Westfield State University honored for affordable online offerings

Date: 8/7/2013

WESTFIELD – Westfield State University (WSU) has been honored with a spot on the Affordable Colleges Online: Most Affordable Online College Degree Programs list. WSU ranked first in New England and was the only institution to be so honored.

“Coupled with the recent recognition by U.S. News and World Report ranking Westfield State online faculty number one in the entire country for quality, this is a real achievement,” Dr. Evan S. Dobelle, president of WSU, said. “I have great pride in our faculty and staff who have been pioneers and leaders in the advancement of online education and who have been so successful in integrating technology in the 21st century and translating it into meaningful outcomes.”

The company analyzed several thousand colleges and ranked the top 54 colleges with the most affordable online programs with graduates that are successful finding high paying careers post-graduation. The university ranked 37 overall.

Affordable Colleges Online determines the rankings based on net tuition prices, colleges that are fully accredited, four-year not-for-profit intuitions with at least one online or distance learning degree program during the 2012-2013 year, and whose graduates earn more than $31,000 average starting salary.

“When researching potential colleges, students consider their personal interests, the school’s reputation for academic excellence and value,” Kimberly Tobin, dean of Graduate and Continuing Education, said. “Because online programs allow a convenient way to obtain a degree, students often look to combine that convenience with a measure of affordability.

“Westfield State University’s online bachelor’s degree completion programs offer this blend of high-quality, yet affordable education that students seek,” she continued.

Westfield State currently offers six online bachelor degree completion programs for business, sociology, history, liberal studies, criminal justice, and psychology.

Students also have the option of earning art, management, psychology, or sociology minors online. The university offers a number of non-credit career training courses online in partnership with Gatlin Education Services in the areas of healthcare programs, business/legal, networking, and more.

For more information on online degree opportunities, visit www.westfield.ma.edu/onlinelearning.