Insidehighered.com, 9-28-07


U.S. News & World Report, under fire over its ratings of colleges, is today releasing a new one: of historically black colleges. Spelman

College comes out on top, followed by Howard University, Hampton University, Morehouse College, and Fisk University. The methodology used is similar to that for the rankings of all colleges and is based on a survey of reputations, graduation and retention rates, faculty resources, student selectivity, alumni giving rates and other factors.

dailypress.com
HU, Norfolk State make list of best black colleges
BY ANGELA FOREST

757-247-7863

11:17 AM EDT, September 28, 2007

Hampton University and Norfolk State University are among the best historically black colleges in the country in a first-ever ranking released today by U.S. News & World Report.

Out of 34 rankings issued, Hampton came in at No. 3 and NSU tied for No. 34 with three other colleges in West Virginia, North Carolina and Alabama.

Virginia State University came in at No. 15.

Spelman College in Atlanta was the top-ranked black school, followed by Howard University in Washington, D.C. The all-male Morehouse College in Atlanta came in No. 4. Other ranked schools included Elizabeth City State University in Elizabeth City, N.C. (tied at No. 16 with North Carolina Central University in Durham, N.C.); North Carolina A&T State University in Greensboro, N.C. (No. 19) and Johnson C. Smith University, a private school in Charlotte (No. 10).

The historically black colleges will continue to be ranked as part of the more comprehensive college ranking released by U.S. News & World report each year.

The magazine uses factors such as graduation and retention rates, faculty resources, financial resources and alumni giving to determine where to place colleges. Top administrators at the schools were also asked to evaluate the scholarship and quality at other historically black colleges.

For a complete list go to: www.usnews.com/blackcolleges.

1. Spelman College (GA)
2. Howard University (DC)
3. Hampton University (VA)
4. Morehouse College (GA)
5. Fisk University (TN)
6. Tuskegee University (AL)
7. Claflin University (SC)
8. Xavier University of Louisiana
9. Dillard University (LA)
10. Johnson C. Smith University (NC)
11. Tennessee State University *
12. Winston - Salem State University (NC) *
13. Florida A&M University *
14. Morgan State University (MD) *
15. Virginia State University *
16. Bennett College (NC)
16. Elizabeth City State University (NC) *
16. North Carolina Central University *
19. North Carolina A&T State University 1*
20. Tougaloo College (MS)
21. Alcorn State University (MS) *
22. Clark Atlanta University
22. Oakwood College (AL)
22. South Carolina State University *
22. University of Maryland—Eastern Shore *
26. Alabama Agricultural and Mechanical University *
26. Albany State University (GA) *
26. Delaware State University *
26. Jackson State University (MS) *
26. Stillman College (AL)
32. Lincoln University (PA) *
32. Mississippi Valley State University *
34. Bluefield State College (WV) *
34. Fayetteville State University (NC) *
34. Miles College (AL)
34. Norfolk State University (VA) 1*

Spellman to me is not #1.

quote:

7. Claflin University (SC)

Is anyone paying attention to my grandmother's alma mater?? They'll probably have $100 Million endowment in the next five years.

It's getting serious down there in Orangeburg.

1. Spelman College (GA)
2. Howard University (DC)
3. Hampton University (VA)
4. Morehouse College (GA)
5. Fisk University (TN)
6. Tuskegee University (AL)
7. Claflin University (SC)
8. Xavier University of Louisiana
9. Dillard University (LA)
10. Johnson C. Smith University (NC)
11. Tennessee State University *
12. Winston - Salem State University (NC) *
13. Florida A&M University *
14. Morgan State University (MD) *
15. Virginia State University *
16. Bennett College (NC)
16. Elizabeth City State University (NC) *
16. North Carolina Central University *
19. North Carolina A&T State University 1*
20. Tougaloo College (MS)
21. Alcorn State University (MS) *
22. Clark Atlanta University
22. Oakwood College (AL)
22. South Carolina State University *
22. University of Maryland—Eastern Shore *
26. Alabama Agricultural and Mechanical University *
26. Albany State University (GA) *
26. Delaware State University *
26. Jackson State University (MS) *
26. Stillman College (AL)
32. Lincoln University (PA) *
32. Mississippi Valley State University *
34. Bluefield State College (WV) *
34. Fayetteville State University (NC) *
34. Miles College (AL)
34. Norfolk State University (VA)

Just don't think Liberal Arts colleges should be ranked with research universities.

Just me, but Howard is our Harvard.

Now I see why some of my beloved posters shake their heads on the Sheridan poll.


I say rank us like this.

USNEWS RANKINGS
National Universities
Top National Universities
Master's Universities
Top Northern
Top Southern


Business Programs
Top Business Programs
Liberal Arts Colleges
Top Liberal Arts Colleges
Baccalaureate Colleges
Top Northern
Top Southern

Engineering Programs
Top Programs at Doctoral Universities
Top Programs at Non-Doctoral Schools

Dreamer , I totally agree.They lumped HBCU's in one big pool.

