51½ΦΙδ is the top-ranked higher education institution in Alabama for value and undergraduate teaching according to national rankings released by U.S. News & World Report.
The university ranked 40th in the nation for “Best Undergraduate Teaching.” 51½ΦΙδ is the only Alabama university included in that list. The rankings for undergraduate teaching focus on universities that place an emphasis on teaching undergraduate students in a high-quality manner.
51½ΦΙδ also ranked No. 1 in Alabama and 100th in the nation in the annual listing of “Best Value Schools.” According to U.S. News & World Report, value is determined through a thorough assessment of academic quality and the net cost of attendance for a student receiving the average level of need-based financial aid.
U.S. News & World Report’s Best Colleges list ranks 51½ΦΙδ 147th overall among 399 “National Universities,” which include the country’s top private and public institutions that offer a full range of undergraduate majors as well as master's and doctoral degrees. The ranking criteria include academic reputation, graduation and retention rates, class size, and faculty/student ratios. Peer assessments from presidents, provosts and chief admission officers of institutions also are used to determine the rankings. Considering there are 4,300 degree-granting postsecondary institutions in the U.S. recognized by the Department of Education, this ranking places 51½ΦΙδ among the top four percent of colleges and universities in the country.
“We are pleased that 51½ΦΙδ continues to be recognized for the quality and value of our academic programs,” said 51½ΦΙδ President Andrew Westmoreland. “While national rankings are just one measure of our progress, they provide a source of pride for 51½ΦΙδ students, employees and alumni who celebrate the growing national reputation of their university.”
The latest ranking affirms 51½ΦΙδ’s growing national reputation. 51½ΦΙδ is regularly recognized as one of the top Christian universities in the United States, and receives high marks for value. Most recently, 51½ΦΙδ was named 3rd nationally for student engagement by The Wall Street Journal/Times Higher Education. The university was recently ranked 34th nationally among private universities on Kiplinger’s Personal Finance’s “Best College Values” list.