MALVERN, Pa. — Penn State Great Valley has again earned national recognition for academic excellence, securing top rankings in the 2025 U.S. News & World Report Best Online Programs list.
Great Valley’s Master of Engineering Management program has earned No. 3 in the nation (up from No. 5 last year) in U.S. News’ 2025 specialty ranking, solidifying the program’s growing reputation for preparing engineers to transition into leadership roles within the industry. This program focuses on solving technical and socio-technical problems, leading and fostering effective technical teams, and managing technical projects in the presence of uncertainty and risk.
The Master of Software Engineering program now ranks No. 4 within the “Master’s of Engineering Programs” category of the report. This program delivers the technical IT skills needed for various IT and web-based careers, from applications developer to web designer. The Master of Engineering in Systems Engineering program, which teaches students to identify, design analyze and manage complex systems and processes over their lifecycle, also falls within this No. 4 ranking.
Penn State Great Valley’s information technology programs, including graduate programs in artificial intelligence, data analytics and information science, are ranked No. 6 in the nation within the category “Master’s of Information Technology Programs.”
- The Master of Artificial Intelligence program, which has been available online through Penn State World Campus since 2022 and is newly available in a hybrid in-person/online format at Great Valley’s campus in Malvern, provides the skills and knowledge needed to develop intelligent systems and explore uncharted territory in artificial intelligence.
- Great Valley’s data analytics degree offerings, which include the Master of Data Analytics and Master of Science in Data Analytics programs, teach students to collect, classify, analyze and model data across domains using statistics, computer science, machine learning and software engineering.
- The Master of Science in Information Science program delivers the knowledge and skills needed to meet evolving IT challenges in integration, security and business continuity.
The 2025 U.S. News "Best Online Programs" rankings assessed 1,790 colleges and universities through a comprehensive evaluation of factors, including faculty credentials, student engagement and admissions selectivity. Specialty rankings were based on evaluations of peers by leaders in higher education.
All of Penn State Great Valley’s degree programs offered online through World Campus are also available via hybrid delivery featuring in-person learning at the Great Valley campus in Malvern, Pennsylvania.
“We rank highly in U.S. News & World Report’s 'Best Online' categories because our programs are in-demand across the state, the nation and even internationally — leading to higher numbers of fully online learners for whom our campus is out of reach," said JoAnn Kelly, director of enrollment management and student services. "Higher numbers mean more data is available to rankings organizations on students in this category. However, the curriculum is the same across delivery methods."
U.S. News & World Report also released a list of 2025 “Best Online Programs for Veterans.” Penn State Great Valley ranks No. 2 among "Master’s in Engineering Programs" and No. 4 among "Master’s in Information Technology Programs" in this category. Evaluation criteria included academics and support services for veterans.
Chancellor and Dean Colin Neill said, “Penn State Great Valley’s consistent recognition in these categories underscores our leadership in providing top-tier accessible and innovative online education.”
Read more about Penn State’s 2025 ‘best online programs’ rankings.