Morehead State University has been recognized for the 11th consecutive year as one of the top public universities in the South in the 2015 edition of "America's Best Colleges" by U.S. News & World Report.
"We are very pleased to be selected again this year as one of the outstanding regional public universities by this respected college guide," said MSU President Wayne D. Andrews. “We continue to improve the quality of life of our students, alumni and community.”
The newest rankings include MSU as 21st in the Top Public University-Master’s/South division, an improvement from 24th last year.
“Our faculty and staff are deeply committed to making Morehead State the best public regional university in the South, all for the benefit of our students and their families,” Dr. Andrews said.
The rankings place emphasis on acceptance rates, graduation rates, admissions selectivity, and small class sizes. MSU has consistently been recognized for relatively small class size and a high percentage of full-time faculty members, which are two important factors of student success.
The rankings include public and private institutions which grant bachelor's and master's degrees in 12 states of the South, including Kentucky, West Virginia, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, Georgia, Arkansas and Louisiana.
MSU first appeared in the magazine’s top tier of ranked institutions in the 2005 edition of “America’s Best Colleges.” The rankings are based on research of more than 1,400 institutions nationally.
“Our students are accepted into professional schools, including medical, dental and pharmacy programs, at rates well above state and national averages. This is one indicator of the high-quality education that students receive at MSU,” said Dr. Andrews. “We are delighted that others recognize Morehead State’s academic quality.”
The rankings will be published in the magazine’s September issue. The 2015 America’s Best College’s guidebook will be available later this month.
MSU was founded in 1887 as a private college, became a public institution in 1922, and gained university status in 1966. Today, students can choose between 144 undergraduate degree and 78 graduate degree programs in the arts, education, business, and the sciences, including the space science program, one of only five in the nation.
