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| Press Release |
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Tuesday, September 17, 2002 Franciscan University Hits Record Enrollment; Receives U.S. News & World Report National Ranking STEUBENVILLE, OH - Franciscan University of Steubenville’s enrollment exceeded last year’s highest-ever total by 42 students, bringing the total number of undergraduate and graduate students to 2,250.  Enrollment milestones in other categories include the largest-ever freshman class of 360 students and the largest incoming class (freshmen and transfers) of 548; a record-breaking total undergraduate student enrollment of 1,800; and the largest-ever full-time undergraduate enrollment of 1,648. Franciscan University President Father Terence Henry, TOR, says these enrollment records indicate “that people recognize the value of a strong liberal arts education and appreciate Franciscan University’s integration of faith and reason.” Father Henry says a liberal arts education is especially beneficial in times of economic uncertainty. “It gives the college graduate a broader base of knowledge in the professional and pre-professional programs that makes them better candidates for master’s programs and more employable than those with a narrower academic focus.” In the U.S. News & World Report survey, Franciscan University of Steubenville ranked 30th out of 141 schools in the category, Midwestern Universities With Master’s Programs. That placed Franciscan University in the publication’s elite “top schools” category for three of the past four years. Contributing to the top tier ranking were high scores in two important categories: Franciscan University had the sixth highest graduation rate of any school in its division, and ranked ninth overall for freshman retention. These are considered two of the most important indicators of a school’s overall academic excellence. According to U.S. News, “The higher the proportion of freshmen who return to campus the following year and eventually graduate, the better a school may be at offering the classes and services students need to succeed.” Franciscan University also ranked in the top two percent out of 1,400 schools in the Study Abroad category, for its program that allows students to study at a restored medieval monastery in the foothills of the Austrian Alps. Each semester over 150 students enroll in the program, which includes pilgrimages to religious shrines and historical sites throughout Europe. Another contributing factor to the favorable ranking, says Father Henry, is the University’s 14-1 student-to-teacher ratio, “which gives students the individual support and direction they need to succeed.” www.usnews.com or in the publication America's Best Colleges, available in bookstores. |
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