Lehigh again named as one of nation’s top universities

In the latest national ranking of best colleges, Lehigh continues to be included among the most outstanding schools, with an overall ranking of 33rd.
Results of U.S News & World Report’s “2007 America’s Best Colleges” survey reveal that Lehigh continues to move up in a number of important categories.
According to the rankings, the university is attracting greater numbers of high-performing students, providing them with more personalized classroom experiences, and is retaining them at a greater rate than ever before.
Among the 126 top-tier universities that made U.S. News and World Report’s 2007 rankings, Lehigh saw significant movement nationally in these important categories:
• Retention rate (37th to 30th)
• Classes with fewer than 20 students (20th to 16th)
• Student selectivity (36th to 32nd)
• Students in the top 10 percent of their high school class (41st to 36th)
“We are pleased that the U.S. News survey recognizes the quality of our faculty, students and academic offerings, says Alice P. Gast, Lehigh president. It is gratifying to know that our academic reputation keeps climbing, but like other fine universities, Lehigh can never be precisely measured and ranked. What matters most is that we offer an excellent education to the students who select us.”
According to the survey, released today, Lehigh remains among the best and most selective universities in the nation, with high marks for alumni giving (eighth in the nation), graduation rate (32nd), and average standardized test score (36th). In addition, Lehigh was ranked 28th in the nation for “best value.”
Among the best undergraduate engineering programs whose highest degree is a Ph.D., Lehigh ranks 43rd in the country.
Bonnie Devlin, vice president of advancement, notes that Lehigh’s eighth overall position for alumni giving is a testament to the bond alumni have with the university.
I think that says a lot about this institution and our graduates,” Devlin says. “They feel good about what they learned here. They’ve been successful in their professional lives. And they believe in the vision we have for the future of Lehigh. We wouldn’t be where we are without the financial, professional and emotional support of our impressive alumni base.”