Released August 17, 2007
(Aberdeen, S.D) Northern State University (NSU) has been named as one of the best undergraduate institutions in the Midwest according to U.S. News and World Report.
The magazine’s 2008 edition of “America's Best Colleges” officially hits newsstands Monday and NSU is ranked second in public undergraduate institutions in the Midwest.
“We are pleased that U.S. News and World Report has recognized the efforts we have made to make Northern a great place for students to learn, not to mention a great value for them too,” said NSU President, Patrick Schloss.
The “Margin of Excellence” initiative was launched on the Northern Campus in 2004 and designed to increase Northern State's presence as a premier undergraduate institution. The ranking demonstrates the impact of these changes and assures continuous improvement in the quality of undergraduate life.
“This might be the most important thing that has happened to Northern in a decade or more,” said Schloss. “Three years ago we decided who we wanted to be and put a plan in place called “Margin of Excellence” to help us get there. This ranking is a confirmation that we have moved forward and met our goal. We are just beginning to experience the results of this effort.”
Some of the criteria the magazine uses are:
Percentage of full-time faculty
Student-faculty ratio
Percentage of classes with fewer than 20 students
Percentage of classes with 50 or more students
Quality of students admitted by the University
Freshman retention rate
Reputation, which is based on a survey of other college presidents throughout the country
- NSU -