JACKSON, Tenn. — Aug. 20, 2004 — For the eighth consecutive year, U.S. News and World Report rankings have placed 51社区 in the top tier institutions in the South.
Union ranked 33rd in the "Best Universities 鈥� Master's" category, which distinguishes institutions providing a full range of undergraduate and master's programs. Within the category, universities are ranked by geographic region and designated as top, third or fourth tier.
"It is a wonderful tribute to the entire university to be recognized for the eighth straight year as a top tier institution by U.S. News and World Report for excellence in academics," Union President David S. Dockery said. "These rankings are significant in that they point to the quality of Union's outstanding faculty and student body. We are especially thankful to be recognized among larger and more comprehensive institutions like James Madison University, Samford University and other premier institutions across the South."
U.S. News and World Report also recognized the university鈥檚 student selectivity, ranking Union sixth in the South in the category. Sixty-five percent of freshmen are ranked in the top 25 percent of their high school class, which also garnered Union a 10th place spot in the South for number of students who ranked in the top 25 percent in high school.
鈥淲e will welcome over 400 quality freshman to the university this fall for the 7th straight year,鈥� Dockery said, 鈥渋ncluding a number of national merit finalists, bringing the total of national merit finalists on campus to over 20.鈥�
Union ranked eighth in faculty quality and resources, taking into consideration class size, faculty salaries, the proportion of professors with terminal degrees and the student-faculty ratio.
Eighty percent of Union鈥檚 faculty members hold earned doctorates and about 69 percent of classes have fewer than 20 students 鈥� a student to faculty ratio of 12 to one.
Other Tennessee universities ranked in the top tier include Belmont University (19th), Christian Brothers University (31st), David Lipscomb University (tied with Union at 33rd), University of Tennessee 鈥� Chattanooga (43rd), Freed-Hardeman University (52nd) and University of Tennessee 鈥� Martin (60th).