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UHD Points of Pride

A college degree is a game-changer that transforms the future of a student at the University of Houston-Downtown. Each year, UHD is recognized by rankings organizations for our commitment to providing a high-quality education that is affordable and accessible to all who seek it.

With more than 60,000 alumni and counting, UHD Gators help shape the city’s workforce. We are ready to take on our city, state, nation and the world. We are Determined. Dedicated. Downtown.

2023 - 2024 Awards

Best onine programs badge for criminal justice 2023 Best onine programs badge for bachelor's 2023

UHD Earns High Marks in U.S. News & World Report for Fifth Consecutive Year. Online Programs Ranked Among the Nation’s Best:

  • No. 26 for Best Online Master in Criminal Justice Program.
  • No. 55 for Best Online Bachelor’s Programs for Applied Administration.

As defined by U.S. News and World Report, Regional Universities offer a full range of undergraduate programs and some master's programs and are split into four regions: North, South, Midwest and West. UHD is considered a Top Regional University (West) with a ranking of 78.

UHD is highly ranked in these lists as well:

  • No. 40 among Top Public Universities in the West; and
  • No. 27 among Top Performers on Social Mobility for Regional Universities (West).

UHD now appears in these listings for Regional Universities (West):

  • Least Debt;
  • Economic Diversity; and
  • Ethnic Diversity.
Best onine programs badge for bachelor's 2022 Best onine programs badge for bachelor's 2022 Best onine programs badge for bachelor's 2022

UHD Earns High Marks in U.S. News & World Report for Fourth Consecutive Year. Online Programs Ranked Among the Nation’s Best:

  • Top 100 among U.S. News & World Report's Online Bachelor’s Programs (No. 80 out of 384 institutions of higher education).
  • No. 15 among Best Online Bachelor’s Programs for Veterans.
  • No. 27 for Best Online Master’s Criminal Justice Programs among this group.
Best onine programs badge for bachelor's 2020

University of Houston-Downtown was ranked #53 in Best Bachelor’s Degrees in Texas by University HQ.

U.S. News & World Report ranks UHD among Universities Offering Best Online Programs. For the FOURTH consecutive year, UHD is among the nation’s best:

  • Top 100 among U.S. News & World Report’s Online Bachelor’s Programs (No. 80 out of 358 institutions of higher education).
  • No. 15 among Best Online Master’s Criminal Justice Programs for Veterans.
  • No. 27 for Best Online Master’s Criminal Justice Programs.
National think tank Third Way ranked UHD 42 among 1,320 baccalaureate-offering institutions for economic mobility. Third Way's proprietary Economic Mobility Index (EMI) ranks institutions by student economic well-being over time, an indicator of students' return on their investment in their college.

U.S. News & World Report ranked UHD number 32 in Top Performers on Social Mobility among 122 schools in the country.
Best onine programs badge for bachelor's 2021 Best onine programs badge for bachelor's 2021 Best onine programs badge for bachelor's 2021 Best onine programs badge for bachelor's 2021

UHD Earns High Marks in U.S. News & World Report for Third Consecutive Year. Online Programs Ranked Among the Nation’s Best:

  • Top 100 among U.S. News & World Report's Online Bachelor’s Programs (No. 86 out of 362 institutions of higher education) and is No. 30 Best Online Programs in Graduate Criminal Justice—highest ranked programs in Houston
  • 54 among Best Online Bachelor’s Programs for Veterans.
  • No. 16 for Best Online Master’s Criminal Justice Programs among this group.

 

 



Best Value Schools ranks University of Houston-Downtown’s Master of Arts in Nonprofit Management Program (MNPM) online program No. 4 in the U.S. and No. 1 in Texas — emerged as the region’s leader in educating nonprofit professionals.

 
Best onine programs badge for bachelor's 2020

Higher education guide, University Headquarters ranked institutions across the nation based on quality and affordability: UHD emerged as No. 2 in Texas in the publication’s assessment of “Most Affordable Four-Year Colleges and Universities.”

Bachelor Degree Center.org ranks UHD as one of the most affordable bachelor’s in data science programs in the nation and to note the University of Houston-Downtown has one of the best affordable data science programs in Texas.

