North Georgia College & State University gains in annual U.S. News ranking
9/12/2012 12:10:04 PM
(Sept. 12, 2012) – North Georgia College & State University is ranked 22nd among public universities in the South in the 2013 edition of Best Colleges released today by U.S. News & World Report.
“North Georgia’s repeated high ranking in this list is a reflection of the university’s outstanding students and a world-class faculty and staff that contribute to an excellent academic reputation,” said Bonita C. Jacobs, president of North Georgia College & State University. “Though no ranking can capture the breadth of a university’s full experience, this helps confirm the supportive and challenging educational environment North Georgia provides.”
For several consecutive years, the average high school grade point average of North Georgia’s entering freshmen has been the third-highest among all 35 schools in the University System of Georgia, just behind the University of Georgia and Georgia Tech. The fall 2012 freshman class has an average high school GPA of 3.55. Similarly, the SAT scores for its entering freshmen are consistently among the highest in the state. This fall’s freshman class has an average SAT score of 1117.
North Georgia’s six-year graduation rate, the standard used for reporting purposes, exceeds 52 percent; the average for the state university sector in the University System of Georgia is 37 percent.
“While we are pleased with this recognition, we will continue working toward our goals and strategic initiatives that emphasize innovative teaching, promoting a values-based campus culture, and educating engaged and globally prepared citizens,” Jacobs said.
The rankings consider peer assessments, graduation and retention rates, faculty resources, student selectivity, financial resources, and alumni giving. The measures are based primarily on data from fall 2011 and, for some factors, include averages of the previous two to four years of data.
Regional universities are categorized as institutions that provide a range of undergraduate majors and master’s programs, but few doctoral programs. The report ranks 625 universities in this category against their peer group in four different geographic regions: North, South, Midwest and West. Other ranking categories include national universities, national liberal arts colleges, and regional colleges. Including public and private universities, North Georgia was ranked as 53rd among Best Regional Universities in the South, moving up from 56th position in the previous year’s report.
Additionally, North Georgia was the second-ranked regional university in the South for the least amount of debt load for the class of 2011, with 55 percent of its students who borrowed money for school at some point graduating debt free. North Georgia is also included in the magazine's list of A-Plus Schools for B Students, which identifies schools that admit solidly prepared high-school students and provide an educational environment that helps them advance toward their educational goals.
North Georgia College & State University, a member of the University System of Georgia, is the state’s second-oldest public university and is designated as a state leadership institution. Additionally, North Georgia is one of only six senior military colleges in the United States and is designated as The Military College of Georgia. The other five senior military colleges are the Citadel, Norwich University, Texas A & M, Virginia Military Institute, and Virginia Tech.
This fall, the university enrolled about 6,400 students in its pre-professional, professional, master’s, and doctoral programs. North Georgia is scheduled to consolidate with Gainesville State College in January 2013 to become the University of North Georgia, pending approval by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges and final authorization by the Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia.