U.S. News and World Report names ASU among 2011 ‘America’s Best Colleges’

August 19, 2010 -- Arkansas State University has been selected as one of  60 elite institutions of higher education in the southern region to be recognized by the editors of U.S. News & World Report in the 2011 edition of “America’s Best Colleges.”

Dr. Dan Howard, interim Chancellor of ASU, was notified late Tuesday that the university is honored as a Tier I southern regional institution for the first time in ASU’s history.

“This designation was earned by a great deal of dedication and hard concentrated work provided individually and collectively by many faculty, staff, and administrators at ASU,” said Dr. Howard. “Ranking as one of America’s Best Colleges is well-deserved by ASU and it will have a positive and profound influence upon the ability of the university to attract the best and brightest students, faculty, staff and administrators from the United States and globally. It is simply an incredible accomplishment.”

Dr. Howard made the announcement on Wednesday to ASU’s faculty during Faculty Conference and at Staff Senate later in the day. In both forums, this news was received with spontaneous applause and many smiles.

Previously designated by the publication as a Tier 3 Regional University in the South, ASU made the two-spot leap to Tier 1 University status as a result of raising undergraduate admissions standards, increasing the number of alumni gifts, and improving student retention and graduation rates.

Dr. Robert L. Potts, interim President of the ASU System, said, “The Board of Trustees and I are extremely proud of the ASU-Jonesboro administration, faculty and staff who have worked long and hard to earn this well-deserved recognition of the high quality of the campus and its programs. To have jumped two tiers in one year is remarkable and a credit to all campus constituencies working together to achieve excellence.”

Many factors figure into the rankings of “America’s Best Colleges,” including location; the feel of campus life; the range of academic offerings, activities, and sports; and the cost and availability of financial aid. Editors at U.S. News and World Report note that combining this information with college visits, interviews, and intuition can make the rankings a powerful tool in the search by students and parents for the right college or university.

“Dr. Howard is to be commended for his efforts in helping Arkansas State University attain this high status,” stated Dr. Rick Stripling, vice chancellor for Student Affairs. “The factors mentioned by U.S. News and World Report are a part of Dr. Howard’s initiative and early goals for ASU.”

One factor that is heavily weighed by the publication is the graduation rate performance which serves as a reward for the university and a measure of educational and academic results.

The editors at U.S. News and World Report state that the rankings “allow students and parents to compare at a glance the relative quality of institutions based on such widely accepted indicators of excellence as retention and graduation rates and the strength of the faculty, and often lead students to discover unfamiliar schools and broaden their options.”

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