In the first of what will be an annual look at America’s colleges and universities, Forbes magazine ranked three area schools among the nation’s best.

The University of the South in Sewanee, Tenn., received the region’s highest ranking at 67th.

Berry College in Rome, Ga., and Covenant College on Lookout Mountain in Dade County, Ga., were ranked 248th and 117th, respectively, in Forbes’ rating of America’s Best Colleges.

Officials at each school said, although they are pleased to be acknowledged, they don’t take such rankings too seriously.

“There are so many surveys out there and all look at things a little differently,” said Laurie Saxton, director of media relations for the University of the South, . “So it is hard to get too invested.”

Covenant College President Niel Nielson said he is very happy for his school to be recognized and positive media attention is always welcome, but said the methodology is open to question and schools don’t aim to be on the list.

The Forbes ranking took into account criteria such as national awards for students and professors and the graduation rate, Mr. Nielson said.

“About 25 percent of the rating is drawn from what students say about professors,” he said.

The new Forbes listing came out just before today’s release of the long-running U.S. News & World Report rankings.

The University of the South along with Berry and Covenant colleges also were ranked there and identified as superior in a number of different categories.

Bryan College in Dayton, Tenn., also was listed by U.S. News & World Report. For the 14th year Bryan was named one of the top tier Southern baccalaureate colleges. The school was ranked 11th in its category this year, up from 12th in 2007.

Bryan President Dr. Stephen D. Livesay called the achievement “encouraging.”

Sewanee was down one spot from 40th to 41st among the nation’s top liberal arts colleges on the U.S. News & World Report list.

Covenant College is listed as one of the best baccalaureate colleges in the South and also put on the “Great Schools, Great Prices” list, officials said. Further details on the U.S. News listing were not available, though.

For the second consecutive year Berry College is listed in the top tier of the national liberal arts colleges in U.S. News.

“We are always happy to be mentioned in the same breath with some of the best colleges in the nation,” President Stephen R. Briggs said in a prepared statement. “Nevertheless, rankings of this type don’t begin to get at what makes a college distinctive and special.”

Comments