RENO, Nev., April 2, 2020 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- Student Training & Education in Public Service (STEPS), an organization dedicated to higher education for the greater good, has released its 2020 rankings on PublicServiceDegrees.org. The new rankings showcase colleges and universities with the best combinations of affordability, commitment to public service, and online learning in social work, education and more than 40 other public service fields.
"Careers that serve the community are more important now than ever before," said Kyle Smith, community outreach specialist for STEPS. "We wanted to recognize the institutions making degrees in social work, education and other public service areas a priority, with flexible learning and affordable tuition for their students."
STEPS analyzed thousands of online programs using data from the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS), the U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard and from the colleges and universities themselves. To generate the rankings, STEPS examined online program availability, applicable tuition and fees and the following academic and financial data points:
- Availability of academic counseling
- Availability of career placement services
- Institutional and programmatic accreditation
- Median earnings of students ten years post-entry
- Number of online students
- Percentage of students with institutional aid
STEPS also gave special consideration to schools that participate in AmeriCorps' Ed Award Matching Program, and that produced the most Peace Corps volunteers in 2019.
"Online learning and student services lie at the core of our college rankings, but it was important to reward schools that support the greater good in other ways, too," said Smith. "Involvement with AmeriCorps and the Peace Corps is a prime example of public service that we looked for in an institution."
Not-for-profit schools appearing in the most public service rankings by STEPS:
1. Texas A&M University – College Station
2. University of Missouri – Columbia
3. University of Utah
4. Arizona State University – Skysong
5. Grand Canyon University
6. University of Florida
7. East Carolina University
8. Fort Hays State University
9. George Washington University
10. University of Arizona
You can see the full list of STEPS public service rankings at the following page: https://www.publicservicedegrees.org/online-degrees/
About STEPS
Student Training & Education in Public Service – STEPS (https://www.publicservicedegrees.org/) began in 2018 with the long-term mission to support higher education for the greater good. Our free resource materials and expert-driven guidebooks help students find scholarships, financial aid, and top degree programs in social work, counseling, education, criminal justice, public health, and more than a dozen other key public service sectors. Since the site's official launch in 2019, STEPS has been featured by more than 50 top colleges and universities across the U.S.
SOURCE STEPS
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