Danisha Bethune
Reporter
Milligan College ranks in the second of four tiers southern Master’s level institutions according to U.S. News and World Report.
“There are 131 universities in our category,” said David Mee, vice president for enrollment management. “Our U.S. News ranking is something we share with perspective students, but it is just one of many factors that point to Milligan’s overall quality.”
U.S. News and World Report ranks colleges by seven categories: peer assessment; retention (freshmen retention and six-year graduation rate); faculty resources; student selectivity; financial resources; alumni giving; and for national universities-doctoral and liberal arts colleges-bachelor’s only, an indicator of graduation rate performance.
“U.S. News and World Report categories are based on the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education released in late 2000 by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching,” said Lee Fierbaugh, director of public relations. “It is widely accepted by governments and foundations for making funding decisions for higher education.”
U. S. News and World Report also rates alumni giving.
“Milligan ranked as one of the highest in this category,” Mee said. “It’s important to note that it is possible to improve quite noticeably in a given category, and yet still remain in the same tier. This points to the need for a careful study of each variable-not simply the overall ranking.”