WSU Ranks Second Among Minnesota Public Universities
Winona State University is ranked second among public universities in Minnesota in the Midwest category of “Best Regional Universities” in U.S. News & World Report’s 2013 edition of “Best Colleges.”
The university is ranked seventh overall in Minnesota, 15th among public universities in the Midwest, and as the 58th regional university in the Midwest, up from 62 in 2012.
Of the 107 institutions ranked in the Midwest category, seven are public institutions located in Minnesota; of these, six are members of the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities system. WSU is the highest-ranked MnSCU institution.
U.S. News & World Report ranks more than 1,600 schools nationwide, including 625 regional universities divided into four geographic categories (North, South, Midwest and West). The rankings compare accredited four-year schools on a set of up to 16 widely accepted indicators of excellence, including peer assessment, graduation and retention rates, faculty resources, student selectivity, financial resources, and alumni giving.
The annual ranking of schools is available for review online at: www.usnews.com/colleges.
WSU Named “Best In the Midwest”
Winona State University is among the 153 schools named “Best in the Midwest” by The Princeton Review, a nationally known education services company. The university has received the designation for nine consecutive years.
In total 629 colleges across the Midwest, Northeast, West and Southeast were named “regional bests.” According to the Princeton Review these colleges represent only about 25 percent of the nation’s 2,500 four-year colleges.
The Princeton Review’s annual “Best Colleges: Region by Region” rankings are based on student opinion data from the schools. Students are asked to rate their own schools on several issues—from the accessibility of their professors to quality of the campus food—and answer questions about themselves, their fellow students and their campus life.
WSU Named Best College Buy
Winona State University has been named among America’s 100 Best College Buys for the 17th consecutive year.
The publication is an independent ranking of the value and quality of colleges and universities across the nation, conducted by Institutional Research and Evaluation (IRE) of Rome, Ga. The report profiles the schools that are the highest rated academically, but also have the greatest value as a function of academic quality, cost of attendance and financial aid available.
To be considered for America’s 100 Best College Buys, a college must meet specific requirements. The college must be an accredited four-year institution offering bachelor’s degrees; offer full residential facilities including residence halls and dining services; have an entering freshman class with a high school grade point average and/or SAT/ACT score equal to or above the national average; and have an out-of-state cost of attendance that is below the national average.
In 2012 IRE researched 1,447 accredited U.S. colleges and universities. Of the institutions surveyed, 1,027 schools responded. Winona State University is one of only three Minnesota schools included in the 17th annual report of America’s 100 Best College Buys. (The others are University of Minnesota—Twin Cities and University of Minnesota—Duluth.)
ABOUT WINONA STATE UNIVERSITY
Founded in 1858, Winona State University is a regional public university with nearly 8,900 students. The oldest member of the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities System, WSU offers more than 80 undergraduate, pre-professional, licensure, graduate and doctorate programs on its campuses in Winona and Rochester. Winona State ranks as the second public institution in Minnesota in the 2013 edition of U.S. News & World Report’s “Best Colleges,” has been named among the “Best in the Midwest” by The Princeton Review for nine consecutive years, and has been featured as one of America’s 100 Best College Buys for quality and value for 16 straight years. The university’s mission is to enhance the intellectual, social, cultural and economic vitality of the people and communities we serve: a community of learners improving our world. For more information, visit: www.winona.edu.
