Home Rankings Methodology

How EduMed Builds the Annual Rankings for Online Nursing & Allied Health Programs

Choosing the right online program in nursing or allied health starts with reliable, transparent information. EduMed’s annual rankings are designed to help students compare accredited programs based on cost, flexibility, student support, and long-term outcomes.

Our methodology relies on objective data from trusted federal sources and is updated each year to ensure accuracy and relevance.

Below, you’ll find a complete breakdown of how we select, evaluate, and rank schools, along with official resources for institutions recognized in our 2026 rankings.

Why Students Trust EduMed’s Rankings

EduMed takes a student-first approach to evaluating colleges and universities. Every ranking is built from:

  • The latest data from the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) (most recent pull: July 2025)
  • Measures that directly impact affordability, flexibility, and student success
  • Inclusion limited to accredited institutions
  • Program-level filters to highlight schools offering online or hybrid learning
  • A healthcare-focused lens designed specifically for nursing and allied health fields

This transparency helps students make informed decisions and ensures that recognized schools stand out for meaningful reasons.

Institutions recognized in our rankings are welcome – and encouraged – to share this achievement across websites, social media, and marketing materials. Below you’ll find official assets and guidelines.

Download the Official 2026 Badge

A circular badge with the text "Best Online Programs EDUMED 2026" in purple and orange, featuring a small graduation cap icon at the top, highlights excellence in online nursing programs recognized by EduMed rankings.

Download PNG

Download SVG

Use this badge freely on:
  • Program pages
  • Press releases
  • Print materials
  • Email newsletters
  • Social media
  • Digital advertising
  • Alumni communications
Badge Usage Guidelines

To ensure consistency and accuracy:

  • Do not alter badge colors, fonts, or proportions
  • Badge may be resized but must remain legible
  • When used on a website, please link it to: https://www.edumed.org/online-schools/
  • Preferred anchor text: “EduMed.org 2026 Best Online Programs Ranking”

Press Release Template (Editable)

Schools may adapt and distribute this press release to announce their ranking.

Download

[School Name] recognized by EduMed for excellence in nursing & allied health education

[School Name] has been ranked by EduMed.org for overall value in nursing and allied health education in 2026.

EduMed.org, a leader in student-focused college and career information online, has released its annual rankings of top schools for higher education in nursing and allied health. This year, EduMed focused on overall value, highlighting institutions whose cost, quality, flexibility and services foster success both during school and after graduation.

Look at the full rankings on the EduMed website: https://www.edumed.org/online-schools/

“For 2026, we refined our methodology to better reward schools that are maximizing the value of their college degrees,” said Wes Ricketts, founder of EduMed.org. “And when assessing value, the first metric we examined was cost.”

EduMed began with a standard analysis of in-state tuition and fees, and then expanded to cost-related data that often gets overlooked. This included the percentage of students awarded financial aid from the schools themselves, as well as the average dollar amount they received.

EduMed’s move to more value-driven rankings comes at a time when the ROI of a college degree remains a hot topic. According to a study from the Lumina Foundation, cost is the number one barrier to starting and finishing a degree program. However, the study also found that most Americans still believe college is a smart investment. Eighty-six percent of adults surveyed believe a bachelor’s degree pays off within ten years.

“Affordable degree programs only hold value if they lead to solid employment, especially in healthcare,” said Ricketts.

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’s data science team then applied a proprietary algorithm to rank all qualifying schools for each healthcare discipline. Primary data points include:

  • Average in-state tuition
  • Percent of students receiving institutional aid
  • Average amount of institutional aid awarded to students
  • Number of online programs available
  • Percent of total students taking at least one distance education class
  • Student/faculty ratio
  • Percent of full-time student completion – 6 years
  • Academic counseling
  • Career placement

To be eligible for ranking consideration, a school must hold active regional accreditation and have at least one partially online program in the ranking subject.

About EduMed

EduMed.org set out in 2018 to support higher education in healthcare. Our free resource materials and expert-driven guidebooks help students find scholarships, financial aid and top degree programs in nursing, healthcare administration and dozens of other allied health disciplines. Since the site’s official launch in 2019, EduMed.org has been featured by more than 100 premier colleges and universities across the U.S.

View Template

Website & Media Usage Guidelines

To maintain consistency across platforms, please follow these recommendations:

  • Always reference the ranking as: “EduMed.org 2026 Best Online Programs Rankings”
  • Link to the ranking URL provided above
  • When describing EduMed, you may use the following boilerplate:

“EduMed.org supports higher education in healthcare by helping students find scholarships, financial aid, and top online degree programs in nursing, healthcare administration, and allied health fields. Since its launch in 2019, EduMed has been referenced by more than 100 accredited colleges and universities nationwide.”

