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Clarion tops Best Online Colleges in Pennsylvania ranking

Clarion University has received the top spot in the 2015-2016 Best Online Colleges for Pennsylvania rankings by AffordableColleges Online.org, a leading resource for online learning and college affordability information.

“We wanted to highlight the schools in each state that are driving innovative learning and meeting demands of students,” said Dan Schuessler, CEO and founder of AC Online. “These schools are not only offering great programs, but they have expanded their program excellence to the much-desired online environment.”

Affordable Colleges Online has distinguished its ranking scale by the use of Peer-Based Value. The PBV score compares the cost of each program to the cost of similar programs with the same qualitative score.

The general criteria and scoring metrics include:

Must be a not-for-profit institution.

Number of online bachelor’s degrees available.

Student-faculty ratio.

Loan default rate.

Job placement and career counseling for graduates.

Online tuition rate.

Six-year graduation rate.

“Our first completely online degree program was the Master of Science in Library Science in 2002,” said Lynne Fleisher, director of Clarion’s online programs. “Currently we have 27 completely online programs, plus certificates.”

Fleisher said it’s the faculty members who drive the success of Clarion’s online programs.

“The online programs are taught by the same faculty as classes on campus. The curriculum is exactly the same – it’s just a different modality,” she said. “The faculty want to make sure the online student’s experience and learning outcomes are the same (as on-campus). Nothing is watered down.”

“I am especially pleased with this recognition,” said Clarion provost Ron Nowaczyk. “I believe the ranking reflects the work of our faculty and staff to provide quality online education at an affordable cost. In today’s environment the quality, convenience and cost of earning a college degree or credential are central for many adults.”

According to a recent study by the Babson Survey Research Group, the population of online students enrolled in more than one online class is more than 150,000 in Pennsylvania.

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