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U.S. News Ranks Mars Hill 31st in 2013 Rankings
Mars Hill College has placed 31st among the 100 best regional colleges in the South on the U.S. News and World Report 2013 “American’s Best Colleges” rankings, which were released today.
The ranking is up four places from last year, when Mars Hill ranked 35th among regional colleges in the South. Prior to the 2012 rankings, Mars Hill was ranked in the baccalaureate colleges in the South category, ranking 29th in 2011 and 36th in 2010. Mars Hill has placed in the U.S. News rankings for nine years now.
Over the past two decades, the U.S. News “America’s Best Colleges” ranking has grown to be one of the most comprehensive research tools for students and parents considering higher education opportunities. School groupings are based on the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching’s highly respected Basic Classification.
According to usnews.com, the purpose of the rankings is to give potential students and their parents “a starting point” for making the important decision of college selection. Other intangible factors will figure in the decision for each individual, but if students “combine the information on this site with college visits, interviews, and … intuition, our rankings can be a powerful tool in [the] quest for the right college.”
The rankings are based on a formula which considers numerous indicators of academic quality, including assessment by administrators at peer institutions, retention of students, faculty resources, student selectivity, financial resources, and alumni giving.
Mars Hill College President Dan Lunsford said he believes that the college’s consistent placement in the top tier of regional colleges in the South is a well-earned acknowledgment of the institution’s continuing efforts to provide the best possible educational experience for its students.
“Mars Hill has focused on a concrete planning process in recent years which aims to increase both the quality and the visibility of the institution,” Lunsford said. “Plan goals include increasing enrollment; raising retention rates; improving facilities; lowering class sizes, particularly in freshman classes; and creating a culture of undergraduate research. I see this ranking as one of many affirmations that Mars Hill is making strides toward its goal of being the preeminent provider of private education in the region.”
Posted: September 12, 2012