Online MIS, RMI master’s degrees rise in national rankings

Graphic by Tony Watts Jr./College of Business. Click to enlarge

Leading with a leap to Top 10 status among public schools for its master’s degrees in management information systems (MS-MIS) and risk management and insurance (MS-RMI), the Florida State University College of Business surged upward in U.S. News & World Report’s 2025 rankings of online master’s degrees and MBA specialties released today.

“We are elated with these new high marks that reflect our college’s ongoing commitment to exemplary graduate education,” said Michael Hartline, dean of the College of Business. “Our online programs continue to provide professionals with affordable, flexible degree options that advance their skills and result in better career opportunities long term. We know our triumphs as a college spark student success, and high-achieving students become business leaders better equipped to disrupt industry and transform the global marketplace. This knowledge inspires us to accomplish more.”

The college climbed to No. 8 among public schools, up from No. 14 last year, for its online MIS and RMI master’s degrees, achieving the No. 12 spot among all schools – public or private – compared to No. 18 previously. The college’s online Master of Business Administration (MBA) program also maintained its No. 16 public ranking, placing No. 20 overall, and achieved a No. 8 public rank for its online MBA specialty in marketing, landing at the No. 12 spot overall.

The improved standings also resulted in a move up in the college’s rankings for best online graduate programs for veterans, increasing to No. 6 among all public universities offering specialty master’s programs online, No. 8 overall, and up to No. 13 among public MBA programs, No. 15 overall.

U.S. News evaluates universities with online graduate degrees on a myriad of factors it groups into five categories: 30% engagement, 25% peer assessment, 15% faculty credentials and training, 15% student excellence, and 15% services and technologies. Colleges are assessed, for example, on whether they have implemented best practices ranging from anti-plagiarism policies to collaborative coursework; how many of their students graduate within three years of starting an online program; the quality of each program’s admissions pool based on applicants’ previous academic performance and work experience; and whether schools provide smaller class sizes, robust technical support or career assistance.

This year’s U.S. News data links FSU’s higher showing for its MIS and RMI master’s programs to a better score in the faculty credentials and training category, which tallies objective indicators related to school-sponsored training and implementation of best practices for online teaching. The college also improved its rating this year in the peer-review category, a subjective assessment by deans at peer schools that also have online graduate business programs.

March 1 is the next application deadline for the college's online master's degree programs. Those admitted will start their studies in May. Learn more and request information at graduatebusiness.fsu.edu.
 

– Melanie Yeager