Benedictine Enters ‘U.S. News’ Top 15

ATCHISON, Kan. — For the 10th consecutive year, Benedictine College has been named to the top tier of colleges and universities in “America’s Best Colleges,” published by U.S. News Media Group.  Benedictine moved into the top 15 on its list, up four spots from last year. U.S. News lists 79 colleges in the Midwest Division of the Best Regional Colleges category. The complete rankings are available online.

The annual rankings — in which U.S. News groups schools based on categories created by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching — provide a resource for parents and students considering higher education opportunities. Using a proprietary methodology, the annual U.S. News rankings represent the most comprehensive look at how schools stack up based on a set of 15 widely-accepted indicators of excellence, and help consumers evaluate and compare data compiled from more than 1,400 accredited four-year schools.

Benedictine College has been busy in the past year, welcoming the largest fulltime undergraduate enrollment in history at nearly 1,900 students. The college recently completed new state-of-the-art athletic facilities for baseball and softball, a new Student Recreation Center, and is in the process of building a new Engineering Building and remodeling the existing science building. Benedictine College has grown by nearly 100% in the past 10 years and is now the largest private college in Kansas according to the Kansas Independent Colleges Association.

“We have seen an explosion of top rankings this year, not just from U.S. News & World Report, but also from the Newman Guide to Choosing a Catholic College, plus our Nursing Department in Nursing Schools Almanac and in Best College Reviews’ Best Great Books Programs,” said Stephen D. Minnis, president of Benedictine College. “On top of all that, we were named an All-Steinway School last year, indicating our commitment to excellence in both music education and college-wide.”

Benedictine College is a Catholic, Benedictine, residential, liberal arts colleges located on a wooded 120-acre campus in Atchison, Kansas.  The school prides itself on outstanding academics, strong athletic programs, and an exceptional sense of community and belonging.  The college traces its roots to 1858 and has a mission to educate men and women within a community of faith and scholarship.