On Sept. 13, Saint Leo University was declared as one of the best regional universities and one of the best values in higher education in the 2017 U.S. News & World Report’s Best Colleges list. This list, created yearly, helps students and parents/guardians to decide the overall best places to attend college.
“Saint Leo University provides a terrific educational value, and we are pleased that the U.S. News & World Report’s rankings recognize the quality and excellence offered by the University,” said Dr. William J. Lennox Jr., president. “The rankings point to our student-centered mission, our caring faculty and staff, and our dedication to providing quality education. We will continue to progress and grow, coaching our students, and making sure they succeed.”
Among regional universities in the South, Saint Leo University ranked 62nd, a considerable rise from the University’s previous rank of 71st. Of all the colleges listed, Saint Leo University ranks among 385 other private institutions and, in total, 653 regional universities (including 257 public institutions and 11 non-profit institutions). All of the other colleges included in the list provide a variety of undergraduate and graduate programs (at both the master’s and doctorate’s levels), much like Saint Leo University. The University stood out, however, as it offers a Doctor of Business Administration degree while only few universities in the list offer any doctoral programs at all.
The University also obtained a second honor: it was considered one of the best values in both academic quality and net cost of students receiving the average level of need-based financial aid.
In January, U.S. News & Report named Saint Leo University among the best universities in its 2016 “Best Online Programs” list. Saint Leo University has had a robust online program since 1998; it was tied 43rd in the category of Best Online Programs for bachelor’s degrees and tied for 56th in non-MBA graduate business programs. It was also recognized for its excellence in the MBA and graduate education online programs.
U.S. News uses a series of criteria in order to rank the universities listed. These include: freshman retention and graduation of students; peer assessment; faculty resources; student selectivity; financial resources; alumni giving; and graduation rate performance, among other things.
