{"id":2855720,"date":"2026-01-27T10:00:00","date_gmt":"2026-01-27T16:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/stfrancis.edu\/?p=2855720"},"modified":"2026-01-27T18:23:56","modified_gmt":"2026-01-28T00:23:56","slug":"ranked-in-best-online-colleges-us-news-and-world-report","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/stfrancis.edu\/ranked-in-best-online-colleges-us-news-and-world-report\/","title":{"rendered":"University of St. Francis Ranked in Best Online Colleges by U.S. News &amp; World Report"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t<div data-elementor-type=\"wp-post\" data-elementor-id=\"2855720\" class=\"elementor elementor-2855720\" data-elementor-post-type=\"post\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-f2e4385 elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"f2e4385\" data-element_type=\"section\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-822bca4\" data-id=\"822bca4\" data-element_type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-inner-section elementor-element elementor-element-8106c68 elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"8106c68\" data-element_type=\"section\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-inner-column elementor-element elementor-element-40bbf0d\" data-id=\"40bbf0d\" data-element_type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-6c03cd8 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"6c03cd8\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignright wp-image-2836565\" src=\"https:\/\/stfrancis.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/Accredited-Top-Ranked-Logo-Brown-400x372.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"279\" srcset=\"https:\/\/stfrancis.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/Accredited-Top-Ranked-Logo-Brown-400x372.png 400w, https:\/\/stfrancis.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/Accredited-Top-Ranked-Logo-Brown.png 606w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/>Joliet, Ill. \u2013 U.S. News &amp; World Report recently released its <strong>2026 Best Online Programs<\/strong> rankings, and the University of St. Francis is proud to announce that five of its online programs \u2013 including three named as the best private programs in Illinois \u2013 were honored this year.<\/p><p style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Recognized USF Programs include:<\/p><ul><li>Online Graduate Business Programs (excluding MBA) &#8211; #1 ranked private program overall in Illinois<\/li><li>Online Graduate Education Programs &#8211; #1 ranked private program in Illinois<\/li><li>Online MBA Programs &#8211; #1 ranked private program in Illinois<\/li><li>Online Nursing Programs &#8211; #4 ranked private program in Illinois<\/li><li>Online Bachelor\u2019s Programs &#8211; #2 ranked private program in Illinois<\/li><\/ul><p style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cWe are honored that U.S. News &amp; World Report continues to acknowledge the quality and impact of a University of St. Francis education,\u201d said Dr. Ryan C. Hendrickson, USF President. \u201cRankings such as these reflect the dedication of our faculty and staff \u2014 and, most importantly, the success of our students and graduates.\u201d<\/p><p style=\"font-weight: 400;\">As online education programs gain popularity and demand, USF continues to leverage its comprehensive history of offering quality options that meet the changing needs of students seeking undergraduate and graduate degrees.\u00a0<\/p><p style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Visit <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/stfrancis.edu\/admissions-aid\/online\/\">stfrancis.edu\/admissions-aid\/online<\/a><\/strong>\u00a0for more information on USF\u2019s online programs.<\/p><p style=\"font-weight: 400;\">: :<\/p><p style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The University of St. Francis, in Joliet, Ill., serves more than 3,200 students worldwide and offers undergraduate, graduate, doctoral and certificate programs in the arts and sciences, business, education, nursing and social work. There are over 54,000 USF alumni across the globe. For information, call 800-735-7500 or visit <a href=\"https:\/\/www.stfrancis.edu\/\">stfrancis.edu<\/a>.<\/p><p style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><strong>University of St. Francis: Bigger thinking. Brighter purpose.<\/strong><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-f7aa868 elementor-share-buttons--view-icon-text elementor-share-buttons--skin-gradient elementor-share-buttons--shape-square elementor-grid-0 elementor-share-buttons--color-official elementor-widget elementor-widget-share-buttons\" data-id=\"f7aa868\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"share-buttons.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-grid\" role=\"list\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-grid-item\" role=\"listitem\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-share-btn elementor-share-btn_facebook\" role=\"button\" tabindex=\"0\" aria-label=\"Share on facebook\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-share-btn__icon\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<i class=\"fab fa-facebook\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/i>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-share-btn__text\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-share-btn__title\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tFacebook\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-grid-item\" role=\"listitem\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-share-btn elementor-share-btn_twitter\" role=\"button\" tabindex=\"0\" aria-label=\"Share on twitter\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-share-btn__icon\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<i class=\"fab fa-twitter\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/i>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-share-btn__text\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-share-btn__title\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tTwitter\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-grid-item\" role=\"listitem\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-share-btn elementor-share-btn_linkedin\" role=\"button\" tabindex=\"0\" aria-label=\"Share on linkedin\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-share-btn__icon\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<i class=\"fab fa-linkedin\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/i>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-share-btn__text\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-share-btn__title\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tLinkedIn\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>U.S. News &#038; World Report recently released its 2026 Best Online Programs rankings, and the University of St. Francis is proud to announce that five of its online programs\u2014including three named as the best private programs in Illinois\u2014were honored this year.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":2849398,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[7677,7681,7683,5922,7676,7679,7680,7675,7647,7357],"class_list":["post-2855720","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news","tag-bachelors","tag-education","tag-illinois","tag-joliet","tag-online-colleges","tag-online-graduate-business-programs","tag-online-graduate-education-programs","tag-online-programs","tag-rankings","tag-u-s-news-world-report"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v26.8 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>USF Ranked in Best Online Colleges by U.S. News &amp; 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