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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 22, 2003

Birmingham-Southern in top tier of national liberal arts colleges in newest ‘U.S. News’ rankings

BIRMINGHAM, Ala.—Birmingham-Southern College is included in the top tier of the best national liberal arts colleges in the country in the annual “U.S. News & World Report” rankings released on the magazine’s Web site today (Aug. 22). The printed version of the 2004 “America’s Best Colleges” special annual rankings publication will hit newsstands Aug. 25.

For the first time this year, the publication numerically ranks those institutions included in its Best Liberal Arts Colleges—Bachelor’s category, which “U.S. News” tabs as its “national”

category of liberal arts schools and the highest category such an institution can attain. Birmingham-Southern was ranked No. 66 of the 214 institutions included in the category. The top 110 institutions were numerically ranked, with the remainder being listed alphabetically in either Tier III or Tier IV.

Birmingham-Southern has been ranked among the best national liberal arts colleges by the magazine for 10 straight years.

The college was recognized by “U.S. News & World Report” as the No. 1 Regional Liberal Arts College in the South Region in 1987, the third year the rankings were published. The following year, the college’s classification used to compile the rankings was upgraded from Regional Liberal Arts College to Liberal Arts College—Bachelor’s. Since then, the college’s ranking has improved from Tier IV of this category to its current inclusion in the top tier.

Colleges in the Liberal Arts Colleges—Bachelor’s category emphasize undergraduate education and award at least 50 percent of their degrees in liberal arts disciplines.

“U.S. News” builds upon a classification system maintained by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching to group schools by missions as National Universities—Doctoral, Liberal Arts Colleges—Bachelor’s (national), Universities—Master’s (by region), and Comprehensive Colleges—Bachelor’s (by region).

The magazine ranks the colleges within each category based on a number of indicators in the areas of peer assessment of academic reputation, retention and graduation of students, faculty resources, student selectivity, financial resources, alumni giving, and graduation rate performance.

Birmingham-Southern is a four-year, private liberal arts college founded in 1856 and affiliated with the United Methodist Church.