ROCK HILL, SOUTH CAROLINA – Winthrop University held its spot among the South’s top
10 public regional universities that convey bachelor's and master's degrees in the
2018 U.S. News & World Report's edition of "America's Best Colleges."
Ranking eighth among Southern public universities, Winthrop moved into the top 25 of public and private institutions in the region. The rankings were released on Sept. 12.
Winthrop President Dan Mahony said the university does not chase rankings but is proud that Winthrop earns consistent recognition of its student-focused higher education experience. “For decades Winthrop has been noted for offering national-caliber academics, civic engagement opportunities, undergraduate and graduate level research, and global connections, all in a beautiful campus setting,” Mahony said. “Our faculty and staff make the difference in producing graduates well prepared for their careers and for living in an increasingly complex world.”
As noted in the rankings, Winthrop’s commitment to academics is shown in key measurements of students, including:
• The average first-year student retention rate remained at 75 percent.
• The student/faculty ratio remained at 14:1.
• The actual graduation rate in 2016 increased from 55 to 58 percent, based on the
average percent of those in the entering class who graduated within six years.
• Winthrop continues to be recognized as among the region’s Best Colleges for Veterans.
Winthrop rose in the rankings from 19 to 17 on the list of Best Colleges for Veterans. As part of its expansion of veterans’ offerings in recent years, Winthrop has created the University College Academic Advising (MATS) office to serve those students throughout their college careers. In fall 2016, Winthrop increased its enrollment to 126 (114 in fall 2015) of those identified as veterans, active duty or in the reserves.
The U.S. News college rankings group schools based on categories created by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching and are frequently relied upon by students and parents considering higher education opportunities. U.S. News surveys colleges and universities each year and ranks nearly 1,400 of them in different categories.
Winthrop has consistently received a variety of third-party endorsements for its academic quality and success. Earlier this month, Princeton Review listed the university among best Southeastern colleges. Also, Winthrop was prominently mentioned in the spring 2017 Education Trust national report, “A Look at Black Student Success: Identifying Top- and Bottom-Performing Institutions,” that identified leading higher education institutions with high rates of graduation success among minority populations. Winthrop was #2 in a list of top-performing schools.
For more information, contact Judy Longshaw, news and media services manager, at 803/323-2404 or e-mail her at longshawj@winthrop.edu.
