ASHLAND, Ohio – Six of the Ashland University Dauch College of Business and Economics programs have been ranked among the nation’s best by Intelligent.com.

Intelligent.comis a trusted resource for online/on-campus program rankings and higher education planning that uses a unique methodology to rank each program on a scale from 0 to 100 and then compares each university according to program strength, student readiness, return on investment, cost and student engagement. Researchers compared 704 programs from 2,900 universities and colleges across the United States.

AU programs securing top rankings were its online MBA in Entrepreneurship (15th and second in Ohio), MBA in Project Management (19th and first in Ohio), MBA in Entrepreneurship (21st and first in Ohio), online Small Business Management degree (23rd and first in Ohio), online MBA in Project Management (28th and first in Ohio) and online Project Management degree (34th and first in Ohio).

Elad Granot, dean of the Dauch College of Business and Economics, is appreciative of the acknowledgement. "We are honored by Intelligent.com's recognition," said Granot. "This is a testament to the excellent work of our faculty and their commitment to providing our students with a world-class education and the tools needed for future career success."

Studies show that obtaining a degree increases income substantially, with degree holders earning 84% more than those with only high school diplomas or those without a completed GED. The percentage difference in earnings continues to grow with higher learning degrees such as masters, doctoral or professional degrees, with the unemployment rate decreasing to as much as 1.1% for those with a doctorate.