What We Provide
College Rankings
Discover the best institutions offering online public service degrees with our meticulously crafted annual college rankings. Backed by the latest data from the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS), our rankings can help you find the right school for your education and career goals.
Degree Showcases
Explore degrees in over 25 public service fields with school spotlights, coursework examples, sample timelines, cost breakdowns, and other key details. We believe that information is power, and we’re here to equip you with all you need to make an educated decision.
Financial Aid Planning
We believe that financial constraints should never be a barrier to higher education. Our financial aid resources will help you navigate the sea of scholarships and other funding opportunities, ensuring your college dreams stay within reach.
Student Support Resources
Whether you’re a veteran, new online learner, or someone with a disability, we’re here to support every type of student. Access our expert-driven guidebooks that cover everything from online learning tips and stress management strategies to specialized guides tailored to demographic groups.
Meet the People Behind STEPS
Leadership
Wes Harris Ricketts
Wes brings more than 16 years of higher education and online learning experience to STEPS. He currently works with education experts to build our site resources and engage with graduate students. Wes holds a BA and MA in history and began his career as an elementary school teacher.
Kyle Darland
Kyle drives operational excellence at STEPS, managing our technical framework and driving the success of our outreach campaigns. In addition to helping STEPS grow, Kyle spends way too much of his time involved in local and national politics and engaging in economic debates.
Kim Day-Williams
Kim’s experience in Marketing Operations (combined with her healthy obsession with organization) helps keep our research and data teams on track to find the most relevant information available. When she’s not working, Kim spends her time using her creative brain by watercolor painting, cross-stitching, or taking too many pictures of her niece.
Jordan Cosselman
Jordan graduated from the University of Nevada – Reno with a B.A. in English, and is now using her talents to craft compelling marketing outreach and generate creative content ideas for our team. When not hard at work, Jordan can be found passionately cheering on the Denver Broncos, obsessively reading to keep up with her book goals, or playing with her dog Obi.
Kristen Ashbaugh
Kristen got her professional start as a content manager and marketing strategist in the fiber arts world before bringing her skills to STEPS. As a Managing Content Editor, she loves crafting educational guides that our audience wants to read. She holds a BA in History with a Minor in Journalism from the University of Nevada, Reno. When she’s not editing content or researching new topics for our sites, she can be found knitting, reading, or enjoying the outdoors with her family.
Yun Ku
Yun Ku is a communications and marketing professional with a journalistic background. She is driven to tell the inspiring, diverse and inclusive stories of students, faculty and staff in higher education. Yun has more than five years working in university marketing and communications, and close to a decade working as a copy editor and business reporter at a daily newspaper.
Writers and Expert Contributors
STEPS works with writers and authoritative voices in online learning and public service to ensure our content meets the highest standards. View our full roster of writers and expert contributors to learn more about the people behind STEPS.