Higher education guide University Headquarters recently ranked institutions from around the nation based on quality and affordability.

Best onine programs badge for bachelor's 2020

Texas Online Colleges ranked the University of Houston-Downtown's commitment to providing affordable higher education experiences and supporting its students' academic goals. UHD ranks No. 3 among Most Affordable Colleges in Texas and No. 10 for Best Value Colleges for the best school for your education and personal goals at an affordable cost (financial aid packages, grants, scholarships and more) that goes beyond what the institution’s year tuition rate.

 
Best onine programs badge for bachelor's 2020

UHD also received rankings in U.S. News & World Report's round-up Best Online Bachelor's Programs for its Bachelor of Applied Arts & Sciences in Applied Administration (BAAS-AA) degree offered through University College. Its curriculum allows students to develop competencies that support students' career goals. Coursework covers topics such as human resources, budgeting, administrative communication, change management, decision making skills, negotiation and mediation, information systems and project administration. The BAAS-AA offers students a choice of two concentrations: Safety Management and Applied Public Administration & Leadership.

 
best online programs badge for criminal justice 2020

U.S. News & World Report recognizes the best of the best in its annual assessment of online higher education programs. Among the programs acknowledged in the publication's 2020 rankings are two based at the University of Houston-Downtown (UHD). The University's online Master of Science in Criminal Justice program, based within the College of Public Service, is ranked No. 21 in the nation. It also is ranked No. 14 in U.S. News & World Report's rankings for Best Online Master's in Criminal Justice Programs for Veterans. The University's online bachelor's programs also are firmly established within the top 100 in the country (ranked No. 80 among more than 300 institutions).

 
Online Masters in Nonprofit Management

College Consensus recognized UHD as one of country's Best Online Master's in Nonprofit Management for 2020. UHD is ranked No. 24 for its online Master of Arts in Nonprofit Management offered in the College of Humani]es & Social Sciences.

 
top 25 online masters badge

UHD's College of Public Service's online degree program for a master's in criminal justice was recently ranked No. 14 of 25 colleges and universities by BestMastersPrograms.org for 2020.

 
lendEDU Best ROI badge

LendEDU ranked UHD at No. 180 among 798 private and public four-year colleges and universiRes in the United States for the highest CCRI values, which are considered as the best risk-adjusted (average student loan debt per graduate) choices for undergraduate students. UHD also ranked No. 9 in Texas for high CCRI value.

 
Learn.org Recognized School Badge

Learn.org ranked the University of Houston-Downtown No. 15 for Best Online Bachelor's in Business DegreePrograms among 50 colleges/universites in the U.S.

 
Most affordable online colleges Top 50 badge

Online Schools Report (OSR) ranked the University of Houston-Downtown (UHD) No. 8 among 50 universiXes/colleges in the naXon as One of the Most Affordable Online Colleges.

 
The Chronicle of Higher Education

The Chronicle of Higher Education listed UHD among the top 10 U.S. public four-year universities graduating the highest percentages of students by their fifth or sixth year. UHD and other recognized institutions were measured in 2018 for their cohorts of first-time, full-time students who first enrolled in 2012. UHD ranked No. 6 in the publication's list of public universities and is the only Texas institution in the top 10.

 
study.com 2020 ranking

The University of Houston-Downtown ranks at No. 18 among "The Best Online Colleges & Schools in Texas" by Study.com.

 
best masters management badge best mba international business badge best finance degree badge

UHD received top ranking status for three business degree programs by Intelligent.com. Housed in the Marilyn Davies College of Business, the following online degree programs were recognized among the top colleges and universities in the nation:

 
Best online insurance badge

Online Schools Report ranked the University of Houston-Downtown No. 2 out of the "5 Best Online Insurance Degrees" for 2020. The ranking is for a Bachelor's of Business Administration degree in Insurance Risk Management within the Marilyn Davies College of Business.

 
Nursing schools Amanac's top U.S nursing schools badge 2019

Nursing Schools Almanac ranked the University of Houston-Downtown's Bachelor of Science in Nursing (RN to BSN) degree program as one of the "Best U.S. Nursing Schools"—No. 58 in Texas and No. 78 in the Southwest region.

