• PC rankings among 573 universities nationwide offering full range of undergraduate and master’s programs:

• PC’s Service Learning programs are listed among just 20 such initiatives cited as an “outstanding example of academic programs that lead to student success”

Providence, RI – The annual publication of U.S. News’ popular college guide, America’s Best Colleges, finds Providence College in familiar and prestigious company. Ranked #2 in the north region’s “best universities – master’s” category, Providence holds the ninth highest rank among the 573 universities nationwide offering a full range of undergraduate and master’s programs.

This ranking in the 2004 edition of the guide marks the eighth consecutive year Providence has been ranked as one of the top two universities in the north region. Providence shared the #1 position with Villanova University of Pennsylvania in 1998 and was ranked #2 in the 2003, 2002, 2001, 2000, 1999 and 1997 editions of the guide.

Providence’s #2 ranking is a combination of a number of weighted factors that U.S. News uses to evaluate more than 1,400 colleges and universities and rank them among their peers. These include analysis of peer assessment scores, percentage of classes under 20, the student/faculty ration, SAT/ACT scores, freshmen high school class standings, acceptance rate, and average alumni giving rate.

In one “key criteria in judging schools” – graduation rate – Providence ranks second highest among its peer institutions nationwide, with an average graduation rate of 84 percent. Providence’s 92 percent average freshmen retention rate is the fourth highest among the 573 universities in its category.

“Providence College’s high rankings in two important measures of student satisfaction – the average freshmen retention and graduation rates – is particularly heartening,” notes Providence College President Rev. Philip A. Smith, O.P. “This is welcome affirmation that our students find at Providence College a challenging and stimulating environment where they can learn, contribute and flourish.”

“This achievement, however, has not come at the expense of our selectivity,” adds Father Smith. “The incoming freshman class at Providence College, for the first time, has average combined SAT scores that exceed 1200. Nearly three-quarters of these students ranked in the top 20 percent of their high school class. Our consistently high rankings by U.S. News over the last eight years reflect our persistent commitment to recruit, enroll and retain students with a passion for excellence.”

In addition to the peer rankings, U.S. News also identifies “schools with outstanding examples of academic programs that lead to student success.” In the service learning category – defined as programs where volunteering in the community is an instructional strategy that relates to classroom learning and vice versa – Providence is among just 20 institutions nationwide cited for excellence.

In addition to Providence College, five other institutions in the northeast were cited for their service learning programs: Bentley College, Brown University, Georgetown University, Trinity College, and the University of Pennsylvania.

U.S. News editors recommend that college-bound students use the rankings as a tool to help individuals find a school that is the right fit for their talents, interests and abilities. “While no one would say it’s a good idea to choose your undergraduate institution by a single number, the U.S. News rankings can help you learn a lot about a school,” note the guide authors. “Combined with college visits, interviews, and your own intuition, the rankings can be a powerful tool in the college admissions process.”

Information on the 2004 rankings can be found on the U.S. News Web site at: www.USNews.com. Both the weekly edition of U.S. News featuring the college rankings and the book, America’s Best Colleges, will be available at newsstands on Monday, August 25, 2003.

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