WKU Moves Up In U.S. News Ranking Of America's Best Colleges

August 22, 2008

Bowling Green, Ky. - Western Kentucky University has moved into the top 10 of the U.S. News & World Report rankings of public master’s universities in the South.

In the rankings of “America’s Best Colleges 2009,” WKU is No. 10 among public master’s universities in the South, up from No. 12 in the 2008 rankings. In the ranking of all master’s universities in the South, WKU rose from No. 32 to No. 29.

Slight improvements in several rating categories – peer ranking, average graduation rate, percentage of classes under 20, percentage of classes of 50 or more and percentage of freshmen in top 25 percent of their class – helped WKU move up in the rankings.

WKU’s peer ranking (3.3 out of 5) was highest among its benchmark institutions and the highest of Kentucky institutions. The Peer Assessment Score is significant because that ranking denotes how similar institutions view WKU.

WKU also held steady in average freshman retention rate, student/faculty ratio, percentage of full-time faculty and SAT/ACT 25th-75th percentile.

“The most encouraging measure in these particular rankings is the growing academic reputation of WKU,” President Gary Ransdell said. “To be perceived so well in the academic community is a great boost of confidence for our faculty.”

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For information, contact Institutional Research at (270) 745-3250.