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Lipscomb ranked as national university for first time by U.S. News

Kim Chaudoin | 615.966.69494 | 

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For the first time in school history, Lipscomb University has been ranked as a national university in the annual U.S. News & World Report’s “2017 America’s Guide to Colleges.”

Lipscomb made its debut on the list with a ranking of 176, joining the ranks of the nation’s top universities. Earlier this year, Lipscomb was reclassified as a Carnegie Foundation doctoral university, which placed it among only seven percent of schools in the nation, earlier this year.

The “Best National Universities” category consists of 310 institutions, including 189 public, 114 private and seven for-profit, “that offer a wide range of undergraduate majors as well as master’s and doctoral degrees.” There are two tiers in this listing, and Lipscomb made its debut on this ranking in the first tier, which puts it in a group of elite institutions such as Princeton, Harvard, the University of Chicago, Yale, Columbia, Stanford, Duke and Notre Dame. Lipscomb was also named one the top “A+ Schools for B Students” in the nation by U.S. News.

US News_1“Being included in the national university category is a reflection of the great growth and vision we have had as an institution over the last decade to add a number of doctoral and graduate programs that meet the needs not only of our students but of our communities,” said L. Randolph Lowry, Lipscomb University president. “It reflects the fine research that we are doing in the natural pharmaceutical and health sciences. But more importantly, it is a result of the way you are creating a community that is innovative, relevant and caring and that is impacting the lives of our students in profound ways.”

Lipscomb is one of only five universities in Tennessee ranked in the top-tier of the national list. Other institutions from Tennessee included in the top-tier national universities list are Vanderbilt, the University of Tennessee, Union University and Tennessee Technological University. Lipscomb ranked above Azusa Pacific University, West Virginia University, the University of Alabama-Huntsville, California State University-Fullerton, the University of Houston, Louisiana Tech University, Central Michigan University and Northern Illinois University in the top-tier listing.

Schools of note in the second tier include Middle Tennessee State University, Boise State University, East Tennessee State University, Liberty University, Tennessee State University, Texas State University, the University of Memphis, the University of Texas-El Paso and Valdosta State University.

Other of Lipscomb’s peer institutions — including Belmont, Harding and Freed-Hardeman universities— remain on the Regional Universities-South category and are not part of the national university list. Last year, Lipscomb was ranked 18th in that category.

US News_2This is the latest national ranking for Lipscomb University. Earlier this year Lipscomb was ranked No. 2 on Christian Colleges Online's “Best Christian Colleges and Universities in the South 2017" ranking. This fall the College of Entertainment & the Arts was ranked No. 2 in the nation for its visual arts program and the biology program was named the No. 1 program in the country by Christian Colleges Online. The College of Business’ undergraduate program was ranked one of the top 100 in the nation by Bloomberg Businessweek in its Best Undergraduate Business Schools 2016 ranking.

In addition, for the second year in a row, Lipscomb University has been named to the Kiplinger Personal Finance list of 100 best values in private universities. Lipscomb University is ranked No. 14 in the "2016 Top Christian Colleges and Universities for Veterans" ranking by Christian Universities Online.

Other recognition includes: Best College Reviews ranked Lipscomb's summer program No. 20 in the nation in its "Top 50 Best College Summer Programs" 2016 list; Christian Colleges Online ranked Lipscomb No. 14 on its "Top 50 Bible Colleges 2016" ranking; Lipscomb University was named a 2016-17 College of Distinction; and Lipscomb University was named a 2016-17 Christian College of Distinction.