An independent review of Bemidji State University’s online master’s programs in education has ranked it as one of the best buys in America for teachers and educators seeking affordable, online advanced degrees.

The “Best Online College” ranking by Get Educated ranked BSU’s online masters in special education as the 15th-most affordable special education degree in the nation at $13,436. However, nine of the 14 programs ranked ahead of Bemidji State have variable rates for out-of-state tuition that are higher than in-state rates. For students not living in the state of Minnesota, Bemidji State would rank as the seventh-most affordable online special education master’s program in the country.

Bemidji State’s special education master’s program also ranked 67th on a list of 114 “best buys” for master’s degrees in a broad range of education-related fields such as education, teaching, instructional technology, education leadership and special education. Bemidji State’s master’s degree in education ranked 84th on that list of 114.

In a statement, Get Educated calls Bemidji State and other ranked schools “an elite group of innovators ensuring higher education access for teachers and educators in a time when college affordability has become a critical national concern.”

The Get Educated Best Buy rankings are based on a comprehensive review of 367 online education masters programs offered at 129 regionally accredited colleges and universities. The award indicates an online education program has been independently reviewed and found to offer a high-quality online degree for educators and teachers at a cost that ranks below the national average. Get Educated’s comprehensive national ranking survey found that average to be $16,730.62.

This year’s rankings are based on a review of regionally accredited and regional candidate schools offering online degrees in the fall of 2011. The published cost is an estimated sticker price for the entire online masters degree and typically reflects the most-affordable option. Actual costs will vary by student, and factors such as transfer credits at entrance, degree-specific prerequisite requirements and financial aid availability will affect the final price, according to Get Educated.

Get Educated is a consumer group which provides fact-based comparative data on 3,000 accredited online programs as a service to help students locate the highest-quality online education programs in selected career areas. Rankings will be updated in 2014.

LINKS:
• Get Educated: www.geteducated.com
• 19 Affordable Online Master’s Degrees in Special Education: http://bit.ly/Q3gyhK
• 114 Affordable Online Degrees: Master’s in Education Best Buys: http://bit.ly/P0FtE6