Shenandoah University is ranked 44th among 125 regional universities in the South, according to U.S. News & World Report’s list of Best Colleges for 2014.
“It is an honor to be recognized for our university’s commitment to providing a quality education to our students here at Shenandoah University,” said President Tracy Fitzsimmons, Ph.D. “With Shenandoah continuing its long tradition as a top 50 institution in the South region, we are proud to call this select group of higher education providers our peers.”
The exclusive rankings, which include evaluation of nearly 1,400 schools nationwide, were announced today and will also be published in the “Best Colleges” book, available on Tuesday, Sept. 24.
This year, Shenandoah’s average freshman retention rate increased by three percent. The university’s peer institutions were consistent in their opinion of Shenandoah, with its peer assessment score holding steady.
The university was recognized earlier this year as one of the 322 most environmentally responsible colleges in the U.S. and Canada, according to The Princeton Review. Shenandoah is currently ranked #19 and #22 for its Nurse-Midwifery and Physician Assistant Studies programs respectively, according to U.S. News & World Report’s Best Graduate School rankings.
“Shenandoah University prides itself in giving our students the best opportunities to be successful during their time here and preparing them to continue that success beyond graduation,” said Fitzsimmons. “We are also mindful that a university’s reputation should be measured in more than just numerical rankings. We take citizenship and ethics very seriously as measures of success here at Shenandoah.”
A total of 621 universities are included in the best regional universities segment of U.S. News’ college rankings. Institutions in this category provide a full range of undergraduate majors and master’s programs, but few, if any, doctoral programs. Schools in the regional section are ranked within four geographic areas – North, South, Midwest and West.
For information about Best Colleges, visit www.usnews.com/colleges.