 
Best online college 2020 badge

SR Education Group ranked the University of Houston-Downtown (UHD) as one of the 2020 Best Online Colleges in Texas for its 17 online bachelor's degrees and five online master's degrees. UHD is ranked 18th among regionally accredited online colleges in the state for affordability and reported alumni salaries.

 
Top colleges for diversity badge 2019

The University of Houston-Downtown is a national recipient of the 2019 Higher Education Excellence in Diversity (HEED) Award from INSIGHT into Diversity magazine. UHD was among 92 honorees from across the United States recognized for their outstanding commitment to diversity and inclusion and academic success rates.

 
Badge for being a study.com recognized school

Study.com ranked the University of Houston-Downtown #42 as Best Online Business Degree Programs.

 
badge for Best Online schools for business administration by online colleges dot com

UHD is sixth among the "10 Best Online Business Schools in Texas" by OnlineColleges.com which focuses on affordability, flexibility and student services.

 
Badge for best online business administration by online degrees dot com

OnlineDegrees.com ranked the University of Houston-Downtown No. 11 as one of the best schools to earn a business administration degree online in Texas.

 
badge for best online colleges for non profit management by online colleges dot com

OnlineColleges.com ranked UHD sixth in the nation for its Nonprofit Management Program.

 
badge for most affordable online bchelor's in information technology

UHD ranked in the top 25 of the nation's Most Affordable Online Bachelor's in Information Technology by TheBestSchools.org for 2019.

 
Badge for most affordable online business degrees

The University of Houston-Downtown is ranked by TheBestSchools.org for The Most Affordable Online Bachelor's in Business Studies Programs.

2019 Best Online Programs for Bachelor's 2019 Best Online Programs for Master's in Criminal Justice Program

U.S News & World Report ranked the University of Houston-Downtown's Bachelor of Applied Arts & Sciences in Applied Administration (BAAS-AA) degree among the nation's top 100 Online Bachelor's Programs. UHD's BAAS-AA is listed among the top seven online bachelor's programs in Texas according to the recent rankings. Based in the University of Houston-Downtown's College of Public Service, the Master of Science in Criminal Justice (MSCJ) graduate program is ranked No. 26 in the country. This ranking places it among the top four online criminal justice programs in Texas. Both—the Bachelor of Applied Arts & Sciences in Applied Administration and the Master of Criminal Justice—are the highest ranked programs in Houston within their respective categories.

 
Badge for top online degrees in houston by great value colleges

UHD's online programs are ranked No. 5 of the Top Online Degrees in the Houston area by Great Value Colleges for what types of degrees are available, the cost per credit hour, and the faculty to student ratio.

 
Most affordable bachelors degree

UHD is ranked as having one of the Most Affordable Bachelor's Degrees in Writing in the nation by AffordableSchools.net. Affordableschools.net analyzed colleges that offered creative and technical writing programs to help students choose an institution that best meets their needs based on average cost of attendance and student to faculty ratio.

 
best online finance degree

TheBestSchools.org named UHD as one of the best 25 Bachelor's In Finance Degree Programs for 2019. Housed in the Marilyn Davies College of Business, the program earned its ranking based on the quality of the program, types of courses, faculty rankings, awards and reputation, including the school's reputation for effectively providing online degree programs.

 
best online college adults going back to school

UHD ranked No. 7 in a new study about the "20 Best Online Colleges for Adults Going Back to School" by OnlineColleges.com—specifically in terms of flexible, convenient, and affordable ways to access quality higher education opportunities.

 
top ranked veteran criminal justice college factual top ranked veteran international business college factual

College Factual ranked UHD for veteran friendliness for its International Business and Criminal Justice programs among institutions in Texas and the nation:

  • The International Business (IB) program is ranked #15 out of 143—placing UHD in the top 10 percent of all schools in the nation. For two consecutive years, the program ranked number #2 out of 8 colleges and universities in Texas—placing UHD in the top 15 percent of all schools in the state.
  • Nationally, the Criminal Justice program is ranked #23 out of 417—the top 10% of all schools in the nation. The program also is ranked #3 out of 29 colleges and universities in Texas—placing the University in the top 10 percent of all schools in the state for the second consecutive year.
 
