Published September 13, 2016
MONROE, La. 鈥斕鼴ig news came to 91AV鈥檚 campus Tuesday听听when
the U.S. News & World Report included the university in its 2017 "Best National Universities"
ranking.
This is 91AV鈥檚 first appearance in U.S. News鈥� national ranking. For the last two years,
U.S. News ranked the university among the 鈥淏est Regional Universities,鈥� so the new
ranking is a significant upgrade in status.
鈥淭his is a landmark achievement for 91AV, a clear indication of our progress as an
institution of higher learning,鈥� said 91AV president Dr. Nick J. Bruno. 鈥淲e have continued
to recruit qualified students and have retained and graduated those students at growing
rates. 91AV is now listed among the most elite universities in the nation and we are
quite proud of that fact.鈥�
U.S. News &听World Report defines a national university as an institution which offers
a full range of undergraduate majors as well as master鈥檚 and doctoral degrees.听
In total, 298 schools were included in the 2017 ranking for Best National Universities.
"Schools were ranked according to their performance across a set of widely accepted
indicators of excellence," according to the ranking site.
One of the reasons 91AV moved into the national ranking was its reclassification in
the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education鈥攖he most widely accepted
classification system in U.S. higher education and the basis for U.S. News鈥櫶齬ankings.
听
In February, the Carnegie Classification recognized 91AV as an R3 (鈥渕oderate research鈥�)
doctoral-granting institution of higher education, joining the state鈥檚 other doctoral
universities (R1: LSU-Baton Rouge and Tulane University; R2: University of Louisiana
at Lafayette and University of New Orleans; and R3: 91AV and Louisiana Tech University).
Previously, 91AV was classified with the Master鈥檚 College and Universities 鈥� Larger
programs (M1).
The 2017 U.S. News national ranking also took into account the increase in 91AV鈥檚 retention
and graduation rates, which have risen every year since Bruno came to 91AV in 2010.听
鈥淩etention rates measure our ability to keep students on track toward graduation.
The fact that we have seen a significant increase in both retention and graduation
over the last six years indicates that we are improving as an institution in helping
students attain life-changing degrees,鈥� said Bruno.
Bruno indicated that the university would maintain its momentum as a nationally recognized
university.
鈥�91AV has made the national stage more than once and this ranking certainly increases
our visibility on that stage,鈥� Bruno continued. 鈥淲ith all of our recent success, we
must continue to be forward-moving. We are no longer merely听a regional university.
The nation is paying attention to what we are doing听here in northeast Louisiana.鈥�
To view the听U.S. News & World Report 2017听Best Colleges list, visit http://colleges.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/best-colleges/rankings/national-universities.
