Anderson University jumped four spots to number 21 in the top-tier of schools in the southern region for 2011, according to the just-released rankings from U.S. News & World Report.
Anderson University kicked off a year of events celebrating its centennial with a public lecture by Robert Benne on “What It Means to Be a Christian College or University” on Aug. 12. Benne is a noted scholar on Christian higher education and cited AU as one of the Christian institutions remaining faithful to its Christian beliefs while achieving academic excellence.In addition, Anderson University was ranked the number 1 “Up and Coming” school of its kind in the South – the first time it has achieved the top ranking.
The magazine publishes a list of universities in America that “other schools should be watching,” called the “Up and Coming” list. Anderson has earned inclusion on that list for three consecutive years. The number of schools selected nationally as “Up and Coming” has been narrowed from 77 last year to just 68 this year. The list of 68 was divided into regions,w with Anderson taking the top spot among colleges in The South ahead of High Point in North Carolina (2) and Campbellsville in Kentucky (3).
“We are always very pleased when our quality is recognized in the various annual rankings, particularly those based on a combination of both objective institutional data and peer assessment,” said Anderson University president Evans Whitaker. “Our faculty and students continue to distinguish our institution through their many accomplishments and we are delighted that their work seems to gain increased attention with each passing year.” – AU