College Factual - Ethinic Diversity - Top 15% Nationwide

College Factual ranked the University of Houston-Downtown at 290 out of 2,486 colleges and universities that were analyzed for ethnic diversity, which placed the University in the top 15 percent of all schools in the nation. UHD also is ranked 29th out of 199 colleges in Texas for ethnic diversity.

 
best online undergrad business schools

The Marilyn Davies College of Business was the only Greater Houston higher education institution named as one of the Top 50 Online Undergraduate Business Schools for 2019 by College Consensus. Recognized schools were ranked according to affordability, convenience and reputation. UHD ranked No. 26.

 
SLR badge

The Student Loan Report has recognized UHD for creating an environment in which graduates can graduate with a limited amount of student loan debt. UHD's average student loan debt per graduate figure was one of the lowest in all of Texas. More specifically, the University's average debt per borrower figure was $13,646, which ranked UHD 14th when it came to lowest student debt figures in the state.

 
Community for Accredited Online Scolls

The Community for Accredited Online Schools released its annual ranking for the 2018-2019 school year recognizing the University of Houston-Downtown (UHD) as one of the Best Online Colleges in Texas. To qualify, colleges must be regionally or nationally accredited, hold a not-for-profit status in the United States, and offer at least one online degree. Schools were then ranked based on their quality, affordability, flexibility, and degrees granted to their students.

 
OnlineColleges.com Top Colleges in Texas, 2018-19

AffordableCollegesOnline.org (ACO) recognized UHD in six categories for offering the best online learning options in: finance, marketing, criminal justice, psychology, criminal justice master's program, laptops and technology perks. Only accredited, public, not-for-profit institutions with at least one online program were eligible. The primary data points used to identify the best online colleges and programs for 2018 include: acceptance rates, cost of tuition, degrees awarded, and graduation rates.

 
OnlineColleges.com Top Colleges in Texas, 2018-19

OnlineColleges.com ranked the University of Houston-Downtown No. 17 as one of the best four-year colleges in Texas. Using the most recent government data to evaluate accredited colleges and universities across the country, the online higher education guide focuses affordability, student services, and the availability of online programs among a variety of factors.

SR Education Group - 2018 Best Online Colleges for Student Economic Mobility Badge

Best Online Colleges for Student Economic Mobility
UHD was ranked among 92 schools for "Best Online Colleges for Student Economic Mobility." SR Education Group identified these online colleges and universities as having the highest percentage of students' upward economic mobility moving—from the lowest income bracket in the United States to the highest. SR Education Group also ranked UHD seventh among 15 online schools for their economic diversity. These schools have student populations that include a high proportion of students with financial need. Using Pell Grant, early career salary, and economic mobility data.

 
Top Online Schools for Psychology

Top Online Schools for Psychology
UHD ranked 8th among 46 universities across the nation as a "2018 Top Online Schools for Psychology" by CollegeAffordabilityGuide.org. The ranking includes top not-for-profit colleges offering psychology degrees online.

 
60x30TX Star Awards  

UHD's Gateway Course Innovation Initiative is a recipient of the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board's (THECB) Star Award, which recognizes the contributions of higher education institutions that are distinguished in promoting student success toward the state's new higher education plan, 60x30TX to establish a globally competitive workforce in Texas by 2030. The University also earned THECB's Recognition of Excellence for it's Supplemental Instruction Program.

 
Top Colleges OnlineColleges.com 2017

UHD Online Offerings Rank Among Top 25
The University of Houston-Downtown is ranked among the top 25 Texas schools offering online degree programs by OnlineColleges.com. The online higher education guide helps students find affordable, high-quality online colleges across the country that meet their specific needs. Its rankings focus on affordability, student services, graduation rates and accessibility among other factors. The University also ranks No. 6 out of 61 schools for Best Online Colleges for Finance and No. 2 for Best Online Colleges for International Business.

 
MetroMBA  

MetroMBA's "Best Return on Investment in the Houston Metro" ranks UHD's Marilyn Davies College of Business' MBA program topped the list. In its assessment of the University's MBA program, MetroMBA cites the Davies College Career Development Center as an asset, as well as the salary potential for its graduates. MetroMBA, an online guide to MBA programs across the nation, assists prospective students in selecting appropriate programs in their respective regions.

