Once again claiming a top spot in the 2015 Best Colleges rankings released Sept. 9 by U.S. News & World Report, Samford University in Birmingham was named third in the South.
This is the second year in a row U.S. News has ranked Samford third in the “Regional Universities South” category.
“While this ranking is only one indicator of Samford’s progress, I am pleased with the news,” Samford President Andrew Westmoreland said. “Many people in the Samford community contribute to this success, but we also continue to strongly believe that our best measures of progress are in the accomplishments of our students, faculty and alumni.”
Improved rankings
In addition, Samford also received high marks in other categories related to the 2015 rankings. The university ranked third in the South for “A Strong Commitment to Teaching,” up one spot from their No. 4 ranking last year in that category. It also ranked No. 12 in the South in the “Great Schools at Great Prices” category.
The University of Mobile (UMobile) also earned high scores in the U.S. News rankings — it ranked No. 25 in the “Regional Colleges South” category and No. 9 in “Best Regional Colleges in the South for Veterans.”
This is the fourth consecutive year UMobile’s rankings have risen in the annual survey.
UMobile President Mark Foley attributed the positive trend to a university-wide focus on assessing and improving the total educational experience, from academics to campus life.
“We are seeing the results of staying focused on our 10-year strategic plan,” he said. The strategic plan, 2020 Vision, is aimed at propelling UMobile to “be a nationally recognized leader of revitalization of Christian faith and character in America” by the year 2020.
Both schools received other national recognitions in July. Forbes, Inc. ranked Samford the top university in the state, and UMobile was named in “The 50 Best Christian Colleges in the U.S.” by Christian Universities Online.
Other Alabama schools receiving high rankings on the 2015 U.S. News list include Tuskegee University (No. 9 in the “Regional Colleges South” category); Huntingdon College in Montgomery (No. 23 in the “Regional Colleges South” category); and Spring Hill College in Mobile (No. 18 in the “Regional Universities South” category).
The University of Alabama and Auburn University ranked No. 88 and No. 103 respectively in the “National Universities” category.
(Samford and UMobile contributed)
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