AIKEN, SC – The University of South Carolina Aiken is ranked first among the top public baccalaureate colleges in the South in the year 2009 edition of U.S.News & World Report’s guide, "America’s Best Colleges." This is the 11th consecutive year USC Aiken has been ranked in the top three public baccalaureate colleges in the South category by U.S.News & World Report. USC Aiken has been ranked first five times: 2002, 2003, 2006, 2007, and 2009.
According to Adam Shults, USC Aiken Student Government Association President, "Being the best isn’t about being flawless; it’s continuously striving for improvement." Shults, a junior finance major continued, "As SGA President, it’s an honor to work every day with faculty, staff, and administrators who are dedicated to students and who continually work toward making USCA the best campus we can be.
U.S.News & World Report uses six categories of indicators to capture academic quality including: academic reputation/peer assessment (25%), graduation and retention of students (25%), faculty resources (20%), student selectivity (15%), financial resources (10%), and alumni giving (5%).
In the Best Baccalaureate Colleges Category, U.S.News and World Report includes institutions that focus on undergraduate education and offer a range of degree programs—in the liberal arts, which account for fewer than half of their bachelor’s degrees, and in professional fields such as business, nursing, and education. There are 319 baccalaureate colleges, within four regions: North, South, Midwest, and West.
In the Top Public Baccalaureate Colleges in the South category, USC Aiken ranked first, Winston-Salem State University (NC) ranked second, and Elizabeth City State University (NC) ranked third.
The 2009 "America’s Best Colleges" guidebook will be available Tuesday, August 26. The rankings are also available on the U.S.News & World Report web site at
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