The good news keeps on rolling in for Belmont University. The school year started off with growth with enrollment up eight percent since last year; an increase that has now occurred consecutively for eleven years.
The repeat in student population growth may not be coincidence, however. For the third year in a row, Belmont was named as a top Southern university, landing the No. 7 spot on the Regional Universities-South list in U.S. News & World Report’s annual rankings of America’s Best Colleges. The category includes 127 schools from the South, 15 being Tennessee institutions of which Belmont is the highest-ranked.
While the spot is lower than the No. 5 ranking held by the University last year, it is still a big leap up from No. 21, which it held in 2003. Belmont has since risen 14 spots and continues to remain in the Top Ten, where it has been for the past several years.
The rankings don’t stop there—for the fourth time, Belmont has earned the title as a top “Up-and-Comer,” a title indicating the institution has made “promising and innovative changes in the areas of academics, faculty, student life, campus or facilities.”
“These rankings are meaningful to me because they recognize the immense dedication and talents of Belmont’s faculty, staff, students, administrators and trustees who commit themselves daily to making this institution one of the finest in the country,” Belmont President Dr. Bob Fisher said in a statement on Tuesday.
Provost Dr. Thomas Burns had similar thoughts, adding, “I am grateful for the opportunity to work with colleagues who are passionate about engaging Belmont students in transformative learning every day.”
What factors go into ranking a school as a top university? Indicators used for ranking schools include freshman retention and graduation rates, both of which Belmont has shown improvement on, in comparison to previous years.
Belmont’s impressive rankings have prominence stretching further than campus. Alumni Reid McFadden shared that being a Belmont graduate has had a positive impact on his career. “When people look at my résumé and see that Belmont is my alma mater, they get excited knowing that I received my education at a very prestigious university,” he said.
With both consecutively high rankings and record-breaking enrollment, the future seems to be getting brighter and brighter for Belmont University.
(Source) (Source) (Picture 1) (Picture 2) (Picture 3)