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Belmont Cited Most as ‘School to Watch’ in 2009 U.S. News & World Report Rankings

University remains top school in Tennessee in Master’s category-South
all-colleges-hi-res.pngIn its newest analysis of America’s Best Colleges, U.S. News & World Report announced that Belmont University was a most cited “School to Watch” in its current research, a high honor that indicates the strength of Belmont’s reputation among universities nationwide. For the first time, U.S. News & World Report asked its experts to identify “colleges and universities that have recently made striking improvements or innovations—schools everyone should be watching.” Belmont and Elon University in North Carolina were mentioned by experts more than any other universities appearing in the category.
Belmont President Dr. Bob Fisher said, “I don’t believe Belmont University could have received a higher compliment than to be noted by our peer institutions as a Top School to Watch. These are the most entrepreneurial people I’ve ever worked with. Sometimes I wonder if there’s a sign outside my office door that says, ‘Anyone who has a crazy idea, come on in!’ The amazing thing is, most of these crazy ideas are working.”
topschool.jpgIn addition, for the fourth year in a row Nashville’s Belmont University achieved a Top 15 regional ranking in the “Best Universities—Masters” category in the annual U.S. News & World Report college guide, again landing the highest spot of any Tennessee university. Ranked for 2009 at No. 11, Belmont is joined in the South’s Top 15 by such institutions as Rollins College, Elon University, James Madison University, The Citadel and Mercer University.
University Provost Dr. Dan McAlexander added, “Belmont is taking significant steps in the right directions, focusing our efforts on giving today’s students the tools they need to engage and transform the world. Higher retention and graduation rates as well as strong assessments from our peers indicate we’re meeting our goals, providing students with the best resources for a quality educational experience through ground-breaking, cross-disciplinary programs, small class sizes and outstanding faculty.”


Belmont is the highest-ranked Tennessee school in the Master’s category, which reports on 118 schools across the South, including 15 in Tennessee. The rankings in America’s Best Colleges 2009 are based on several quality indicators including peer assessments, graduation and retention rates, faculty resources, student selectivity, financial resources and alumni giving. For this year, both Belmont’s peer assessment, which is an indicator of a university’s overall reputation, and its graduation rates showed strong increases. At the same time, the student-faculty ratio improved to 12:1, and the university became more selective in admissions, with an acceptance rate of 62 percent.
Belmont’s high rankings arrive on the heels of remarkable growth and accomplishment at the university. Expected to announce another record-breaking enrollment this fall, Belmont remains the largest Christian university in Tennessee and one of the fastest growing in the nation. Moreover, as the host venue for the upcoming 2008 Town Hall Presidential Debate, the university is leading the charge in Nashville for student voter registration drives and programming designed to engage and educate the entire community on democracy, politics and the issues surrounding this year’s election.
Click here to read the story in The Tennessean.
Click here to read U.S. News‘ story on Up-and-Coming Schools.

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