University of Richmond Ranked No. 1 by U.S. News for Ninth Straight Year
September 13, 2002
For the ninth straight year, the University of Richmond is ranked number one in its category by U.S. News and World Report.
Richmond topped all universities in the "Universities-Master's-South" category by a wide margin. Schools in the category provide a full range of undergraduate and master's level programs, but few if any, doctoral programs.
Richmond also ranked fourth in its category in the "Great Schools at Great Prices" section of the survey. The magazine used a formula that relates a school's academic quality to the cost of attendance for a student who receives the average amount of financial aid. "The higher the quality of the program and the lower the cost, the better the deal," the magazine says.
Richmond also was cited as having one of the best "first-year experiences" in the nation, tying for 23rd place with University of Virginia and Dartmouth. This category, which is new this year, considered how well a college goes beyond orientation to make the freshman experience rewarding.
U.S. News measured schools on academic quality, peer assessment, retention of students, faculty resources, student selectivity, financial resources, graduation rate performance and alumni giving.
"We are pleased to be included once again in the "America's Best Colleges' issue," said University President William E. Cooper. "We are grateful that the University of Richmond consistently ranks so high in this national measurement of excellence which examines academic programs, faculty and student quality, financial resources and alumni loyalty."
The weekly edition of U.S. News containing the college rankings and the newsstand book, "America's Best Colleges," will both hit newsstands Sept. 16.
Last month, The Princeton Review included Richmond in its guidebook "The Best 345 Colleges-2003 Edition." Richmond earned a four-star rating-the highest-for academics, campus life and admission selectivity.
In July, both The Fiske Guide to Colleges and Kaplan's "The Unofficial, Unbiased Insider's Guide to the 320 Most Interesting Colleges" selected Richmond for inclusion in their 2003 editions. Fiske named the university to its list of 43 best buys among America's colleges and universities.
The University of Richmond is a private, highly selective university consistently ranked among the nation's top universities by all of the leading college guides. Richmond is noted for its challenging academic programs, excellent facilities, and strong financial resources-including an endowment of approximately $1 billion. The university has a full-time enrollment of approximately 3,400 in schools of arts and sciences, business, law and leadership studies. In addition, some 1,300 part-time students take evening and weekend classes through the School of Continuing Studies. Over 90 percent of full-time undergraduates live on campus, more than half are involved in internships, and nearly two-thirds participate in study abroad programs. The campus, listed as one of America's most beautiful, is located six miles west of downtown Richmond, Va.