CANTON -- SUNY Canton's online bachelor's degree programs have once again been named among best in the country, according to U.S. News & World Report.

SUNY Canton jumped from 58th place in 2015 to 49th in the most recent rankings, becoming one of only five colleges in New York state to finish in the top 50.

Programs were scored on a variety of measures in categories such as student engagement, faculty credentials and training, student services, admissions selectivity, and peer reputation.

Now in its fifth year, the U.S. News & World Report online program rankings are a resource for students and working adults who are increasingly seeking online education programs for degree completion and career advancement. Prospective students can use the searchable directory to explore factors such as tuition, program offerings and online services.

The 2016 rankings were released Jan. 12 and can be found at http://www.usnews.com/education/online-education/bachelors/rankings.

In addition to the U.S. News rankings, SUNY Canton has garnered a number of other awards for online program quality and affordability during the past two years. SR Education Group has named the college's bachelor's degrees in Finance, Legal Studies and Nursing among the most economical in the nation. Affordable Colleges Online also chose SUNY Canton's four-year Criminal Justice: Law Enforcement Leadership and Legal Studies degrees as the most cost-effective programs of their kind in the country.

SUNY Canton currently offers 10 exclusively online baccalaureate degrees in a number of disciplines, including heath care, finance, management, criminal justice and nursing.