Limestone University Online BSW Program Ranks No. 4 Nationally Among Non-Profit Institutions

On the heels of its Master’s in Social Work being ranked No. 7 nationally and No. 1 in the United States among private non-profit institutions, Limestone University has once again been recognized as a top school for online education in healthcare.

The website EduMed.org has ranked Limestone’s Online Bachelor’s in Social Work (BSW) No. 23 nationally for online degrees and certificates in the healthcare field going into 2024. Limestone’s BSW is ranked No. 4 nationally among private non-profit schools.

Just six percent of regionally accredited colleges and universities earned a ranking position. No other institution in South Carolina ranked in the Top 50. Including both Carolinas, UNC-Pembroke was the only other school making the rankings at No. 41.

Last month, the same website ranked Limestone’s Online Master’s in Social Work No. 7 nationally and No. 1 for private non-profit institutions.

“Our rankings feature the programs giving future nurses and allied health professionals the best chance for success, from day one in the classroom to day one on the job,” said Wes Harris, outreach coordinator for EduMed.org, about the most recent BSW rankings. “This starts with having a price tag that students can afford, as well as providing academic counseling, career placement services, and other key resources and support that help students graduate and get hired.”

EduMed.org’s rankings come at a time when the demand for trained healthcare professionals is on the rise. According to Mercer, a global consulting leader in healthcare, the U.S. will see millions of vacancies in critical healthcare positions by 2025. Nurse practitioner, nursing assistant and home health aide roles stand to experience some of the greatest shortages over the next three years and beyond.

“One solution to the healthcare shortage is making higher education more accessible to students,” said Harris. “Online programs open the door to those who may not be able to commit to a campus-based program because of their typical inflexibility, the commute, or their personal demanding schedules. The schools on our rankings have made online learning a priority.”

EduMed.org researched and analyzed more than 7,700 accredited schools using data from the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) and from the schools themselves. The website’s data science team then applied a proprietary algorithm to rank all qualifying schools for each healthcare discipline. Primary data points include academic counseling services, career placement services, student-to-faculty ratio, tuition, percent of students receiving school-based financial aid, and amount of school-based aid per student.

To be eligible, a school must hold active regional accreditation and have at least one partially online program in the ranking subject.