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college list

July 13, 1998	Contact: Linda Green*(615)742-5470*Nashville, Tenn.
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By United Methodist News Service

Eleven United Methodist schools have been named among the best Christian
colleges in the United States for the upcoming academic year by a new
rating publication.

America's Best Christian Colleges: 1999 is a 242-page book recognizing
87 schools that have the highest academic standards among denominational
and interdenominational colleges and universities. 

The United Methodist-related schools listed are Birmingham-Southern
College, Birmingham, Ala.; Centenary College of Louisiana, Shreveport;
Florida Southern College, Lakeland;  Kansas Wesleyan University, Salina;
Kentucky Wesleyan College, Owensboro; McKendree College, Lebanon, Ill.;
Oklahoma City University; Southern Methodist University, Dallas;
Southwestern College, Winfield, Kan.; University of Evansville,
Evansville, Ind.; and Wofford College, Spartanburg, S.C.

The publication, compiled by Institutional Research in Gainesville, Ga.,
gives information on frequently asked questions about Christian
colleges, along with profiles of each school. It also provides a
complete listing of athletic scholarship programs for men and women
 
"The schools in this book have not been judged against other Christian
colleges, but against all colleges," said John Culler, book publisher.
"They are not just the best Christian colleges, but among the best of
all schools." 

The book includes schools that are unfamiliar to much of the public, he
said. "You will find that these are colleges who do not play big-time
sports, but quietly go about their business of excellent academics. It
is time these schools were recognized." 

The company surveyed 1,658 colleges and universities in May and June
1997, and schools from 31 states are represented in the book. The
largest school featured is Baylor University, a Baptist institution in
Waco, Texas, which has 10,132 full-time undergraduates. The smallest
school is Williams Baptist College in Walnut Ridge, Ark., with 410
students.

To be considered for the book, a school had to be an accredited
four-year institution; offer residence halls and dining services;
provide opportunities to qualified students for need-based,
academic-based and athletic-based financial aid; have an entering
freshman class with a high school grade point average and SAT or ACT
score equal to or above the national average; and be affiliated with a
recognized Christian denomination or be a nondenominational  or
interdenominational institution that incorporates Christian principles
and beliefs into its curriculum and social environment.

United Methodist News Service
(615)742-5470
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