DANVILLE, KY -- U.S. News & World Report released figures today from its annual education survey, and Centre College shows up as a national leader in several categories. The college ranked first among all colleges and universities in the nation in alumni giving, and Centre was cited among the top 15 U.S. schools for international programs sending students abroad.

Centre also maintained its U.S. News ranking as a liberal arts college of national stature. The college was listed in the second tier of national colleges, which are marked by strong graduation rates and selectivity among entering students.

The rankings and data from U.S. News were released on-line this morning (www.usnews.com). Some of the information will appear in a special edition of the magazine due at newsstands Monday, Aug. 23. All of the data will appear in a U.S. News guidebook available at newsstands and bookstores beginning Tuesday, Aug. 24.

In the alumni giving category, U.S. News reported figures for the 1997-98 fiscal year, when Centre received gifts from 72 percent of its graduates, followed by Amherst with 68 percent and Princeton with 67 percent. The national average for alumni giving at liberal arts colleges is 32.2 percent, according to a benchmark study compiled in 1997 by the Council for Aid to Education.

According to U.S. News & World Report, alumni giving is one indicator of an institution's academic quality because it reflects the degree to which former students are satisfied with their experience.

The U.S. News information on study abroad listed the 25 colleges and universities that send the highest percentage of their students for overseas study. Centre ranked 14th on the list, with 52 percent of its students having studied abroad. The list was topped by Eastern Mennonite University (Va.) and Kalamazoo College (Mich.).

Centre puts strong emphasis on study abroad, maintaining residential sites that can host 15 to 25 students per term in England, France, and Latin America. These sites are supervised by senior members of the Centre faculty on a rotating annual basis. In addition, the college offers from three to six short-term overseas experiences each year. In the past three years, Centre faculty members have taken students to countries including Israel, Germany, India, and the Bahamas.

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For the on-line U.S. News charts and rankings about Centre College: www.usnews.com/usnews/edu/college/rankings/natlibs/natlib_2.htm

[Click on "alumni giving" to show Centre's top ranking.]

Communications Office
Centre College
600 W. Walnut Street
Danville, KY 40422