wfn.org | ELCA Colleges and Universities Rank among U.S. Best

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ELCA NEWS SERVICE

October 1, 2002

ELCA COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES RANK AMONG U.S. BEST
02-233-DM*

     CHICAGO (ELCA) -- Colleges and universities of the Evangelical
Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) rank among the best in the United
States, according to U.S. News and World Report's 2002 edition of the
"America's Best Colleges" issued Sept. 23. Compared with other public
and private institutions, nine of the 28 ELCA colleges and
universities are considered to have high academic standards at
affordable costs.
     For the past three years, Texas Lutheran University, Seguin,
Texas, ranked bestamong the liberal arts colleges in the West. This
year, in the best comprehensive colleges category, it ranks third.
     "We are pleased that the outstanding quality and value of a
Texas Lutheran University education continues to be recognized by
U.S. News and World Report," said Jon N. Moline, president of Texas
Lutheran University and board member of the ELCA Division for Higher
Education and Schools. "The reason we are not number one this year is
that we can no longer be underpriced. Being number one meant that we
were the most underpriced university, but we can no longer afford
that," Moline said.
     Commenting on the ranking system, Moline said there are many
other outstanding institutions that do not appear in the U.S. News
report and parents and students should not rely solely on the list.
Campus visits are still the best way to determine if the college is
fit for the student.
     Moline challenged ELCA colleges and universities to come up
with good marketing strategies to encourage Lutheran families to send
their children to Lutheran colleges. "Although most affluent Lutheran
families graduated from ELCA colleges and universities, they are
taking their kids to prestigious schools such as Yale and Duke and
not to the colleges they attended," said Moline.
     U.S. News and World Report ranks colleges and universities
according to their academic reputation, retention of students,
faculty resources, selection of students, financial resources, alumni
giving and graduation rate performance (the difference between the
number of students scheduled to graduate and the number of students
who actually graduate).  According to the magazine, the indicators
include input measures that reflect the quality of students, faculty
and other resources and outcome measures that signal how well the
institution does its job.
     Other ELCA colleges and universities listed are:
+ Best Liberal Arts Colleges -- Bachelor's
     Gettysburg College, Gettysburg, Pa.
+ Best Universities -- Masters by Region
     Capital University, Columbus, Ohio
     Augsburg College, Minneapolis
     Pacific Lutheran University, Tacoma, Wash.
     California Lutheran University, Thousand Oaks, Calif.
+ Best Comprehensive Colleges -- Bachelor's by Region
      Lenoir-Rhyne College, Hickory, N.C.
      Wartburg College, Waverly, Iowa
      Augustana College, Rock Island, Ill.
      Texas Lutheran University, Seguin, Texas

[*Diana Mavunduse is a communicator with the World Council of
Churches, Geneva, Switzerland. This fall she is serving as a
volunteer with the ELCA News Service.]

For information contact:
John Brooks, Director (773) 380-2958 or NEWS@ELCA.ORG
http://listserv.elca.org/archives/elcanews.html