EduMed has ranked Black River Technical College鈥檚 Online Associate of Applied Science in Health Sciences as #7 in the Best Health Science Associate Degrees Online for 2023.听 Only 6% of regionally accredited colleges and universities earned a ranking position.听 Ranking was based upon overall quality, affordability and commitment to student success.
鈥淲e are proud of the flexibility, and the affordability, the online Associate of Applied Science in Health Sciences offers aspiring students,鈥� said Jason Linam, BRTC Dean of Nursing and Allied Health.听 鈥淭his degree often provides the base upon which many healthcare providers advance their education.鈥�
EduMed.org鈥檚 rankings come at a time when the demand for trained healthcare professionals is on the rise. According to Mercer, a global consulting leader in healthcare, the U.S. will see millions of vacancies in critical healthcare positions by 2025. Nurse practitioner, nursing assistant and home health aide roles stand to experience some of the greatest shortages over the next three years and beyond.
鈥淥ur rankings showcase the schools giving future nurses and allied health professionals the best chance to succeed from day one in the classroom to day one on the job,鈥� said Wes Harris, outreach coordinator for EduMed.org. 鈥淭his starts with low-cost tuition, but also includes academic counseling, career placement and other key resources that students need to graduate and get hired.鈥�
EduMed.org researched and analyzed more than 7,700 accredited schools using data from the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) and from the schools themselves. The website鈥檚 data science team then applied a proprietary algorithm to rank all qualifying schools for each healthcare discipline. Primary data points include:
- Academic counseling services
- Career placement services
- Student-to-faculty ratio
- Tuition
- Percent of students receiving school-based financial aid
- Amount of school-based aid per student
鈥淥ne key to solving the healthcare shortage is making higher education more accessible,鈥� said Harris. 鈥淥nline programs open the door to students who may not be able to commit to a campus-based program while working, or to commute to a classroom at all. Each school in our rankings has made online learning a priority.鈥�
To be eligible, a school must hold active regional accreditation and have at least one partially online program in the ranking subject. Just 8 percent of U.S. postsecondary institutions earned a ranking position.
Visit https://www.edumed.org/online-schools/health-science-degrees/associate/# to see the rankings. For more information about BRTC鈥檚 Health Science programs, visit https://blackrivertech.org/academics/allied-health/associate-of-applied-science-general-technology.听 You may also contact Dana Clay at (870) 248-4150 or danac@blackrivertech.edu.