The University of Houston-Downtown is known for providing a quality education at a reasonable cost, along with convenient online offerings. As a result, graduates are putting their degrees to work—and earning competitive salaries.

It is these factors that has earned UHD top rankings from the national higher education affordability guide OnlineU. The University ranked fifth in the OnlineU’s list of Most Affordable Online Colleges in Texas. The institution also rounds out the top 5 in the category Best Online Colleges by Salary.

OnlineU compiled its annual rankings by gathering and researching data from the United States Department of Education and compared costs of online course offerings and alumni salaries among other colleges with similar enrollment totals across the nation.

In its assessment of UHD, OnlineU cited the that students tend to graduate with less debt than peers at other institutions. Accessibility and a high salary score for graduates earning bachelor’s degrees also factored into both rankings.

Overall, UHD offers 18 online degree programs across a range of disciplines including Business, Criminal Justice, Humanities and Applied Administration.

The Marilyn Davies College of Business offers nine online bachelor’s degree concentrations with majors in Business Administration, Finance, General Business, Insurance and Risk Management, Management, Management Information Systems, Marketing and Supply Chain Management.

“We are proud of our online offerings, because of the care the staff and faculty put into the student experience,” said Dr. Charles Gengler, Dean of the Marilyn Davies College of Business. “Our advising staff and career counseling give excellent support to online students, while our faculty strive to bring the best delivery of content and education possible.”

In addition to having access to quality curriculum, business students also have opportunities to network with alumni who are employed in a variety of professional positions.

“Our success comes from caring about the student beyond the classroom, utilizing all of the University support structure to engage and enhance the student experience and their careers after graduation,” Gengler said.

Other popular online offerings designed to provide flexibility for students, include programs offered by University College. Programs such as its Bachelor of Science in Interdisciplinary Studies (BSIS) and Bachelor of Applied Arts and Sciences (BAAS) are solely online and are designed for students balancing careers, classes and other responsibilities.

“Our 100 percent online degree programs provide not only the flexibility of course offerings, but also relevant curriculum that prepares our graduates for the 21^st Century workplace,” said Dr. Scott Marzilli, Dean of University College. “Students enrolled in our online degree programs are assigned student success advisors that will work with them throughout the entirety of their program, helping them create unique pathways that supports their needs as they progress towards graduation.”

UHD’s recent rankings from OnlineU complement other acknowledgments from higher education guides, such as Texas Online Colleges (No. 3 – Most Affordable Colleges in Texas) and University Headquarters (No. 2 – Most Affordable Online Colleges and Universities).

Beyond affordability, UHD’s online programs have been cited among the best in the nation by U.S. News & World Report for three consecutive years.