Lee University once again achieved a “top tier” spot in the 2010 “Best Colleges” rankings of U.S. News and World Report, which were announced in this week’s September special issue.
Lee was ranked in the category of “Master’s Universities – South”, the third year in a row it has gained top-tier status in the university category. Lee was listed in the #49 spot, gaining seven slots over its 2009 rankings and passing UT-Chattanooga (#54) and Middle Tennessee State (#56) in the process.
There was more good news for Lee in this year’s rankings: for the first time, Lee was listed as one of America’s “up-and-coming” universities. Only 77 schools of all types in the nation, out of over 1900 which are reviewed, earned this recognition in 2010. The magazine describes the group as “leading the pack in improvements and innovative changes”, telling readers to “keep an eye on these schools”. In addition to Lee, the list includes southern schools such as Emory, Furman, and Winthrop Universities.
Lee also earned a spot in the feature which USN&WR calls “Great Schools; Great Prices”, which recognizes “best value” by a formula which combines “academic quality with net cost” of tuition and fees.
The popular USN&WR rankings are an annual bestseller on America’s newsstands, and have spawned numerous other college ranking services. College presidents around the country regularly criticize the rankings as offering an arbitrary guide to institutional quality, yet most acknowledge they follow the list closely and concede that the general public is paying attention.
Gary Ray, vice president for administration at Lee, said the upward surge in the ratings by the local college is “really wonderful news for us. We realize that these rankings are important to prospective students and their families as they choose a college, and we are understandably pleased at the recognition we are getting.”
(Source: Lee University)