How the College of Business delivers high-quality education online and on campus 

For 12 consecutive years, Oregon State University has been recognized as a Top 10 national leader in online education. This year, the College of Business is ranked No. 4 in the nation for Best Online Bachelor’s in Business, the sixth consecutive year in the Top 5.  

For us, this continued recognition signals something deeper. At Oregon State, our momentum in leading online learning is baked into our strategic goals and mission: we bring quality education to you, wherever you are. Within the Class of 2025, 19.5% of our undergraduates studied online, up from 2023 when 16.9% of graduates were online learners. And this is a growth trend we see continuing because of our excellence in online learning.  

The impact of flexible learning 

Today’s learners are choosing education that fits their goals and ambitions and evaluating how well their learning prepares them for the world of work ahead. OSU stands out for anticipating the expectations for quality and ambitious standards of online learners. 

“We’re focused on the future of business and the changing world of work,” said Tim Carroll, the Sara Hart Kimball Dean of the College of Business. “Whether students are online or on campus, we deliver academic excellence with a strong foundation of advising, faculty support and career services. Our approach combines flexibility with connection — students learn where they are without losing the sense of community that helps them thrive.” 

Allan Campbell is an online student and experienced career professional. And just like in his job, he’s collaborated with team members and peers across time zones and experience levels to get the work done. 

Campbell expects to earn his marketing degree in 2027. As a project manager for print collateral and marketing and branding for Waste Management, he took advantage of his company's education benefit first to become a certified project manager through Cornell and PMI.  

Learning for all learners 

At age 57, Campbell then looked into pursuing his bachelor's with the company benefit. Beginning winter 2024, he expected he’d just take a few marketing classes at Oregon State. 

"I thought I'd pick and choose classes for a year and see how it goes," Campbell said." And I got totally absorbed. I'm hook, line and sinker in as an Ecampus student, I love it. I'm so into Oregon State now, it doesn't seem online anymore." 

He turned to the college’s peer mentorship program to earn extra credit in a Blueprint class and continued to mentor after the class wrapped up. He was asked to represent online students on the University Budget Committee. And now, proudly at age 59, Campbell says he intends to pursue his graduate studies in marketing after his undergraduate degree is complete. 

Campbell says he is often the oldest in his classes and on his project teams but describes an interesting benefit: “I've learned to be a better coach and mentor at my workplace by communicating with the students at the College of Business,” he said.  

“They're the same people that I'm hiring into the office for team members. They're 22, 23, 24 years old, just graduated, maybe a first job. I'm able to relate to them because of my experience in my classes, as a peer mentor, as an OSU student board member, all of it translates. My managers ask me what I’m doing differently because I am coaching so well. Everybody's happy to be on my team. We’re 96% successful on all our projects, and we’ve gotten very high ratios on all our metrics.” 

Flexibility for all students 

Online education at the College of Business is designed for students who want flexibility — for whatever reason they need it. A sizable portion of Corvallis-based students will study online as well. Whether they are elite athletes with a demanding training schedule, elite students who want to pursue double degrees and minors, or hard-working students balancing a job and family, online learning is an accessible option. 

Brigitte Chenevert ’25, part of the Honors College and College of Business Dean's Academy, was a standout student who had a surprising and complicated injury her senior year.   

She fully transitioned from on-campus to online coursework. Because the online experience is built with the same learning expectations and support as the on-campus experience, she was able to complete one of her final three terms online. More importantly, she was able to achieve her goal of graduating on time without compromise, and (literally) was able to walk in her graduation. 

“Moving online for fall and winter term let me stay on track,” she said. “I had taken online classes before when they worked best for my schedule, but going fully online was not a planned transition. With the help of my academic advisor, I was able to make this shift three days before the term started: the expectations were the same, access to my professors for support was the same, and it made finishing my degree possible at a moment when I was unsure about so many things.” 

Delivering top-tier lessons 

The success of our students mirrors the reality for so many learners navigating myriads of challenges — geography, work, health or housing — and how they can be seen as opportunities: You do not have to be derailed by a challenge; you can earn a degree from a top-ranked online program; it’s never too late learn; our quality of learning and support services might surprise you. 

Our ranking reinforces what we see every day in our students: when barriers to education are reduced and learning is aligned with real-world practice, students are better positioned to succeed — wherever their path takes them. 
We are proud to be ranked among the best in the nation. But more importantly, we are proud to offer an education that moves with our students — without ever lowering expectations for what they can achieve.