Longwood University’s online MBA program has for the third consecutive year been nationally ranked by U.S. News & World Report.

The program is ranked 79th nationally in the 2016 Best Online MBA Programs list released Jan. 12. Only three Virginia universities ranked higher among the 195 ranked schools.

“I am thrilled that we’ve attained this national ranking three years in a row, which recognizes the enduring quality of our online MBA,” Longwood’s MBA director and assistant dean of the College of Business and Economics Abbey O’Connor said.

“This is important because national rankings are one measure of a school’s reputation and image — factors that students view as important when they consider where to go. National rankings also help recruiters determine which MBA programs are best.”

The rankings, which can be viewed at www.usnews.com/online, are based on student engagement, admissions selectivity, peer reputation, faculty credentials and training, and student services and technology.

The instructors in Longwood’s online MBA program, all of whom have doctoral degrees, are the same as those who teach undergraduate campus-based students, and all MBA faculty are trained how to teach online. The MBA real estate concentration that began in fall 2014 was the first offered online by a Virginia institution. Scholarly work by the real estate faculty recently earned Longwood a top 20 international ranking by the Journal of Real Estate Literature.

“What all this means for our students is that they are learning from the best and that their online experience is as strong as it would be on campus,” said O’Connor.