Claflin Ranked Among Top 10 HBCUs by U.S. News & World Report

Claflin University has been ranked #7 in the first ever ranking of HBCUs (Historically Black Colleges and Universities) by U.S. News & World Report.

Claflin University President, Dr. Henry N. Tisdale, responding to the announcement said, “We’re pleased to be recognized again as one of the top institutions in the nation and in the top 10 in this new ranking by U.S.News & World Report.” He added, “This ranking validates the hard work and dedication of the Claflin University Family.”

Claflin was also included in U.S. News & World Report’s 2008 edition of America’s Best Colleges, ranked #10 in the Top Tier among Baccalaureate Colleges in the South and also ranked #3 for Highest Graduation Rate in the South.

The University was also singled out for other prestigious rankings recently. Consumers Digest ranked Claflin #3 nationally for “Best Value among Top Private Colleges and Universities.” The Chronicle of Higher Education gave Claflin a #2 ranking in graduation rates for Very Selective HBCUs, corroborated by the Journal of Blacks in Higher Education which also gave the University a #2 ranking.

Citing Claflin’s motto: “Academic Excellence By Design” and the University’s educational objective of: “Preparing Students for a Global and Technological Society,” Dr. Tisdale also said, “Claflin’s national recognition for academic quality and for excellence in educating our students is the continuation of our strategic plan to be among the top liberal arts institutions in the country.”

Under Dr. Tisdale’s leadership, Claflin, for the past 10 years, has been consistently ranked in U.S.News & World Report’s America’s Best Colleges. The University has also doubled its student population with a current enrollment of nearly 1800 students. The campus has also doubled in size undergoing over $50-million in renovations, classroom and office improvements, including the addition of major new buildings. Its student/faculty ratio is 12:1, with 74% of faculty holding terminal degrees in their fields.

The U.S. News & World Report HBCU ranking included a total of 81 colleges and universities which were compared with one another. In producing their first ever ranking of undergraduate education at historically black colleges and universities, the journal relied on “quantitative measures that experts have proposed as reliable indicators of academic quality.” These fall into the following categories:

Assessment by administrators at peer institutions

Retention of students

Faculty resources

Student selectivity

Financial resources

Alumni giving

For additional information about Claflin University’s most recent ranking or information about the University, please contact:

            Vivian Glover, AVP Marketing & Communications

            803-535-5668 (office) 803-606-7770 (mobile) or vglover@claflin.edu

            Helene Carter, Director of Public Relations

            803-535-5351 (office) 803-664-0080 or hcarter@claflin.edu

            Charlene Slaughter, Ass’t Director of Public Relations

            803-535-5077 (office) 803-308-1807(mobile) or cslaughter@claflin.edu