Lee University Rises Again in U.S. News Best Colleges Ranking
Cleveland, TN–Lee University has been ranked once again in the upper tier of Southern universities in the 2021 U.S. News and World Report’s Best Colleges.
This year Lee ranked #33, moving up one spot from last year, within the top 50 “Best Regional Universities” category out of 132 Southern universities, which included both public and private. The ranked schools are evaluated in up to 15 areas related to academic excellence such as graduation rate, peer-assessment, freshman retention rate, student-faculty ratio, and acceptance rate.
“It is gratifying to see that Lee is again in the top tier and rising this year,” said Lee President Dr. Mark Walker. “We strive to be an institution of excellence, and it is encouraging to see that our efforts are reflected in these reviews.”
In addition to the main ranking, Lee appears in three specialty rankings this year. These include “A+ Schools for B Students,” the “Best Value Schools” listing, and “Best Colleges for Veterans.”
To judge the level of quality at each of the schools on the “A-plus Schools for B Students” list, U.S. News first examined two variables: the school’s performance in the 2021 edition of the Best Colleges rankings and the average freshman retention rate. Schools had to bring an average of 75 percent of their freshmen back the following fall, as well as admit a significant proportion of students who were not straight A students in high school.
To determine which colleges met the “Best Value Schools” criteria, academic quality and cost were both considered. School rankings were determined by the ratio of school’s quality to price, the percentage of need-based students who received scholarships and grants, and the percentage of the school costs, such as room and board, fees, and books that were covered by the average need-based scholarship or grant.
The “Best Colleges for Veterans” ranking is awarded to schools that reported on their enrollment of and benefits for veterans and active-duty service members as part of the U.S. News’ annual statistical survey of undergraduate schools. These rankings only include schools in the 2021-edition of the U.S. News rankings that meet the criteria.
U.S. News has been ranking colleges for 36 years and continues to be a closely watched college ranking. The magazine reviewed over 1,000 colleges and universities nationwide for the 2021 annual issue.
For more information and a list of rankings, visit www.usnews.com.
(Source: Lee University)
