May 25, 2010
The University of South Carolina Aiken is ranked first among the top public baccalaureate colleges in the South in the year 2010 edition of U.S.News & World Report’s guide, “America’s Best Colleges.” This is the 12th 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 six times: 2002, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, and 2010.
“I am honored to know that I attend a school that is considered the best,” said USC Aiken Student Government Association President Brad Hall. “USC Aiken became the best by exemplifying character, citizenship, collegiality, and a constant high quality learning environment. Chancellor Hallman and our administrators continuously strive to make USC Aiken the best university it can be. It gives me great satisfaction to work hand-in-hand with the terrific faculty, staff, and administrators on this campus.”
U.S.News & World Report uses six categories of indicators to capture academic quality including: academic reputation/peer assessment (25%), graduation and 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 319 baccalaureate colleges, within four regions: North, South, Midwest, and West.
In the Top Public Baccalaureate Colleges in the South category, USC Aiken ranked first, Elizabeth City State University (NC) ranked second, and USC Upstate ranked third.
The 2010 “America’s Best Colleges” guidebook will be available Tuesday, August 25. The rankings are also available on the U.S.News & World Report web site at www.usnews.com.