The COVID-19 crisis had universities across the country scrambling to make a near-instantaneous transition to completely virtual learning. The University of North Texas at Dallas has proven especially nimble in converting in-classroom instruction to online.

As the Fall 2020 semester approaches, it remains uncertain if campuses will be able to open and offer in-classroom instruction. What is certain is that UNT Dallas students will receive the highest quality education, regardless of delivery mode. The California-based organization Educate to Career (ETC) places UNT Dallas in Tier 1 of its College Planning Autumn 2020 rankings of universities best equipped to deliver full curriculum online and in-classroom.

Among four-year, public universities in the North Texas region, UNT Dallas is among just three institutions to qualify in Tier 1, described by ETC as having “the systems required to deliver full curriculum online and in-classroom,” and also having at least three years of experience delivering online curriculum. ETC uses publicly available data to compile its rankings.

“UNT Dallas is committed to providing our students with the highest quality education, whether it is delivering curriculum in-classroom or completely virtual as we are doing during the COVID-19 crisis,” UNT Dallas Provost Betty Stewart said. “As the Educate to Career rankings show, our administration, faculty, Office of Distance Learning and Instructional Technology, Office of Information Technology, and many others, have worked tirelessly to ensure that our students are equipped to successfully advance their academic pursuits at UNT Dallas.”

ETC urges students to assess their risk heading into the Fall 2020 semester. It cautions students about being enrolled at an expensive college that can’t deliver a completely open campus with an in-classroom educational experience because of the COVID-19 crisis.

Because it’s uncertain if colleges will provide in-classroom education for the Fall 2020 semester, and the possibility of a second wave of COVID-19 hot spots, ETC is advocating for students to adopt a low-cost, low-risk strategy to attending college this fall. This strategy includes living at home and attending a nearby college that can deliver completely virtual curriculum.

UNT Dallas, the fastest-growing public university in Texas, offers the lowest tuition plans in Dallas-Fort Worth and ranks No. 1 in Texas for lowest student debt upon graduation.

“Our goal throughout this emergency was to provide students with the tools to complete the semester and for our seniors to graduate,” UNT Dallas President Bob Mong said. “Now that we are into summer sessions of fully remote learning, and with a still-uncertain fall semester ahead, that goal has not changed. UNT Dallas students, whether taking courses online or completely virtual, will receive the highest-quality, most affordable college education in Dallas-Fort Worth.”