Elon University earns 35 badges for excellence in rankings based on the outcomes of a college education. The rankings were released by USA Today, College Factual and Google News.
USA Today and College Factual recognize Elon University in the top tier of the nation’s colleges and universities in the 2018 college rankings. Elon is awarded 35 badges for excellence including recognition for four academic programs that are ranked in the top 5 percent in the nation. Overall, Elon is ranked in the top 11 percent of colleges and universities nationwide, and receives recognition for overall value.
Elon earns high national rankings based on the caliber of the student body, the quality of the faculty, a high freshmen retention rate, a high graduation rate, high starting salaries of graduates and a low default rate on student loans.
Elon’s academic programs receiving the highest rankings in the survey, placing in the top 5 percent nationwide, include the following:
- Finance and financial management
- Communication and journalism
- Public relations and advertising
- Majors related to parks, recreation and leisure studies
College Factual ranks Elon’s strategic communications program the #6 most focused program in the nation, and the journalism program the #13 most focused program. Elon’s entrepreneurial studies programs are ranked #10 in the nation, marketing programs are ranked #33, accounting is ranked #40 and the finance program is ranked the nation’s #29 most focused program.
Other academic program areas placing either in the top 10 percent or the top 15 percent nationwide include the following:
- Business, management and marketing
- Accounting
- Business administration and management
- International business
- Special education
- Natural resources conservation
- Health and physical education
- Recreation administration
- Public administration and social service
- Drama and theater arts
The USA Today/College Factual rankings are based on 11 factors of quality. The rankings do not involve any subjective data and schools are not grouped into categories. The rankings attempt to measure the quality of academic programs and majors, comparing schools in a variety of fields.
In addition to Elon, the other top-five schools in North Carolina are Duke University, Wake Forest University, Davidson College and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
Elon’s overall national ranking of #155 out of 1,383 schools is based on test scores of incoming students, high freshman retention rate and graduation rates, educational and faculty resources, starting salary of graduates, and a low default rate on student loans. Elon ranks #21 among 353 colleges in the Southeast.
College Factual provides proprietary college content and insights, college rankings and an array of college-comparison and decision-making tools to help students find their best-fit college. In 2016, the company was chosen to be the data provider for the USA Today College Guide, which is read by more than 100,000 U.S. families.