Newswise — Creighton University is listed No.1 in the U.S. News & World Report magazine rankings of Midwest comprehensive universities. It is the 17th straight year Creighton University has been ranked at or near the top of U.S. News & World Report magazine's "America's Best Colleges" edition. The latest rankings were released today.
In addition, U.S. News lists Creighton among 39 prestigious national institutions as having an excellent "Undergraduate Research/Creative Projects" program, which leads to student success. Independently or in small teams, students in such programs are mentored by a faculty member when doing intensive or self-directed research or creative work that results in an original scholarly paper or other product that can be presented on or off campus.
"This return to the No.1 ranking is a reflection of Creighton's careful strategic planning for growth and increased national recognition of our academic excellence. It validates that Creighton students enjoy a high-quality academic and campus experience. It also adds momentum to our enterprise at a time when record numbers of students are enrolling at Creighton, and we are steering Creighton into a new era of growth, service and prosperity," said Creighton President the Rev. John P. Schlegel, S.J.
Several factors appear to have boosted Creighton to the top spot: "We have a clear advantage in academic reputation, due to our exceptional faculty. And we have a significant edge in the rate of alumni giving. For example, last year was a strong fund-raising year for us in spite of the weak economy," Schlegel said.
"This fall, our entering freshman class has the highest academic profile in the University's history. Students of this caliber do their research, and a consistently high U.S. News & World Report ranking is one of the many reasons students choose Creighton," said Schlegel. "However, magazine rankings only tell part of the story. We encourage students to make campus visits when evaluating schools because that's the best way to judge the quality of a university."
The U.S. News category, Universities-Master's, reflects the schools' mission, providing a full range of undergraduate and master's-level programs and in Creighton's case, doctoral programs. The criteria are academic reputation, graduation and retention rates, faculty resources, student selectivity, financial resources and alumni giving. The category includes 573 schools.
Creighton also is cited as outstanding by other publications, including Money, Kiplinger's Personal Finance and Peterson's Best 311 Colleges. This week, Princeton Review Inc. ranked Creighton among the nation's top 351 colleges and universities. Princeton Review cited among other things Creighton's Top 20 national ranking among schools that have developed excellent relationships with their surrounding communities. There are more than 3,500 colleges and universities nationwide.
Creighton University, based in Omaha, Neb., is an independent, Catholic, comprehensive university operated by the Jesuits.
RSS