly sent to college presidents to inform them of his project:
Dear ________,
I’d like to ask for your help. Later this year, U.S.News & World Report will be publishing an expanded directory of online education programs with more detailed information including rankings and other searchable data. With the rapid growth of online programs in higher education, prospective students are asking for more, and more useful, data to make informed choices. We are creating a site that will bring the same quality of information to online consumers, and the same opportunity for schools to connect with those students, that we’ve brought to brick and mortar institutions over the last three decades. I’d like to make sure that we’re able to represent your school with the most accurate, updated information.
