Charleston, state colleges rank high in national report

Two local and state higher-education institutions have grabbed first-place rankings in the U.S. America's Best Colleges 2008 report, and regional and state schools also fared well in a variety of categories.

The Citadel topped the charts in the report as the best-valued institution among Southern colleges, moving up one spot from last year's second place in this category. And the University of South Carolina's undergraduate program in international business is again the best in the country for the 12th year in a row, according to the report.

The magazine report ranked The Citadel second among public institutions in the South, moving it up from third in line, and placed it fifth among public and private institutions that award master's degrees. The college had ranked seventh in this category last year.

This is one heck of an education for what (students) are charged, said retired Army Col. Curt Holland, vice president for finance and business affairs at The Citadel.

The College of Charleston made the report's Top 10 list, moving from last year's 11th place to eighth in this year's rankings among public universities that award master's degrees. It ranked third among public Southern universities that award master's degrees, up from last year's fourth place.

Clemson also had a good showing, moving up three places from last year to 27th among the nation's doctoral granting institutions. There are 164 institutions in this category.

I'm very excited about the number 27, but I'm more encouraged by what's behind that number, Clemson President James Barker said in a statement, noting recent improvements around the campus, such as smaller class sizes, lower student-to-faculty ratios and strong retention and graduation rates, which may have led to the more favorable rating.

The University of South Carolina held its ground among public universities nationwide, ranking 54th overall again this year. The University of South Carolina Aiken ranked second among public baccalaureate colleges in the South and the University of South Carolina Upstate ranked fourth.

The report was posted online today and hits newsstands Monday.

The rankings are based on a number of objective and subjective statistical measurements, from student-to-faculty ratios to peer evaluations to reputation.

While some schools bemoan the rankings because they take into account the evaluations of peer administrators who may not understand the institution, South Carolina's colleges were parading the report around on Friday, highlighting areas where they shone.

This increase in our ranking is a reflection on our faculty and staff's passion for quality education, College of Charleston Provost Elise Jorgens wrote. While we have known for some time the many strengths of the College of Charleston, it is gratifying to see that affirmed once again with this ranking.

That's because, despite the criticisms it often receives, the annual U.S. News and World Report college report is a common go-to guide for parents and students shopping for a school. Administrators understand the importance of making the grade in the report, which in effect serves as an advertising tool.

If you're a parent with the tough choice of deciding where to send your child, you're looking for benchmarks. It's very difficult for a parent to go out and examine every college out there, said The Citadel's Holland. It's not like the car in your driveway where you can go out, open the hood and say, Well, that's a solid engine in there.

as provided by Charleston Regional Business Journal