U.S. News & World Report ranks Elon University ninth (9th) among 130 Southern universities in the 2002 America’s Best Colleges guide. This is Elon’s highest ranking ever, and positions the school as the top-ranked North Carolina university in the regional category for master’s level institutions. The annual U.S. News ranking is the most widely referenced college rating, reaching millions of students and parents through the U.S. News weekly news magazine, Web site and guidebook.
Elon earns its ranking based on a complex formula that takes into account numerous quality factors. Elon earns its highest marks for academic reputation, high student retention and graduation rates, small class sizes, excellent faculty and entering student SAT scores. Elon has experienced a dramatic rise in U.S. News rankings since 1996, when it was ranked 39th. Last year’s ranking was #11.
The Best Universities – Master’s ranking in the 12-state southern region are as follows (last year’s ranking in parentheses):
- 1. University of Richmond (Va.) (1)
- 2. James Madison University (Va.) (2)
- (tie) Rollins College (Fla.) (2)
- 4. Stetson University (Fla.) (4)
- 5. Samford University (Ala.) (5)
- 6. The Citadel (S.C.) (7)
- (tie) Loyola University New Orleans (La.) (7)
- 8. Mercer University (Ga.) (9)
- 9. Elon University (11)
- 10. Centenary College of Louisiana (12)
- (tie) Meredith College (N.C.) (17)
- 12. Appalachian State University (N.C.) (10)
- (tie) Wheeling Jesuit University (W.Va.) (12)
This year’s improved ranking is the latest in a series of national honors received by Elon.
- The Sept. 10 issue of Time magazine names Elon one of 16 Colleges of the Year for its outstanding programs for helping first-year students make a successful transition into college life.
- The National Survey of Student Engagement named Elon the top master’s-level school in the country, based on close student-faculty interaction, challenging academics and a collaborative and supportive learning environment.
- The Wall Street Journal, working with a panel of admissions counselors, selected Elon for a list of top 50 colleges and universities that “straight-A students are scrambling to get into now.”
- The 2002 Kaplan Newsweek College Catalog names Elon one of 27 “hidden treasure” colleges and universities in the nation.
“Elon is earning recognition as a national model of academic excellence,” says Leo M. Lambert, Elon president. “The various surveys and rankings reflect the investments that have been made in Elon’s programs, faculty and facilities over the past several years.”
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