The decision to return to school as an adult or working professional can come with additional considerations. They need flexible, affordable programs that fit their needs, allowing them to balance work or family life.
UW-Stout’s Stout Online helps working professionals begin or complete their degree or advance their career goals through more than 30 online bachelor’s and master’s programs, as well as dozens of certificates, certifications, individual courses and development opportunities.
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, depending on a person’s career field, the average salary with an associate’s degree is about $55,000, jumping to $77,000 with a bachelor’s degree and $90,000 with a master’s degree.
Stout Online offers some of the Best Online Programs in the nation, according to U.S. News & World Report’s 2025 rankings. Four of the university’s programs were named:
- Best Online Master’s in Engineering Programs: Top 20 in the Midwest, No. 70 overall
- Best Online Master’s in Education Programs: Top 45 in the Midwest, No. 150 overall
- Best Online Bachelor’s in Business Programs: Top 15 in the Midwest, No. 87 overall
UW-Stout was ranked as No. 230 for Best Online Bachelor's Programs, with its most popular online degrees including management; business information technology; cybersecurity; digital marketing technology; human development and family studies; technology education; and hospitality, restaurant and tourism management.
In three of its four acknowledgments, UW-Stout was ranked second in Wisconsin. U.S. News surveyed more than 1,800 accredited programs nationally.
“As Wisconsin’s Polytechnic University, we have an applied learning portfolio across all modalities: online, hybrid and in-person,” said Provost Glendalí Rodríguez, vice chancellor of Academic Affairs.
“Our programs are responsive to workforce needs and it is important to meet students where they are. For many students, with work and/or family commitments, that means the need for a flexible and quality online educational experience. UW-Stout is committed to helping students achieve career advancement opportunities through our online offerings,” she said.
Stout Online: designed with working professionals in mind
UW-Stout faculty are experienced, industry experts dedicated to teaching the latest in technology and trends in their fields. Small cohorts build close communities and share a wealth of diverse perspectives to enhance each other’s learning.
Students in the M.S. in manufacturing engineering, in the Robert F. Cervenka School of Engineering, advance their skills through assignments and projects that apply to real-life industry problems. They build expertise in continuous process improvement, lean manufacturing, project management and manufacturing engineering processes. Students may also choose to earn a Six Sigma Black Belt Certificate.
The median annual wage for industrial engineers in the U.S. is $99,000, with employment growth projected at 12% over the next decade.
The M.S. in education is a 30-credit degree program built around a core of 18 teaching and applied research credits, with a selection of 12 elective credits to meet students’ career interests. Students may earn one of a dozen professional certificates or certifications, including Autism Spectrum Disorder Specialist, Instructional Design, Math Specialist, Reading Specialist or Teaching Adult Learners.
UW-Stout’s School of Education also offers master’s programs in critically needed areas of school counseling, and school psychology, as well as career and technical education and an Ed.D. in career and technical education leadership.
UW-Stout’s online bachelor’s in management program, offered through the School of Management, has been ranked No. 10 among the best online programs by BestAccreditedColleges.com. It offers eight concentrations to help professionals reach their career goals:
- Business management
- Facilities operation management
- Human resource management
- Operations management
- Project management
- Quality management
- Risk control and safety management
- Supply chain management
UW-Stout graduates are in demand, with 99% employed soon after earning their degree, with undergraduates receiving a record average starting salary of $58,000, the best among higher education institutions in west-central Wisconsin.
Money Magazine named UW-Stout one of two public Best Colleges in Wisconsin, as well as one of the 45 Best in the Midwest, for its focus on affordability and student outcomes.
UW-Stout is proud to be the first of the 13 Universities of Wisconsin to be certified for excellence in distance education practices. Its FOCUS2030 strategic plan includes five key goals, led by student success.
