Alcorn State University repeats as one of the top public schools in the South in US News and World Report Rankings

The Mississippi Link Newswire 

Alcorn State University students and alumni are proud that Alcorn keeps ranking high as one of the best colleges in the United States. The 2014 “US News and World Report” rankings released today confirmed Alcorn’s standing as No. 29 among Historically Black Colleges and Universities and No. 35 amid Top Public Schools (Regional South).

Alcorn’s overall ranking No. 77 among the South’s regional universities is a testament to the dedication and hard work of our faculty, staff and students, says Vice President for Student Success and Enrollment Management, Dr. Carl Cunningham.

“Alcorn has consistently performed well in the rankings as our reputation continues to grow regionally and nationally. After all, we are a best value institution. The quality of education we provide at a relatively low cost combined with our solid record of producing successful graduates position us firmly as a great university.”

Definition of Regional Universities – Regional Universities offer a broad scope of undergraduate degrees and some master’s degree programs but few, if any, doctoral programs. Regional Colleges focus on undergraduate education but grant fewer than 50 percent of their degrees in liberal arts disciplines; this category also includes schools that have small bachelor’s degree programs but primarily grant two-year associate degrees. 

Definition of Historically Black College or University – In order to be on the list, a school must be designated currently by the U.S. Department of Education as an HBCU. To qualify for the U.S. News ranking, an HBCU also must be an undergraduate baccalaureate-granting institution that enrolls primarily first year, first-time students.

Criteria for rankings – After schools have been categorized as either a National University, a National Liberal Arts College, a Regional University, or a Regional College, data is gathered from each college on up to 16 indicators of academic excellence. Each factor is assigned a weight that reflects the U.S. News & World Report’s judgment about how much a measure matters. Finally, the colleges and universities in each category are ranked against their peers, based on their composite weighted score. 

To view the U.S. News Best Colleges 2014 rankings, visit: 
http://www.usnews.com/usnews/edu/edupdfs/ .

-ALCORN- 

 Alcorn State University is a premier comprehensive land-grant university that develops diverse students into globally competitive leaders, and applies scientific research through collaborative partnerships that benefit the surrounding communities, state, nation, and world.