The University of Alabama at Birmingham achieved high success in the U.S. News & World Report Best Online Programs, with three programs ranked in the Top 25 in the nation.

The UAB Collat School of Business’ online Master of Science in Management Information Systems was ranked No. 5 overall — and second among public universities — in U.S. News & World Report’s 2026 Best Online Programs. The Collat School of Business’ online graduate business degree in accounting remains the highest-ranked program of nine Alabama programs, ranking No. 25 in the nation.

The College of Arts and Sciences online Master of Criminal Justice degree ranked at No. 23, achieving the highest ranking in Alabama. The Master of Engineering degree from the School of Engineering moved up three spots to No. 46, with high rankings in both the Engagement and Faculty Credentials and Training categories.

“UAB’s continued success in these rankings reflects the dedication and innovation of our faculty in developing and conducting these programs, as well as the talent and determination of our students who are learning so effectively online,” said Janet Woodruff-Borden, senior vice president of Academic Affairs and UAB Provost. “We are proud to offer such world-class educational opportunities that impact the lives and later careers of our students both in person and virtually.”

Other notable rankings include:

• The Collat School of Business’ Master of Business Administration landed at No. 59, ranking in the top 20 percent of online MBA programs and the second-highest-ranked program out of 10 Alabama programs.
• Master of Arts in Education from the School of Education and Human Sciences ranked No. 76 for Best Online Graduate Education, ranking third in Alabama for Peer Assessment.
• UAB was ranked No. 77 for Best Online Bachelor’s, composed of 13 online bachelor programs from four schools, and achieved Top 40 placement in Peer Assessment, indicating high marks from academic officials and employers.

Two UAB programs made significant gains in the specialty rankings, which are based entirely on responses to the peer assessment survey. The online Bachelor Psychology program in the College of Arts and Sciences ranked at No. 12, an increase in six spots from 2025, and the online bachelor program in business in the Collat School of Business ranked No. 32, up nine spots from last year.

Veteran programs at UAB continue to rank highly, with the Online Engineering program for veterans moving up six spots to No. 26. The veteran’s online MBA ranked No. 38 and the veteran’s online bachelor’s programs landed at No. 47.

UAB Online offers 13 undergraduate majors, 15 undergraduate minors, 45 graduate programs, and 68 undergraduate and graduate certificate programs with online delivery method options.

USNWR online rankings assessed nearly 1,850 online bachelor’s and master’s degree programs. Undergraduate rankings are based on faculty credentials and training, services and technologies available to students, student engagement, and expert opinion on the academic quality of programs. Graduate rankings look at these credentials combined with student excellence.

Veteran program rankings are determined based on answers from the main online surveys. To be eligible for inclusion, schools must be ranked in the top half of schools, be certified for the GI Bill, and either participate in Yellow Ribbon or be a public institution that charges in-state tuition. They must also have enrolled what U.S. News determines “a critical mass of students with military backgrounds,” which is defined as 25 students for the Online Bachelor’s survey and 10 for the graduate programs.

The specialty rankings are based entirely on responses to the peer assessment survey. To be eligible for inclusion, a school must have received at least five ratings from peer institutions, have been ranked in the main ranking survey, and had their specialty offering verified through the peer assessment or otherwise by U.S. News.