USD receives high ranking from U.S. News

The University of South Dakota is one of the 248 best universities in the nation, according to rankings released Aug. 18 by U.S. News and World Report magazine. In the annual college guide, "America's Best Colleges 2007," USD is ranked in the "national universities" category with the same classification as much larger Division I schools such as the University of Arkansas, Texas Tech University, Arizona State University and Oklahoma State University.

This is the 16th year USD has been included in the listing. Schools included in the national universities category (162 public and 86 private) offer a wide range of undergraduate majors along with master's degrees and Ph.D. programs.

"The University of South Dakota is one of the best small public universities in the country, and we are pleased U.S. News and World Report is helping us tell our story," said USD President James W. Abbott. "Our students receive a quality education from an extraordinary faculty dedicated to excellent teaching and quality research."

The criteria used by U.S. News include assessment by administrators at peer institutions (reputation), retention of students, faculty resources, student selectivity, financial resources, alumni giving and graduation rate performance (the difference between the proportion of students expected to graduate and the proportion who actually do).

The complete U.S. News and World Report rankings can be found at the U.S. News Web site, at: http://www.usnews.com. The "America's Best Colleges 2007" magazine issue will be available on news stands Aug. 21.