SMU rises in U.S. News & World Report's 'Best Colleges'

Colleges & Universities Southern Methodist University
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<p>SMU rises in U.S. News & World Report’s ‘Best Colleges’</p>

<p>September 12, 2012</p>

<p>DALLAS (SMU) – SMU rose in the ranks of the nation’s top universities in the 2013 edition of U.S. News & World Report’s Best Colleges, which was published online today.</p>

<p>Among 280 institutions classified as national universities, SMU ranks 58, an increase of 4 points from last year’s ranking of 62. The ranking again places SMU in the first tier of institutions in the guide’s “best national universities” category. In Texas, only Rice University and the University of Texas-Austin ranked ahead of SMU. Among private national universities, SMU ranks 40. </p>

<p>“Although rankings alone cannot tell the full story of a university’s quality, it is gratifying for SMU to achieve upward movement among the best national universities,” said SMU President R. Gerald Turner. “Rankings can be a good starting point when looking at colleges and universities, but we encourage parents and students to visit the institutions they are considering to get a first-hand look at academic offerings and the total student experience.”</p>

<p>The factors weighed in determining the rankings include measures of academic quality, such as peer assessment scores and ratings by high school counselors; graduation and retention rates; faculty resources; student selectivity; financial resources; and alumni giving. </p>

<p>Rankings of more than 1,400 institutions – including national universities, liberal arts colleges and regional universities and colleges – were posted online Wednesday, September 12, at [Best</a> Colleges | Find the Best College for You | US News Education](<a href=“http://www.usnews.com/colleges]Best”>http://www.usnews.com/colleges). They will be published in the U.S. News & World Report issue available on newsstands September 18.</p>