The College of Business Administration at Texas A&M University–Central Texas has been ranked No. 54 in the nation for online, undergraduate business programs by the U.S. News & World Report. This marks the second straight year A&M–Central Texas online programs have made a significant jump in the national rankings.
The jump in rankings vaults A&M–Central Texas into the top five schools in the state of Texas. The university is tied for fourth in the state.
From 2023 to 2024, the program vaulted upward in the rankings, moving from No. 98 to No. 59 — a nearly unprecedented jump according to Mark White, U.S. News & World Report vice president of marketing. The upward trajectory is continuing with the 2025 jump to No. 54, a 10% improvement in the rankings.
Clifton T. Jones, Ph.D., the university’s provost and vice president of academic and student affairs, praised Lucas Loafman, J.D., interim dean of the College of Business Administration and the faculty members of COBA, noting that there was no doubt their efforts contributed greatly to the current ranking.
“There is a lot of competition for enrollment and many great programs, so this is a testament to quality of instruction and the personalized experience our faculty ensure for each student,” he said, noting that only three other Texas universities’ online business programs ranked higher: Texas Tech University, University of Houston-Downtown, and University of North Texas.
Plus, he added, a total of seven other Texas universities ranked lower than A&M-Central Texas, well-known for its smaller student-faculty ratio, competitive and affordable tuition and fees, and simplified admissions process.
Loafman also reported that the 2025 Spring semester has ushered in more good news: the total number of COBA semester credit hours being taken by students has hit an all-time high.
Overall Spring 2025 enrollment numbers – which are unofficial until census day in a few weeks – reveal that both student headcount and semester credit hours are on the rise with the first measure increasing by 8.6% and the second measure up by 11% from the same point in time in 2024.
A&M-Central Texas – which recently celebrated its 15 year anniversary – is known for its unique mission: making transfer as convenient and simple as possible, encouraging students with some college credits to transfer in and select from 30 undergraduate programs and 20 graduate programs – many of which, like the business program, are offered online and through other flexible learning options.