Furman University is ranked No. 51 among the 229 schools listed in the category of \u201cNational Liberal Arts Colleges\u201d in the annual rankings released today by U.S. News & World Report. Furman moved up two spots from last year.<\/p>\n
The ranking in \u201cAmerica\u2019s Best Colleges\u201d makes Furman the top-rated liberal arts and sciences institution in South Carolina and places the university among the top 25 percent of colleges in the national liberal arts category, which emphasizes undergraduate education and whose schools award at least half of their degrees in the liberal arts and sciences.<\/p>\n
Furman was ranked No. 21 in the category of \u201cMost Innovative Schools\u201d that are making \u201ccutting-edge changes\u201d on their campuses, and was ranked No. 38 among \u201cHigh School Counselors\u2019 Top College Picks,\u201d a list based on the responses of high school counselors who were asked to rate the quality of a school\u2019s undergraduate academic program.<\/p>\n
The university was also ranked No. 39 in “Best Undergraduate Teaching” and\u00a0No. 3 among national liberal arts schools in the category of \u201cBest Colleges for Veterans.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWe recognize that many prospective students and their families look at rankings to begin their college search, so it\u2019s gratifying to be mentioned prominently in publications like U.S. News,\u201d said Furman President Elizabeth Davis. \u201cSince The Furman Advantage is about giving our students a unique and highly individualized educational experience, we\u2019re also pleased to be listed among the \u2018Most Innovative Schools\u2019 and \u2018High School Counselors\u2019 Top Picks.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n
The U.S. News rankings evaluate colleges and universities on 16 measures of academic quality. Those areas include peer assessment, retention of students, graduation rate performance, faculty resources, student social mobility, financial resources, and alumni giving. This year, Furman saw increases in its scores in peer assessment, retention and faculty resources, among other areas.<\/p>\n