Drue Watkins
Copy Editor
According to U.S. News and World Report’s Best Colleges of 2018, Cameron University is ranked 15th in the category of Least Debt in the west region and 25th among all 441 regional universities surveyed nation-wide.
In addition, the Online MBA program also received recognition at a ranking of 145 out of 255 university programs. Out of all 2016 Cameron graduates who acquired a bachelor’s degree, only 37 percent incurred debt; that’s the second-lowest percentage in the west region and sixth lowest among all regional universities in the United States.
The national average of students graduating with debt at regional universities is more than 71 percent, putting Cameron in the top 1.5 percent for the fewest students graduating with debt.
President John McArthur said that Cameron is beyond proud of the recognition and of the benefits it promotes for the university.
“The students are our main priority, and they always will be,” he said. “Low cost creates a high level of support and helps promote growth. We want our students to see prices as predictable.”
Two years ago, 45 percent of Cameron graduates sustained debt, but the percentage continues to decline. A growing number of financial aid opportunities like scholarship funds and lower tuition costs help decrease debt.
McArthur said that affordability continues to be one of the biggest concerns Cameron hopes to address pushing forward.
“Students need to feel secure and more at ease,” he said. “By keeping expenses reasonable and more affordable, we maintain our student body; less costs means more student retention. At the end of the day, our ultimate goal as educators is to keep students in classrooms.”
One of the most popular introductions that Cameron has made for students watching their expenses is Degree Works—an online software program that helps future and current students evaluate upcoming classes, enroll and adjust student schedules accordingly. It also promotes a tracking system that allows a student to follow the steps to their graduation.
The recognition of Cameron’s MBA program is the first time the program has received a ranking in U.S. News and World Report’s Best Colleges report in university history.
The program is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs (ACBSP) and evaluated in five different categories: student engagement, admissions selectivity, peer reputation, faculty credentials and training, and student services and technology.
McArthur said that the availability of online resources is an excellent way for students to continue their educations while balancing them with their busy daily lives.
“The online environment allows students and staff to accomplish more,” he said. “One in five classes are now online, and we want to continue to appeal to a wide range of students. Our older students are still a large niche in our enrollment, and their ability to level out their schooling with an online course here and there allows for more flexibility.”