Our Rankings Process

EduMed’s methodology is built on a multi-stage review process that emphasizes accuracy and fairness across all ranking categories.

1. Identifying Eligible Schools & Programs

A school must meet all of the following criteria to be included in any ranking:

  • Institutional accreditation recognized by the U.S. Department of Education
  • At least one partially or fully online program in the ranking subject area
  • Available academic and/or career counseling services
  • Complete reporting to IPEDS (self-reported by institutions)

These eligibility requirements are consistent across all ranking types and degree levels.

2. Collecting & Verifying Data

EduMed evaluates institutions using:

  • IPEDS data submitted directly by schools
  • The most recent federal data available (July 2025)
  • Additional verification from school websites, catalogs, and program pages
  • Internal data screening performed by EduMed’s data science and editorial teams

Only official, standardized datasets are used to ensure schools are compared on equal footing.

3. Ranking Metrics

While each ranking type (Best, Most Affordable, Accelerated, Bridge) has unique goals, all programs are evaluated using a combination of the metrics below.

To keep things clear and student-friendly, we’ve grouped our methodology by undergraduate and graduate programs.

Undergraduate Rankings

Best Online, Most Affordable Online, Accelerated Online, Undergraduate Bridge

Metrics used across all undergraduate categories:

  • Tuition: Average in-state tuition for full-time undergraduate students
  • Institutional Aid: Average aid amount and percent of students receiving aid
  • Online Availability: Number of online or hybrid programs in the discipline
  • Online Enrollment: Percent of undergraduates taking at least one online course
  • Graduation Rate: Completion rate within six years (full-time, first-time students)
  • Student/Faculty Ratio: Measure of instructional accessibility

Each ranking category applies different weightings—for example, “Most Affordable” emphasizes tuition and aid, while “Best Online” places higher value on program availability and student outcomes.

Graduate Rankings

Best Online Graduate, Most Affordable Online Graduate, Accelerated Online Graduate, Graduate Bridge Programs

Graduate-level rankings evaluate:

  • Graduate Tuition: In-state tuition for full-time graduate students
  • Online Availability: Number of online or hybrid graduate programs
  • Online Enrollment: Percent of graduate students taking at least one online course
  • Graduation Rate: Program completion outcomes
  • Student/Faculty Ratio: Availability and access to academic support

Weighting structures vary by category, with affordability-focused lists placing stronger emphasis on tuition.

4. Weighting Metrics

EduMed applies category-specific weightings to ensure each ranking reflects what matters most to students in that area. While exact formulas vary, our weighting philosophy prioritizes:

For “Best Online” rankings:
  • Breadth of online program options
  • Online enrollment
  • Graduation outcomes
  • Student support structures
For “Most Affordable” rankings:
  • Tuition
  • Institutional aid
  • Online availability (secondary)
For Accelerated and Bridge rankings:
  • Number of online options
  • Tuition
  • Online enrollment and support metrics

Weighting groups for each category are detailed in the full methodology documents.

What These Rankings Mean for Students

EduMed’s rankings help students:

  • Compare online programs by cost, flexibility, and support
  • Identify accredited schools with strong value and outcomes
  • Understand how online learning options differ across institutions
  • Make informed decisions that align with their budgets, schedules, and career goals

For schools, placement in these rankings reflects a measurable commitment to affordability, access, and student success in healthcare education.

A purple outline of a speech bubble with three centered dots inside, symbolizing typing or an incoming message, on a light gray background—perfect for discussing annual rankings of online nursing programs or allied health programs.

Contact the EduMed Rankings Team

For corrections, questions, or usage inquiries, please fill out our contact form.

About EduMed

EduMed.org was created to support students pursuing careers in nursing and allied health fields. Our expert-driven guides, data-backed rankings, and scholarship resources help thousands of students each year find affordable, flexible pathways into healthcare. Since 2019, EduMed has been recognized by universities nationwide for its commitment to accuracy and transparency. Learn more about us.

Logo of EDUMED, featuring a stylized graduation cap forming the letter 'M' in a monochromatic orange, with the rest of the letters in purple on a green background.
Privacy Settings

When you visit the EduMed website, we store cookies on your browser to collect information. This information may pertain to you, your preferences, or your device and is primarily used to ensure the site functions as expected and to deliver a more personalized experience. You can choose to disable certain types of cookies; however, this may affect your experience on the site and limit the services we can provide. Click on the different category headings to learn more and customize your settings. Please note that you cannot opt out of our First Party Strictly Necessary Cookies, as these are essential for the proper functioning of the website (e.g., displaying the cookie banner, remembering your preferences, logging into your account, redirecting upon logout, etc.).