• US News & World Report

Posted: **Mon Sep 18, 2023 3:53 pm**

US News & World Report has published its annual ranking lists of the Best Colleges in the nation and Appalachian has reason to be proud. At the same time, what will it take for us to move out of the Regional Rankings and move into the National Rankings? What are the prerequisites we're missing here?

Some notable rankings for App State:
• #3 in Regional Universities South
• #2 in Regional University South Top Public Schools
• #31 in Regional University South Best Value Schools
• #319 in Nursing (tie)
• #217 in Economics (tie)
• #39 in First-Year Experiences (tie)
• #2 in Best Colleges for Veterans
• #2 in Best Undergraduate Teaching
• #1 in Most Innovative Schools
• #38 in Top Performers on Social Mobility (tie)

https://www.usnews.com/best-colleges/ap ... state-2906

Just for context, here are some similar or competitor institution rankings:
• FIU, JMU, UCF: #124 in National Universities (tie)
• Elon, Miami(OH): #133 in National Universities (tie)
• UAB: #142 in National Universities (tie)
• UNCC, Ohio University: #178 in National Universities (tie)
• ECU: #195 in National Universities (tie)
• UNCW: #201 in National Universities (tie)
• UNCG: #216 in National Universities (tie)
• Georgia State, Western Carolina: #227 in National Universities (tie)

Posted: **Mon Sep 18, 2023 4:30 pm**

Wait. Western Carolina is a national university? Heads need to roll in Raleigh if true.

Posted: **Mon Sep 18, 2023 4:37 pm**

Pretty sure we need to become a research university and offer doctoral programs to be considered a national university. Really shocked to see Western on that list as well as many other universities in the NC system. The fact that we are still a regional university while Western, UNCG, UNCW, UNCC and ECU are all National Universities is a travesty.

Posted: **Mon Sep 18, 2023 4:53 pm**

AppinVA wrote: ↑
Mon Sep 18, 2023 4:30 pm
Wait. Western Carolina is a national university? Heads need to roll in Raleigh if true.

This is why UNC fandom is incompatible with app state fandom

Posted: **Mon Sep 18, 2023 7:30 pm**

8993 wrote: ↑
Mon Sep 18, 2023 3:53 pm
US News & World Report has published its annual ranking lists of the Best Colleges in the nation and Appalachian has reason to be proud. At the same time, what will it take for us to move out of the Regional Rankings and move into the National Rankings? What are the prerequisites we're missing here?

Some notable rankings for App State:
• #3 in Regional Universities South
• #2 in Regional University South Top Public Schools
• #31 in Regional University South Best Value Schools
• #319 in Nursing (tie)
• #217 in Economics (tie)
• #39 in First-Year Experiences (tie)
• #2 in Best Colleges for Veterans
• #2 in Best Undergraduate Teaching
• #1 in Most Innovative Schools
• #38 in Top Performers on Social Mobility (tie)

https://www.usnews.com/best-colleges/ap ... state-2906

Just for context, here are some similar or competitor institution rankings:
• FIU, JMU, UCF: #124 in National Universities (tie)
• Elon, Miami(OH): #133 in National Universities (tie)
• UAB: #142 in National Universities (tie)
• UNCC, Ohio University: #178 in National Universities (tie)
• ECU: #195 in National Universities (tie)
• UNCW: #201 in National Universities (tie)
• UNCG: #216 in National Universities (tie)
• Georgia State, Western Carolina: #227 in National Universities (tie)

The difference between Regional and National is what the university chooses to designate itself. It is much easier to be top as a regional university. A national ranking compares you to more schools. For example if Guilford College chose to be ranked as a regional university they would clean up on top spots, however, they choose to be a national university they are lost in the shuffle. Georgia State and Western have chosen to be national and as a result they are listed as number 277. App is smart to chose regional so they are ranked at the top in their categories. It comes down to this, some of these schools think they are national universities when really they are regional schools.

It is like App being in the Sun Belt, we are in a conference in which we can compete and can beat the larger schools, because we are in a conference we can compete. We list ourselves as regional and we can compete as a regional school. We might get lost in the shuffle if we were trying to compete nationally, just as the schools above are listed. If those schools listed themselves as regional universities they might beat us out in some categories. We list ourselves as a regional school, because it allows us to be ranked higher. Think about our enrolment. We are a regional school...

Posted: **Mon Sep 18, 2023 8:26 pm**

Our enrollment is larger than lots of those schools. I think one of the criteria in becoming a “national university” is the number of doctoral programs offered, which can be indicative of the amount of research happening on campus. UNCW became “national” a few years ago. They have PhD programs in coastal and ocean science, nurse practitioner, psychology, among others. WCU has also added doctoral programs in nurse practitioner, nurse anesthesia, etc. largely due to their building in biltmore park in Asheville that caters to working professionals looking to advance their careers. App only has the educational doctorate (most schools do) and the Psych.D. We’ve historically been ranked high in southern regional rankings. Elon and JMU (one of our “peer schools”) were previously right in that same regional ranking tier with us. So clearly they’ve added programs. Elon’s law school in Greensboro probably helps.

You can likely tell more about school’s mission and scope by researching its peer institutions. JMU (similar size student body) and College of Charleston are the two closest to us in geographical location that are considered peer institutions. Miami (OH) is also one of our peers. If we were to add more doctoral research programs, we could likely be ranked higher than many in NC who already are, but I don’t know if that’s part of our mission. Maybe the Hickory campus can leverage some professional doctoral programs much like wcu did in Asheville.

Posted: **Mon Sep 18, 2023 9:34 pm**

Before you put stock in these rankings, listen to this.

https://www.pushkin.fm/podcasts/revisio ... e-rankings

Posted: **Tue Sep 19, 2023 5:41 pm**

https://myfox8.com/news/north-carolina/ ... fared/amp/

Posted: **Tue Sep 19, 2023 5:51 pm**

app97 wrote: ↑
Mon Sep 18, 2023 8:26 pm
Our enrollment is larger than lots of those schools. I think one of the criteria in becoming a “national university” is the number of doctoral programs offered, which can be indicative of the amount of research happening on campus. UNCW became “national” a few years ago. They have PhD programs in coastal and ocean science, nurse practitioner, psychology, among others. WCU has also added doctoral programs in nurse practitioner, nurse anesthesia, etc. largely due to their building in biltmore park in Asheville that caters to working professionals looking to advance their careers. App only has the educational doctorate (most schools do) and the Psych.D. We’ve historically been ranked high in southern regional rankings. Elon and JMU (one of our “peer schools”) were previously right in that same regional ranking tier with us. So clearly they’ve added programs. Elon’s law school in Greensboro probably helps.

You can likely tell more about school’s mission and scope by researching its peer institutions. JMU (similar size student body) and College of Charleston are the two closest to us in geographical location that are considered peer institutions. Miami (OH) is also one of our peers. If we were to add more doctoral research programs, we could likely be ranked higher than many in NC who already are, but I don’t know if that’s part of our mission. Maybe the Hickory campus can leverage some professional doctoral programs much like wcu did in Asheville.

That makes more sense than it being based on the category a university chooses to designate itself as.

Posted: **Tue Sep 19, 2023 6:21 pm**

yosef69 wrote: ↑
Mon Sep 18, 2023 4:53 pm

AppinVA wrote: ↑
Mon Sep 18, 2023 4:30 pm
Wait. Western Carolina is a national university? Heads need to roll in Raleigh if true.
This is why UNC fandom is incompatible with app state fandom

Yup.

Having a soft spot for baby blue is what lets them get away with keeping us where we are.

US News & World Report - 2023 Best Colleges Rankings

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