Lipscomb in U.S. News' top tier for 11th year
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For the eleventh consecutive year, Lipscomb University has been ranked in the top tier of "Best Universities-Master's" degree institutions in the South by U.S. News and World Report in its 2004 edition of "America's Best Colleges."
Lipscomb is ranked 33rd on the list, which is not as highly placed as last year but remains positioned among the best of the best institutions in the South, said David England, university spokesman.
Lipscomb showed improvements this year in alumni giving rate, from 30 percent last year to 31 percent this year - one of the best alumni giving rates among comparable schools - and in full time teacher percentage, which rose from 77 percent to 80 percent.
Lipscomb's alumni giving percentage was second only to Milligan College's 33 percent among top tier institutions.
The university's rating may have been hurt by a 3 percent decline in the six-year graduation rate, from 53 percent to 50 percent. Graduation rate is a significant factor in the U.S. News methodology.
Due to a reporting error, two statistics were left blank in this year's survey - the percentage of classes under 20 students, and the percentage of classes with more than 50 students. Both categories actually saw improvements this year, to 50 percent under 20 students and only 3 percent with more than 50 students.
"The high alumni giving percentage speaks volumes about the quality and value of the Lipscomb degree," England said. "While students generally do not decide to attend a university based on a statistical comparison, it is still rewarding to be considered one of the best institutions in your region for ten years in a row. As we do with all assessments of quality, we will analyze these results and see how we may be an even better institution," England said.