Friday, September 01, 2000

WILMINGTON, N.C. -- For the third consecutive year, the University of North Carolina at Wilmington is among the top 10 public universities in the South in college rankings released today by U.S. News and World Report. Among the top public and private universities in the South, UNCW is ranked 25th.

A regional university is one that offers a full range of undergraduate programs and some master's degree programs, but few if any doctoral programs. U.S. News and World Report rankings are based on several key measures of quality organized into six categories to capture the various dimensions of academic quality at each college.

Among the top Southern public and private universities, UNCW ranked in the top 20 for academic reputation (which carries the greatest weight in the overall rankings), graduation and retention and student selectivity.

Among the top Southern public universities, UNCW is number eight. Other UNC system universities in the top 10 are Appalachian State University (fourth), UNC Charlotte (tied for sixth with Murray State University in Kentucky) and East Carolina University (ninth). There was no university ranked seventh.

UNCW's growing national reputation for undergraduate teaching and overall academic excellence drew 7,870 applicants for the 2000-01 freshman class of 1,600; 57.7 percent were accepted and approximately 1,650 are enrolled this fall, bringing the university's total enrollment to an all-time high of nearly 10,000 students.

UNCW cannot increase the size of the freshman class or overall enrollment unless additional classroom space is provided through the higher education bond referendum on the Nov. 7 ballot.

This year's freshman class has raised the bar academically. The average score on the Scholastic Achievement Test (SAT), one of several criteria used for admission, was 1100 -- 14 points higher than last year. This places UNCW fourth highest in the UNC System. In addition, the high school grade point average for entering freshmen has risen to 3.54.

The complete list of rankings is available on-line at www.usnews.com. The Sept. 11 issue of U.S. News and World Report with the rankings will be on the newsstands Sept. 4, along with the America's Best Colleges Book.

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