ROCK HILL, SOUTH CAROLINA — Winthrop University retained its sixth place ranking among public universities in the South in U.S. News & World Report's 2022 edition of ‘‘Best Colleges,” reflective of its commitment to personalized attention and overall academic quality for students.
Winthrop held on to the spot, which is the highest ranking ever for the Rock Hill institution, for the second year in a row. Winthrop is 17th among regional universities in the South, according to the rankings released on Sept. 13.
Winthrop Interim President George W. Hynd said the high ranking and appearance in several U.S. News’ subcategories shine a positive light on the good work being conducted by the university’s faculty and staff during challenging times.
“As always, we are proud to be included in the annual edition of ‘Best Colleges.’ Our ranking reinforces to families and students that the Winthrop experience continues to be a sound investment,” Hynd said. “Receiving a college education can change the life trajectory for our students, many of whom are first-generation college students. The small classes that we offer to our students, coupled with academic success initiatives, mean that faculty members know students well and can work to bring out the best in each person.”
Winthrop further stood out among the newsmagazine’s Best Regional Universities in the South in the following categories:
· Rose from 7th to 5th place among best colleges for veterans.
· Moved to 15th place for best undergraduate teaching as judged by peers.
· Rose from 23nd to 16th place for social mobility, a fairly new category that measures how well schools graduated students who received federal Pell Grants (those typically coming from households whose family incomes are less than $50,000 annually).
· Rated 43rd as a Best Value among regional universities in the South.
U.S. News & World Report has published its “Best Colleges” rankings since 1983. The rankings can be used as a starting point for families searching for the best educational experience for their student, and the guidebook enables them to compare institutions on such areas as freshman retention, graduation rates and the student-faculty ratios.
For more information, contact Judy Longshaw, news and media services manager, at 803/323-2404 or e-mail her at longshawj@winthrop.edu.