 
20 Affordable Online Bachelors Degrees Affordableschools.net  

UHD ranks number one on the 20 Affordable Online Bachelor's Degrees in Finance list by Affordable Schools.net—a premier website that provides in-depth rankings of colleges and degree programs in various categories.

 
Great Value Colleges Adult Education  

The University of Houston-Downtown is ranked No. 16 among the "50 Best Colleges for Adult Education" for its service to nontraditional students by Great Value Colleges. The list of "50 Best Colleges for Adult Education" recognizes colleges and universities that keep tuition low and are committed to adult and military students. UHD is specifically cited for its certificate programs, online curriculum and its support of military veterans.

 
College Choice Best Business Schools in Texas  

UHD's Marilyn Davies College of Business is ranked eighth as one of the "10 Best Online Business Schools in Texas for 2016" by College Choice for its interdisciplinary program, which provides students with the practical and theoretical skills necessary to succeed after graduation.

 
Best Online Colleges Texas 2018  

AffordableCollegesOnline.org, a leader in higher education information, resources and rankings recognized the University of Houston-Downtown for its excellence in online learning. The data-based ranking, "Best 4-Year Online Colleges in Texas" identified the state's top institutions based on the following data points: regional accreditation; in-state tuition and fees; percent of full-time undergraduate students receiving institutional financial aid; number of online programs offered; and student-to-teacher ratio.

 
Houston Business Journal  

For the third consecutive year—since 2014—the UHD Marilyn Davies College of Business' Master of Business Administration (MBA) program is ranked the largest in the city by the Houston Business Journal. UHD held the top spot—with  1,089 students—in the publication's annual round-up of "Largest Houston-Area MBA Programs."

 
The Student Loan Report  

UHD earned a top place among The Student Loan Report's list of the "Top Public Schools for Freshman Financial Aid Report" for its commitment to providing its freshman students a strong start on their academic journey. The University ranks No. 33 on this list, which recognizes public colleges and universities where freshman undergraduate students can expect to receive the most financial aid, as compiled by The Student Loan Report.

The Student Loan Report also ranked UHD No. 18 in Texas on its Student Debt Repayment Success Indicator report, which determined graduates' chances of successfully repaying student debt.

 
lendedu  

UHD earned a place among "The 100 Small Public Colleges & Universities With the Least Student Debt Per Borrower" by LendEDU. The University, ranked at 37, for students who carry the least amount of student load debt at graduation. Schools were filtered based on the number of graduates (only under 800 graduates in the Class of 2016) to ensure they could be reasonably considered "small."

 
the 10 most valuable business programs 2018  

The Knowledge Review recognized the University of Houston-Downtown's Marilyn Davies College of Business as one of "The 10 Most Valuable Business Programs 2018."

 
affordablecolleges.com Best Value Online Masters in Nonprofit management 2018 best online programs master in nonprofit management thebestschools.org top online degrees best college reviews

UHD's Master of Arts in Nonprofit Management is ranked at No. 2 for "Affordable Online Master's Degrees" by AffordableColleges.com; earned a fifth place on "The Best Online Master's in Nonprofit Management Degree Programs" list by TheBestSchools.org; and is No. 6 for "Online Masters of Arts in NonProfit Management" by Best College Reviews.

 
military friendly school award 2018  

UHD is a designated Military Friendly® School—the standard that measures an organization's commitment, effort, and success in creating sustainable and meaningful benefit to the military community.

 
top 100 diverse degree producers  

Listed among "The Top 100 Degree Producers" for institutions that confer the most degrees (bachelor's and master's) to minority students by Diverse Issues In Higher Education.

 
college factual top ranked veteran international business  

College Factual's national and state rankings among all colleges and universities recognize University of Houston-Downtown for veteran friendliness:

Overall, UHD is ranked 8 out of 62 colleges for veteran friendliness—top 10 best school for veterans in Texas and nationally, the University ranked No. 123—top 130 Best for Vets school in the U.S.

 
schools.com 2018 biotechnology best schools  

Schools.com ranked the University of Houston-Downtown No. 9 for "Best College for Biotechnology Degree Programs." Each university that made the list were scored for several factors including affordability, flexibility and student success.