Belmont hits the Top Five in “America’s Best Colleges”

In the annual rankings released Tuesday by U.S. News & World Report, Belmont University leaped into the Top 5 for “America’s Best Colleges” in the South region.

The move in the rankings comes after being ranked at No. 7 for three consecutive years and completes another goal established under Vision 2015.

In addition to placing in the Top 5, Belmont received recognition as an “Up-and-Comer” for the seventh consecutive year for its changes focused on academics, faculty, student life, campus or facilities, according to the press release.

Belmont also was ranked second in the region for its commitment to undergraduate teaching and internships as part of the overall educational experience at the university.

“This is great news. I’m so privileged to be associated with faculty and staff who give their best every day to create extraordinary learning experiences for our students,” said President Bob Fisher in the press release from the university.

The No. 5 ranking places Belmont among the top in the South, which features 126 public and private institutions in 11 different states across the region. Belmont also ranks highest among the 15 Tennessee institutions in the category, a distinction it has held for more than a decade.

“While it’s gratifying and humbling to achieve this part of our Vision, we’re far from done. Planning has already begun on Vision 2020, and I fully expect our campus to raise the bar even higher as we imagine our future together.”

The basis for the rankings by U.S News is determined by a variety of measures such as peer assessment score, graduation rate and retention rate.

While the university’s enrollment continues to grow, its commitment to small class sizes and personal attention remains 13-to-1. Additionally, the alumni giving rate ranked second, trailing only the Citadel in South Carolina.

“Numbers alone can’t be indicative of a college experience or determine a student’s future success, but these statistics do prove that Belmont University is on the right path,” said Belmont Provost Dr. Thomas Burns in the press release. “Clearly, Belmont is providing its students a high quality education and an overall experience that is consistently improving according to both the U.S. News factors measuring academic excellence and the ratings of our colleagues at peer institutions.”

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