Clarksville, Ark. -- For the second consecutive year, University of the Ozarks has been ranked No. 1 in the category of "Great Schools, Great Prices" among its peers in the South Region by U.S.News & World Report in the magazine's annual late summer publication that analyzes institutions of higher education.
In the 2008 edition of "America’s Best Colleges," released on Aug. 17, Ozarks was ranked first in the category of "Great Schools, Great Prices" among 103 universities in the 12-state South Region that are considered Baccalaureate Colleges. It is the second consecutive year and the third time in the past five years that Ozarks has been ranked first in the best value category. The value rankings evaluate the cost of attending a college or university relative to the quality of the institution, according to the magazine’s ranking system.
In the overall rankings of the universities, Ozarks was named a "top tier" university in its category for the ninth consecutive year. Ozarks was ranked tied for 8th out of the 103 universities that fall in the Baccalaureate Colleges category in the South Region. The overall rankings examine such criteria as academic reputation, graduation and retention rates, faculty resources, student selectivity, financial resources and alumni giving.
"To be recognized as a top-tier campus in the Southern Region for the ninth consecutive year is a well-deserved tribute to our entire campus community," said U of O President Dr. Rick Niece. "We continue to gain status locally, regionally and nationally as being a campus that provides our students superb academic programs and exemplary personal attention. Equally gratifying is our designation as the best value in the South. That ranking means that no one has a better quality of education for the cost of that education than Ozarks."
The South Region consists of colleges and universities in Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Georgia, Alabama, Florida, Tennessee, Kentucky, North Carolina, South Carolina, West Virginia and Virginia.
Following Ozarks in the "Great Schools, Great Prices" category were, Ouachita Baptist University in Arkansas, LaGrange College in Georgia, Florida Southern College, and Alderson-Broaddus College in West Virginia.
The top 10 in the overall rankings for Baccalaureate Colleges in the South Region were, Ouachita Baptist University, Erskine College in South Carolina, LaGrange College, John Brown University in Arkansas, Florida Southern College, High Point University in North Carolina, Covenant College in Georgia, University of the Ozarks, Tuskegee University in Alabama, and Claflin University in South Carolina.
U.S. News & World Report ranked more than 1,400 accredited schools nationally in its "America’s Best Colleges" edition, scheduled to hit the news stands on Aug. 20.
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