West Haven, Conn., August 17, 2010 -- The University of New Haven (UNH) has moved up to the top-tier list of regional universities in the North in the 2011 edition of U.S. News and World Report's "America's Best Colleges" rankings. Last year, UNH was ranked in the third tier of regional universities in the North.
"We are very proud that our substantial investments in academic programs, student life and campus facilities in recent years have resulted in UNH receiving this important recognition," said University President Steven H. Kaplan. "We have made a strong commitment to providing our students with extensive opportunities for internships, community service and study abroad. As a result, we are increasingly recognized as a leader in experiential education throughout the nation."
The 2011 Best Colleges rankings provide an examination of how more than 1,400 accredited four-year schools compare on a set of up to 16 indicators of excellence. This year, UNH improved in the following key quality indicators: peer assessment, graduation rate, student selectivity and the number of freshmen who ranked in the top 25 percent of their high school graduating class.
According to U.S. News, regional universities are similar to national universities and provide a full range of undergraduate programs and some master's level programs. The 572 regional universities are ranked within four geographic areas: North, South, Midwest and West. There are a total of 126 colleges ranked in the top tier of regional universities in the North in this year's rankings.
A leader in experiential education, the University of New Haven provides its students with a valuable combination of solid liberal arts and real-world, hands-on professional training. Founded in 1920, UNH is a private comprehensive university with an 80-acre main campus. The University has an enrollment of more than 5,700; approximately 1,700 graduate students and more than 4,000 undergraduates, 70 percent of whom reside in university housing. The University offers more than 80 undergraduate degrees and more than 25 graduate degrees through the College of Arts and Sciences, College of Business, the Henry C. Lee College of Criminal Justice and Forensic Sciences, the Tagliatela College of Engineering and University College. University of New Haven students study abroad through a variety of distinctive programs.