California State University, San Bernardino is listed as 36th for its online criminal justice program and 124th for its online MBA program by U.S. News & World Report’s 2023 Best Online Program national rankings.

“It is not only the continued excellence of our programs, but their national and international recognition which makes this announcement so impactful,” said A. Rafik Mohamed, CSUSB provost and vice president for Academic Affairs. “While this makes me proud, I am even more gratified it reflects the outstanding education we can offer our students from right here in the Inland Empire.”

The deans of both colleges involved in the rankings were happy to share their appreciation.

The online MBA program was listed as fourth in California overall and first in the state in public universities, according to the rankings.

“The Jack H. Brown College of Business and Public Administration is a powerhouse in building the economic strength of our region,” said its dean, Tomás Gomez-Arias. “I am heartened by this recognition of our online MBA. The flexibility provided by our online graduate degree enables those who are working full time to pursue this next step in building their careers. As the highest ranked online MBA program at a public university in California, we make a difference where it matters most.”

Commenting on the ranking for the online criminal justice program, Christina Hassija, interim dean of the College of Social and Behavioral Sciences, said, “CSUSB’s work in the field of criminal justice goes from strength to strength. That our online program occupies such a significant spot in the rankings is extremely encouraging and brings me great pride. We are building a robust online pathway in the field, and this ranking tells us we should continue in the direction we are heading.” 

The online criminal justice program was listed as fourth in the state of California overall and second in the state in public universities, according to the rankings.

Mohamed had a special thank you for the faculty in each of these programs. “Without the quality of our faculty, we would not be where we are.”

He explained this quality was comprised of outstanding knowledge in the field, involvement in cutting-edge research, expertise in teaching and a focus on student success. “This focus on our students exists, regardless of whether instruction is in person or online,” Mohamed said. “It is part of what makes CSUSB such a special place to teach and to learn.”

USNWR explains on its website why the publication expanded its ranking system to online programs. In our current world, “online learning is integral to all types of education, including higher education, and that consumers are hungry for information related to online degrees.”

USNWR also emphasizes it is ranking programs, and not schools themselves. In addition, the rankings only apply to those programs that are “predominantly online degree programs, from entry to completion.” Programs that went online temporarily, for example, for COVID-19 reasons, are not included.

Furthermore, only programs that are housed in regionally accredited schools are eligible, and the institutions must participate in USNWR’s annual data collection. “Certificate programs and associate and doctoral degrees are also not included,” its website states.

The methodology used by USNWR measured overall academic quality across undergraduate and master’s programs and a wide variety of disciplines. USNWR writes, “Ultimately, the Best Online Programs rankings measure whether online degree programs have academic standards commensurate with quality brick-and-mortar programs that are properly adapted toward the unique pedagogy of distance education.”

Learn more at USNWR’s Online Rankings School FAQs.