Online Master's Programs Ranked Among Best in Nation

January 21, 2025

Buffalo, NY – Canisius University earned a top spot in its inaugural appearance in the 2025 U.S. News & World Report rankings for Best Online Master’s in Business Programs.  Canisius secured the No. 66 position among more than 200 ranked institutions (top third).  The university also earned the impressive No. 2 spot in New York State for Best Online Master’s in Business Programs.  This is the first year Canisius’ online master’s in business programs were eligible for consideration in U.S. News & World Report’s rigorous rankings, which evaluate schools on a variety of factors including student engagement, faculty credentials, services and technology. 

“These rankings affirm what our graduates and employers already know, which is that Canisius delivers an outstanding business education in flexible, online formats,” says Shawn O’Rourke, PhD, dean of the Wehle Business School.  “We take pride in our partnerships with Buffalo’s leading businesses and storied sport franchises like the Buffalo Bills and the Buffalo Sabres to provide meaningful real-world learning and networking opportunities for all our students, both graduate and undergraduate.” 

Canisius offers three online master’s in business programs: an MBA, sport administration, and sport product development.  Each is housed within the Wehle Business School, which is among the top 25% of AACSB-accredited business schools nationwide and ranked among U.S. News & World Report’s 2024 top graduate schools in the nation.  Key factors contributing to the Business School’s ranking was its 95% employment rate for Wehle graduates within three months of graduation, and strong recruiter assessment scores.  

Canisius’ online master’s in education programs also earned distinction in the 2025 U.S. News & World Report rankings.  The university climbed three spots to secure the No. 85 position nationally, placing its online master’s education programs among the top 100 out of more than 300 institutions evaluated.  The ranking also places Canisius at No. 6 in New York State and No. 1 in Western New York.  This is the eighth consecutive year the university has been ranked in this category.  

“This continued recognition underscores our School of Education and Human Services’ long-standing tradition of academic excellence,” says Nancy Wallace, PhD, dean of the School of Education and Human Services.  “Our success is rooted in exceptional faculty, who bring both expertise and extensive professional experience to the classroom to prepare highly effective, socially committed educators and leaders who go on to strengthen our schools in Western New York and beyond.”

U.S. News evaluates online master’s in education programs across five key categories: engagement, faculty credentials and training, peer assessment, services and technology, and student excellence.  

The School of Education and Human Services offers seven CAEP-accredited online master’s degrees: educational leadership and supervision, exercise science, instructional technologies and curriculum design, literacy education, physical education, special education, and teaching English to speakers of other languages (TESOL). 

The School of Education and Human Services at Canisius prepares highly effective, socially committed professionals who value the Jesuit traditions of social justice and leadership through service. Programs are recognized for their small class sizes, the personalized attention students receive from expert faculty, and quality placements in schools and districts throughout the region and across the state.

The Wehle Business School develops career-ready business leaders who are prepared to make ethical business decisions that reflect the interests of multiple stakeholders. With the university’s partners in the Western New York business community, the Wehle Business School emphasizes immersive, experience-based learning activities that reflect the interconnected and global nature of business.

Canisius University is a private, Catholic, Jesuit university in Buffalo, New York. Founded in 1870, it is one of 27 Jesuit colleges and universities in the United States and the premier private university in Western New York. Through its seven schools and colleges, Canisius offers more than 100 undergraduate majors and programs, 65 master's programs, and a variety of professional degrees.