College retains top-50 status among liberal arts colleges

RELEASED: Sept. 19, 2002

DANVILLE, KY—Centre College is rated as a top-50 national liberal arts college by U.S. News and World Report in its recently released rankings.

Centre's position at No. 44 gives it the highest national ranking of any Kentucky college or university.

Amherst College is the top national liberal arts college. Centre is tied for 44th with Dickinson College, Gettysburg College, Occidental College and Wabash College.

Centre has a unique relationship with Dickinson. Last spring, Centre gave the Pennsylvania college some Dickinson documents that were a part of the Centre archives (see http://www.centre.edu/web/news/rare02.html).

Kentucky schools included in Centre's category of national liberal arts colleges are Transylvania University (ranked in the second tier), Georgetown College (third tier) and Lindsey Wilson College (fourth tier).

Centre is listed as the 16th best value in the country for national liberal arts colleges. And the College tied for sixth in the percentage of students who study abroad in the 2003 rankings. Last year Centre was tied for 10th. The study-abroad ranking includes the more than 1,400 colleges and universities surveyed, public and private. About 70 percent of Centre students have studied overseas by the time they graduate.

"The U.S. News rankings are just one indication that we're providing our students with a challenging and empowering liberal arts education," said John Roush, Centre College president. "We're pleased with our showing in the U.S. News survey."

John Ward, vice president for academic affairs and dean of the college, agreed.

"All of us at Centre College are pleased to have U.S. News reconfirm our high national reputation in the educational community," he said. "Simply put, it's a pleasure to be well thought of."

For more information on the 2003 U.S. News rankings, go to http://www.usnews.com/usnews/home.htm.

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