RALEIGH, N.C., Sept. 8, 2015 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- William Peace University, (http://www.peace.edu/) a private four-year university located in downtown Raleigh, is proud to announce it is ranked among the best online colleges in North Carolina for the 2015-2016 academic year, according to Affordable Colleges Online (ACO), an independent organization dedicated to online learning and college affordability. This marks the second consecutive year in which the University has been named to the top 15 and commended for its flexibility in course offerings, financial aid awarded, and affordability.
To determine the rankings, ACO data analysts and college experts developed a proprietary scoring system to rank colleges based on various cost-to-quality criteria and metrics, or the AC Online Peer-Based Value. This proprietary metric compares qualitative components of colleges with similar costs, against the tuition of colleges with similar quality metrics. The general criteria and scoring metrics include:
- Must be not-for-profit institution
- Number of online bachelor's degrees available
- Student-faculty ratio
- Loan default rate
- Job placement and career counseling for graduates
- Online tuition rate
- 6-year graduation rate
WPU first introduced evening classes in 2009, and in 2011 and 2012, added online and Saturday classes as part of its School of Professional Studies (SPS), a bachelor's degree program geared toward working adults wanting to further their education and careers. Since being introduced, the program has seen a steady growth in enrollment and popularity, primarily due to its flexible course offerings and affordability. The University prides itself on innovative and up-to-date curriculum and course work having added more than a dozen majors, minors, and concentrations, all taught through a variety of mediums, within the last five years.
"We are honored to have been named to this list for the second consecutive year," said Brian C. Ralph, Ph.D., President of William Peace University. "We are consistently ranked as one of the best universities in not only North Carolina, but the southeast. Our strong internship program has garnered us a No. 1 national ranking, and more than 90 percent of our graduates find jobs or enroll in graduate school after completing their degree at William Peace University. The success of our students is truly our mission, and we want to continue to provide them with a quality education at an affordable price, with flexible course schedules and class offerings."
WPU checked in at No. 13 on ACO's 2015 list. To view the 2016 rankings, or for more information on Affordable Colleges Online, please visit: http://www.affordablecollegesonline.org/online-colleges/north-carolina/.
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ABOUT WILLIAM PEACE UNIVERSITY:
William Peace University is located in the heart of downtown Raleigh, North Carolina. It was founded in 1857 as Peace Institute, offering education for boys and girls in primary grades and to women from high school to college. Peace, an all-women's college, became a four-year baccalaureate college and graduated its first bachelor's students in August of 1996. Exclusively an all-women's institution for its first 152 years, Peace began offering coeducational evening courses through the William Peace School of Professional Studies in 2009. In 2011, Peace College transitioned to William Peace University and welcomed its first coeducational class to its day program in fall 2012. Its mission is to prepare students for careers in the organizations of tomorrow. On average, more than 90 percent of the university's graduates are placed in jobs or graduate school within one year of graduation. In fact, the University is ranked No. 1 in the nation among colleges with the highest rate of internships, according to a 2013 study conducted by U.S. News & World Report. For more information on WPU, please visit www.peace.edu.