That's like saying Mount Holyoke is better than say the University of Chicago.No comparison.

Spelman is a great school,with an endowment most HBCU's would kill for ,but its not #1.

I read about this in Friday's paper in Daytona. After reading the article, I could not have been more pleased with how BCC is doing. I highlighted those things of which I am most proud. I'll take Alumni giving and "giving back" over some dumb ranking anyday.

B-CU misses top ranking but still measures up

By MARK HARPER
Education Writer

DAYTONA BEACH -- For the first time, U.S.News & World Report has ranked historically black colleges and universities, and Bethune-Cookman University is relegated to the second tier.

Out of 70 schools rated by the magazine, B-CU failed to make the top 37 in the upper group. Alumni giving and its acceptance of students with lower college entrance exam scores were factors that lowered the school's ranking, while other categories were in line with the top tier.

Students, alumni and friends gathering in Daytona Beach for this weekend's homecoming will be "shocked," one school official predicted.

"It is surprising," said Willis Walter, vice president for institutional research, planning and accreditation. "In most of the categories, we rank very high -- if not at the top."

Bethune-Cookman's percentage of returning freshmen (73) is better than the average of the top tier. Its student-faculty ratio (17-1) and other measures also compared favorably.

Even the university's relatively low percentage of alumni donors (7 percent) doesn't appear to be that much lower than the majority of the top-tier schools.

Bethune-Cookman officials say the school has increased its alumni giving rate by 63 percent since 2005-06, the time frame upon which the rankings are based.

My comment: Staying with the mission and helping those who would otherwise be shut out.Another factor that hurt the university's rating was student selectivity, which accounts for 15 percent of the rating.

b]The university's mission, though, is to provide access to higher education for students who are not necessarily academic all-stars in high school, but who have shown the potential to become leaders, Walter said.[/b]

"If we had excluded more students, we would get more (rating) points," he said.

One of Bethune-Cookman's fiercest rivals, Florida A&M University in Tallahassee, was rated 13th despite revelations of financial and accreditation problems in recent years.

"It kind of makes U.S.News look silly," Bethune-Cookman spokeswoman Catherine Kershaw said.

A U.S.News & World Report editor did not return a call for this report.

Brian Kelly, editor of U.S.News & World Report, said in a news release: "This unique ranking offers for the first time an independent perspective on these institutions to help students and parents make an informed choice about one of life's most important and expensive decisions."

The magazine's ratings will be posted today at: www.usnews.com/blackcolleges.
mark.harper@news-jrnl.com

These were listed as Second Tier on the website
Benedict College (SC)
Bethune-Cookman University (FL)
Bowie State University (MD) *
Central State University (OH) *
Cheyney U. of Pennsylvania *
Coppin State University (MD) *
Florida Memorial College 1
Fort Valley State University (GA) 1 *
Grambling State University (LA) *
Harris-Stowe State University (MO) *
Huston-Tillotson University (TX)
Jarvis Christian College (TX)
Lane College (TN)
Langston University (OK) *
LeMoyne-Owen College (TN)
Livingstone College (NC)
Paine College (GA)
Paul Quinn College (TX) 1
Prairie View A&M University (TX) 1 *
Savannah State University (GA) *
Shaw University (NC)
Southern Univ. and A&M College (LA) *
Southern University—New Orleans 1 *
Southwestern Christian College (TX) 1
St. Augustine's College (NC) 1
St. Paul's College (VA) 1
Talladega College (AL)
Univ. of Arkansas—Pine Bluff *
Virginia Union University
Voorhees College (SC) 1
West Virginia State University *
Wilberforce University (OH) 1
Wiley College (TX)

These were listed as Unranked on the website
Alabama State University *
Allen University (SC) 1
Arkansas Baptist College 1
Edward Waters College (FL)
Lincoln University (MO) 1 *
Morris College (SC)
Philander Smith College (AR)
Rust College (MS)
Texas College
Texas Southern University 1 *
Univ. of the District of Columbia *

We all may not agree with the rankings of a lumped together HBCU's ranking....one question how else would you compare apples to apples.

If you wish to see how your ced HBCU stacks up against other research universities or liberal arts colleges. Then I suggest you read the overall rankings that U.S. News provides.

When you look under National universities...you will see that Howard is the 96th best university. While under Liberal Arts colleges Spelman is rank 75th. Who's better............

Well according to the U.S. News unbiased methodology Spelman is, each institution must live with that.

ALL I KNOW IS THAT Tennessee State University IS THE NUMBER 1 PUBLIC BLACK INSTITUTION ON THE LIST. THANKS U.S. NEWS

Can you remember W.E.B. DuBois RANKING US ABOUT 70 years ago?
Colored Colleges
A- Schools and B- Schools.

quote:

7. Claflin University (SC)

Interesting.