Flagler College ranks eighth on U.S. News "Best Colleges" list

ST. AUGUSTINE, FL (09/10/2013)(readMedia)-- Flagler College cracked the top 10 of U.S. News & World Report's 2014 edition of Best Colleges for Best Regional Colleges in the South. Flagler tied for 8th, moving up from 11th in 2013.

"Flagler's increase in regional rankings demonstrates success in administrative efforts to decrease class sizes and the average student/faculty ratio," said Will Miller, Director of Institutional Research and Effectiveness for the college. "Furthermore, changes in methodology for the 2014 rankings to include graduation rate performance show that we are serving our students well, graduating 11 percent more students than predicted by the publication's formula."

Flagler College President Dr. William T. Abare, Jr described the ranking as an indication of the college's standing among institutions of higher education and its growing reputation as well as an affirmation of the college's commitment to creating an exceptional educational experience for its students.

"I am very pleased with our ranking by U.S. News & World Report," said Abare. "The ranking means a great deal to our entire college community – trustees, administrators, faculty, staff, students, alumni, parents and donors."

Other schools in the top 10 included High Point University in North Carolina, Florida Southern College and the University of the Ozarks in Arizona. There were more than 70 colleges and universities included in the first tier of the South rankings.

Regional colleges focus on the undergraduate experience, offering a broad range of programs in liberal arts, as well as fields like business, nursing and education. The 367 colleges in the category draw heavily from nearby states and are divided into four regions.

The guidebook, which includes profiles on nearly 1,600 colleges and universities, will be available at newsstands on Sept. 24.

U.S. News uses a quantitative ranking formula based on reliable indicators of academic quality that have been proposed by education experts. Key measures of quality include graduation and retention rates, assessment by peers, faculty resources, student selectivity, financial resources, graduation rate performance and alumni giving.

In August, Flagler was also included in The Princeton Review's 2014 edition of its annual college guide, "The Best 378 Colleges."

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Flagler College is an independent, four-year, comprehensive baccalaureate college located in St. Augustine, Fla. The college offers 29 majors, 34 minors and two pre-professional programs, the largest majors being business, education and communication. Small by intent, Flagler College has an enrollment of about 2,500 students, as well as a satellite campus at Tallahassee Community College in Tallahassee, Fla. U.S. News & World Report and The Princeton Review regularly feature Flagler as a college that offers quality education at a relatively low cost. A Flagler education is less than half the cost of similar private colleges, and competitive with many state universities. A relatively young institution (founded in 1968), Flagler College is also noted for its historic beauty. The centerpiece of the campus is the former Hotel Ponce de Leon, a grand resort built in 1888 by Henry M. Flagler, industrialist, railroad pioneer and co-founder of Standard Oil. The Ponce has been designated as a National Historic Landmark. For more on Flagler College, visit www.flagler.edu.