The Online Accelerated Master of Business Administration from Cleveland State University’s Monte Ahuja College of Business advanced to No. 20 in the nation on U.S. News & World Report’s 2016 list of the Best Online MBA Programs, up from No. 44 in 2015. The program remains No. 1 in Ohio.

This marks the first Top 20 ranking for CSU’s Online MBA, one of the University’s newest degree programs and the first fully mobile, one-year MBA accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB), the highest standard of achievement for business schools worldwide.

“We are extremely proud that our Online Accelerated MBA is one of the Top 20 Online MBA programs in the nation,” said Richard Reed, Ph.D., dean of the Monte Ahuja College of Business at CSU. “Our ranking is a testament to the excellence of our innovative program. The Online Accelerated MBA delivers the same high-quality curriculum from the same engaged faculty that a student would receive on campus, but with the convenience of the online format.”

Designed for working professionals and recent college graduates seeking to expand their earning potential and employment opportunities, CSU’s Online Accelerated MBA allows motivated students to earn their degree within one year by completing all classes and course requirements online. Each student receives a new Apple iPad to access digital course materials, including e-books, interactive learning systems, course modules and study apps.

For the 2016 list, U.S News & World Report evaluated schools solely on the basis of their distance-education MBA programs. Programs were ranked based on five factors: student engagement, admissions selectivity, peer reputation, faculty credentials/training and student services/technology. The full list of the Best Online MBA Programs can be viewed at www.usnews.com/education/online-education/mba/rankings.