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MHC Ranked 29th in South by U.S.News
Mars Hill College has placed 29th among the best baccalaureate colleges in the South on the U.S. News and World Report 2011 “American’s Best Colleges” rankings.
The 2011 position is a substantial jump from last year’s position of 36th in the same category. It is the seventh time that Mars Hill has ranked in the “America’s Best Colleges” rankings, receiving a rank of 35th in 2009 and 32nd in 2008. Prior to 2008, the college was listed in the “comprehensive colleges” category, earning 38th in both 2006 and 2007, and 45th in 2005.
Over the past two decades, the U.S.News college rankings, which group schools based on categories created by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching, has grown to what the the magazine calls one of the most comprehensive research tools for students and parents considering higher education opportunities.
Dr. Dan Lunsford, President of Mars Hill College, said he was pleased to see the U.S. News and World Report rankings place Mars Hill in the top tier of colleges again this year, in the company of such excellent institutions as High Point University in North Carolina, University of Charleston in West Virginia, Ouachita Baptist University in Arkansas, Anderson University in South Carolina, and Milligan College in Tennessee.
“I see this year’s ranking, and particularly Mars Hill’s seven-place jump, as a well-earned recognition for the faculty, staff and students at Mars Hill College,” he said. “The U.S.News rankings reflect the compilation of a wide range of data on a number of factors that affect the quality of the student’s educational experience. Mars Hill’s continued superior ranking therefore proves in data what I see every day: that students at Mars Hill College receive an excellent and well-rounded educational experience.”
The 2011 Best Colleges package examines how more than 1,400 accredited four-year schools compare on a set of up to 16 widely accepted indicators of excellence. Among the many factors weighed in determining the rankings, the key measures of quality are: peer assessment, graduation and retention rates, faculty resources, student selectivity, financial resources, and alumni giving.