USC Aiken Celebrates 10 Years of Being Ranked Among Best Baccalaureate Colleges by U.S.News & World Report
August 17, 2007
The University of South Carolina Aiken is ranked second among the top public baccalaureate colleges in the South in the year 2008 edition of U.S.News & World Report’s guide, “ America’s Best Colleges.” This is the 10 th consecutive year USC Aiken has been ranked in the top three public baccalaureate colleges in the South category by U.S.News & World Report. USC Aiken has been ranked first four times: 2002, 2003, 2006, and 2007.
“We are very proud to celebrate 10 years of recognition by U.S.News & World Report,” said Dr. Thomas L. Hallman, USC Aiken chancellor. “Although we don’t base our institution’s processes, goals, or strategies on ranking criteria prescribed by U.S.News, we are happy to be viewed as one of the best colleges in our category by a third party. Ten consecutive years of being ranked among the top three shows a consistent level of success for our campus.”
U.S.News & World Report uses six categories of indicators to capture academic quality including: academic reputation/peer assessment (25%), retention of students (25%), faculty resources (20%), student selectivity (15%), financial resources (10%), and alumni giving (5%).
In the Best Baccalaureate Colleges Category, U.S.News and World Report includes institutions that focus on undergraduate education and offer a range of degree programs—in the liberal arts, which account for fewer than half of their bachelor’s degrees, and in professional fields such as business, nursing, and education. There are 320 baccalaureate colleges, within four regions: North, South, Midwest, and West.
In the Top Public Baccalaureate Colleges in the South category, Winston-Salem State University (NC) ranked first, USC Aiken ranked second, and Elizabeth City State University (NC) ranked third.
The magazine will be on newsstands on August 20. The rankings are also available on the U.S.News & World Report web site at www.usnews.com.
