LA GRANDE — Eastern Oregon University received a slew of national and regional recognitions in 2019, including a No. 1 spot for its online Fire Services Administration program.

The College of Business also earned distinctions for its online economics degree (No. 9 nationally), online business administration degree (No. 12), and its no-application-fee online Master of Business Administration program (No. 16). Now under new leadership from Dean Edward Henninger, the entire college was named a College of Distinction.

“Our online College of Business programs continue to receive very favorable evaluations and national rankings by independent online publication sites dedicated to helping students and their families find the right higher education option,” Henninger said. “The rankings confirm our commitment to providing affordable, high-quality and responsive degree programs to serve the diverse academic and career needs of students. We are proud of such recognitions and each serves to heighten our dedication to academic quality, student access and career readiness.”

Overall, EOU was ranked No. 9 for online bachelor’s degrees in Oregon, and No. 10 for accredited online colleges. The university jumped to No. 77 in the U.S. News and World Report’s ranking of universities in the West and came in at No. 37 among public schools in the region.

“Rankings like this let prospective students know that EOU is providing high-quality, transformational education in the West,” said Matt Seimears, Dean of the College of Education.

Prioritizing access to education, Oregon’s Rural University was also ranked No. 4 for affordable online colleges and No. 5 among those in the Pacific Northwest. Plus, EOU earned a Bronze recognition for being Military Friendly.

Specific programs also stood out in the rankings. The newly revived MFA in Creative Writing was named No. 4 among online master’s degrees in creative writing. Health and Human Performance also saw stand-out reviews for its exercise science program (No. 4) and online public health program (No. 11).

The College of Education also earned top honors for its online master’s degree program (No. 20), and online early childhood education program (No. 25). It’s also under new leadership from Dean Seimears and was named a College of Distinction.

“When students come into a program and begin to see what their future can look like, that is priceless,” Seimears said. “It’s an important choice, and this ranking shows that EOU is a very good choice. We’re offering high-quality academics, dynamic faculty-student relationships, and our students are learning from experts in the field.”