Albany State University ranks second among Georgia colleges and 11th among national colleges offering online degree programs, according to Affordable Colleges Online’s annual ranking of the Best Online Colleges of 2016.

Affordable Colleges Online, a resource dedicated to online learning and college affordability, evaluated hundreds of colleges and universities nationwide.

“Today’s college and university students require anytime, anywhere learning opportunities in preparing for careers,” said ASU President Art Dunning. “At Albany State University, we understand that our academic offerings must be available to students when and where they need them. As we continue to address the need for flexibility through our online degree options, we appreciate being recognized for our efforts.”

The rankings are based on the number of online bachelor’s degrees available at the institution, student-faculty ratio, percent of students receiving financial aid, and availability of job placement for graduates, among other criteria. For the list of top Georgia online programs, ASU ranks above Clayton State University and just below Middle Georgia State University.

According to the digital resource, awarded institutions not only provide a top-tier education in a virtual format, but they hire outstanding faculty and cultivate an administrative support system to facilitate student success.

“Online degree programs allow us to open our doors to talented students who are, primarily, location bound, not able to take advantage of on-campus instructions and require specific needs relevant to online learning,” said La’Quata Sumter, director of Academic Online Instruction at ASU. “As an institution committed to offering a quality education in all forms of instructional delivery modalities, we will continue to strive for excellence in all areas.”