The University of Arkansas at Little Rock has been named one of the 10 best values for online higher education programs in Arkansas.

UALR was highlighted on Best Value Schools’ list of the 10 Best Value Online Schools in Arkansas.

UALR Online currently has 37 fully online degree, certificate, and minor programs, with 11 more pending approval. This has grown from 10 online programs in fall 2015.

David Montague, director of eLearning, said the university has a long history of providing quality alternatives from traditional classroom learning.

“UALR is one of the original institutions in the state to provide online learning,” Montague said. “The fully online programs at UALR are the same high-quality education taught by the same high-quality faculty at UALR. Our online students are just as important as our traditional students.”

UALR has more than 750 students enrolled in online programs taking over 260 online courses during the fall semester.

To be eligible for the Best Value Schools list, each institution must enroll at least 15 percent of its student body in distance education coursework. Rankings were based on average undergraduate graduation rates, in-state tuition rates, range and variety of online class offerings, stability, and the university’s overall effort to promote and/or expand virtual classroom initiatives.

Best Value Schools noted that some of the advantages of taking online courses at UALR are a reduced tuition rate that comes with full access to the university’s academic resources, including the library and information technology support. Ottenheimer Library hired a full-time librarian that is devoted solely to helping UALR students enrolled in online programs.

Chancellor Andrew Rogerson regarded the recognition as further proof of the university’s commitment to providing affordable and accessible education to students who are unable to come to campus.

“Our online degree programs reach students across the state and in fact, the world,” Rogerson said. “By providing relevant degree programs in a high-quality, online environment, we will continue to meet employer needs by producing well-prepared graduates, all while helping our students succeed.”