ZDNet Ranks N.C. A&T Among Nation’s Top 10 Online Economics Degree Providers

EAST GREENSBORO, N.C. (Dec. 20, 2021) – North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University’s Willie A. Deese College of Business and Economics is one of the nation’s top 10 online economics degree providers, according to ZDNet.

North Carolina A&T’s online economics degree program is ranked at No. 8 on the 2021 list compiled by ZDNet, a business technology news website owned by Red Ventures media company.

No other North Carolina institution or historically Black college or university (HBCU) is on the list, which includes Florida International University, the University of Utah, Penn State, Washington State University and the University of Colorado, among others.

A&T is the only HBCU in the country with a dedicated online B.S. in economics.

“The academic programs in the Deese College are world-class, and receiving this recognition of our online B.S. in economics among many other accolades is further validation of our high quality,” said Kevin James, Ph.D., Deese College dean. “We are proud to provide students the chance to significantly enhance their employment opportunities through an economics education, regardless of their ability to attend college full time or to be physically present on our campus.”

ZDNet noted that students can tailor A&T’s online economics degree to meet their specific career goals and may choose up to nine elective courses from any academic department.

“Our online students benefit from the same student-focused advising and mentoring that the Deese College and N.C. A&T are known for,” said Scott Simkins, Ph.D., Department of Economics chair. “In addition, students in our program have access to the same incredible internship and job placement opportunities that our on-campus students enjoy. We are in the business of transforming students’ lives.”

The Deese College has been accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB) International since 1979, when it became the first university in the Piedmont-Triad area to earn the organization’s prestigious stamp of quality.

ZDNet’s approach to rankings is designed to identify programs and schools with proven track records in serving students, learners and certificate-earners. Every program it lists is independently selected based on data collected via the National Center for Education Statistics annual survey, which tracks more than 100 variables such as admission rates, degrees and/or certificates awarded, graduation rates, student enrollment and student financial aid.

Using the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System, ZDNet’s proprietary ranking algorithm weighs more than a dozen factors across categories of academics, reputation, affordability and programmatic excellence.

Before release, every dataset is subject to review by a team of expert consultants and the ZDNet education editorial board. Contributors include researchers, scientists and experts in the fields of higher education, computer science and information technology who help to confirm that program offerings align with student goals. Rankings are organized according to criteria developed independent from program outcomes.

This ranking by ZDNet is another example of the national attention A&T’s online B.S. in economics has received in 2021.