BOONE—Appalachian State University has retained its fifth-place ranking among the South’s top public master’s universities and is listed 12th in the Best Universities-Master’s in the South category in U.S. News & World Report’s 2007 America’s Best Colleges Guide.

Last year, Appalachian ranked 13th in the Best Universities-Master’s in the South category.

“Moving up in the rankings indicates that our university-wide commitment to increasing the quality of our academic programs is making a difference,” said Chancellor Kenneth E. Peacock. “It is gratifying to see these efforts recognized in the U.S. News and World Report rankings. I am proud of our faculty and staff for their contributions to this focus. These rankings prove that Appalachian is truly a strong university.”

The Master’s category comprises degree-granting institutions that offer a full range of undergraduate and master’s programs, but few if any doctoral programs, according to the magazine.

A total of 557 universities are included in the Master’s category and are ranked according to geographic region. Appalachian has placed among the top 15 southern universities since the rankings first appeared in 1986.

Student retention and graduate rates account for 25 percent of a school’s overall ranking. “The higher the proportion of freshmen who return to campus the following year and eventually graduate, the better a school is apt to be at offering the classes and services students need to succeed,” according to the magazine. Appalachian has an 84 percent freshman to sophomore retention rate, and 62 percent of freshmen graduate within six years or less.

“These rankings reflect positively on the work of our faculty members and staff in creating a positive atmosphere that attracts, retains and graduates students at high rates,” said Provost and Executive Vice Chancellor Stan Aeschleman.

Appalachian also is included in the magazine’s “Programs to Look For” section for its First-Year Experience and Freshman Learning Communities programs, and is one of 42 schools included in the “Academic Programs” section listing notable service learning programs.
“We are particularly proud of the recognition we received for our strong freshman programs,” Aeschleman said. “It’s always gratifying to be recognized, as we have been for 20 years now, as one of the top universities in the southern region.”

A total of 39 schools were listed for their first-year experience programs. Other N.C. schools cited were Brevard College, Duke University, Elon University, N.C. State University, UNC Asheville and UNC Chapel Hill.

Twenty-four schools were recognized for their learning communities programs. Appalachian and Elon University were the only N.C. schools included in this category.

Placing in U.S. News & World Report’s Best Universities-Master’s in the South were:

1. Rollins College
2. James Madison University
3. Elon University
4. Samford University
5. Stetson University
6. University of Mary Washington
7. The Citadel, Loyola University New Orleans (tie)
9. Mercer University
10. Belmont University
11. College of Charleston
12. Appalachian State University

An abridged copy of the report is available at www.usnews.com, and in U.S. News & World Report’s America’s Best Colleges issue available on newsstands Aug. 21.

The full list of rankings is published in the magazine’s America’s Best College guidebook, available in print or electronic form.

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