West Texas A&M University’s online MBA program scored another prestigious honor, ranking No. 12 on Fortune’s list of best programs.

More than 100 programs were surveyed across the country for the list, Fortune’s first-ever ranking of online MBAs.

“One of the best things about the Fortune ranking is that so much of the score is based on the institution’s brand and success of our students,” said Dr. Robert Allen King, director of graduate business programs. “Seeing the Engler College of Business name in the same arena as so many other well-known academic institutions shows how many people recognize the value of our program.”

The final ranking was made up of four components: Program Score, based on a questionnaire sent to schools; the Fortune 1000 Score, which tallies the number of MBA alumni who are executives at Fortune 1000 companies; Brand Score, which measures brand strength; and Prestige Score, which measures reputation.

“While the end of the pandemic will bring back the classroom for some students, other MBA seekers don’t want to go back,” Fortune’s Lance Lambert said in the announcement. “Through our conversations and surveys of prospective students and current business leaders, Fortune believes online MBA education is only going to get bigger. That’s why we built our first-ever ranking of the nation’s Best Online MBAs.”

WT ranks alongside other Top 12 schools like University of North Carolina — Chapel Hill, Carnegie Mellon University, Syracuse University and Rice University, and ahead of such institutions as George Washington University, University of Delaware and Hofstra University.

Recently, WT’s online MBA was ranked among the world’s best according to London-based QS Quacquarelli Symonds.

WT’s online MBA program ranked No. 5 in Texas and No. 67 in America in U.S. News & World Report’s 2021 rankings, and its online MBA program for veterans ranked No. 3 in the state and No. 49 in the country.

For Spring 2021, WT’s Graduate School enrollment rose nearly 5 percent from the previous year, with 6 percent more students pursing their first master’s degree and 32 percent pursuing their first doctoral degree. Overall, enrollment grew 14 percent among full-time graduate students.

A focus on graduate academics is a key maxim of the University’s long-term plan, WT 125: From the Panhandle to the World.

-West Texas A&M University