Clarksville, Ark. --- For the 11th consecutive year, University of the Ozarks has been ranked as a "top tier" university in the U.S. News & World Report's annual late summer publication that analyzes institutions of higher education.
In the 2010 edition of "America’s Best Colleges," released to the public on Aug. 20, Ozarks was ranked second in the category of "Great Schools, Great Prices" among 97 universities in the 12-state South Region that are considered Baccalaureate Colleges. It is the 10th time in the last 11 years that Ozarks has been ranked in the top five of 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 ranked seventh among 97 universities that fall in the Baccalaureate Colleges category in the South Region. The seventh-place ranking is the highest ever for U of O, which was tied for seventh in 2009 and eighth in both 2008 and 2006. 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 by U.S. News & World Report as a top-tier campus in the Southern Region for the 11th consecutive year is a well-deserved tribute to our faculty, staff and students," said U of O President Dr. Rick Niece. "We continue to gain status regionally and nationally. I am equally proud that Ozarks is once again rated highly in the ‘Great Schools, Great Prices’ category. Our high ranking validates that we provide our students with an outstanding education at a reasonable cost."
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.
The top five in the overall rankings for the "Great Schools, Great Prices" category in the South Region were, Ouachita Baptist University in Arkansas, University of the Ozarks, Alice Lloyd College in Kentucky, Milligan College in Tennessee 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, John Brown University in Arkansas, Erskine College in South Carolina, Covenant College in Georgia, High Point University in North Carolina, LaGrange College in Georgia, University of the Ozarks, Milligan College, Florida Southern College and Lenoir-Rhyne College in North 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. 24.
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