The University of Nevada, Reno received recognition this week from U.S. News & World Report as offering a top online graduate program in the country. The Online Executive MBA, offered in partnership between the College of Business and Extended Studies, was ranked No. 36 of more than 200 schools in the "2017 Best Online MBA Programs" category. In addition to its overall ranking, the program ranked as having the highest 3-year graduation rate, with 100 percent of its participants who started between July 2012 and June 2013 graduating within three years.

In this category, about 1,000 regionally accredited institutions were sent statistical questionnaires, and certain other conditions and definitions had to be met to be included in the final ranking. U.S. News ranked online MBA programs using five categories: student engagement; admissions selectivity; peer reputation; faculty credentials and training; student services and technology. The University's Online Executive MBA received particularly high marks for its student engagement - ranking fourth in this category - which is defined by student graduation rate, class size and retention rates.

"I wanted to get an MBA, but needed the flexibility of online courses," Sean Nichols, EMBA graduate and business entrepreneur, said. "I am an executive at two companies and the director of a charity so it would have been tough to find time to be on campus. Plus, the two-year program was a definite plus."

The 2017 Best Online MBA Programs ranking evaluates schools based solely on data related to their distance education MBA programs. Non-MBA graduate business degrees in areas such as finance, marketing and management are assessed separately for a different ranking: Best Online Graduate Business Programs.

The College of Business' Executive MBA Program meets the accreditation standards of the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business, the highest attainable level of accreditation in business education.

"We are incredibly proud of the Online Executive MBA program we have built in the College of Business," Kambiz Raffiee, the program's director and associate dean of the College of Business, said. "Top rankings from U.S. News & World Report continue to be a major milestone for the program. The hard work of the faculty, students and program administration have made this possible."