U.S. News ranks Campbell among best regional universities

BUIES CREEK — U.S. News & World Report named Campbell University one of the best regional universities in the South in its Best Colleges 2013 rankings.

The publication ranks 625 regional universities, which offer a full range of bachelor’s and master’s programs and a few doctoral programs, against their peer groups in four geographic regions—North, South, Midwest and West—because the schools tend to draw from surrounding states. In the South region, Campbell ranked 28th out of 127 schools and fifth out of the 14 North Carolina institutions on the list. Campbell was also ranked No. 28 in the 2012 edition.

The rankings are based on factors such as financial resources, graduation rate performance, alumni giving rate, student selectivity, student retention, faculty resources and undergraduate academic reputation.

Campbell ranked high in its freshman retention rate, with 73 percent of all freshmen returning for their sophomore year; and in graduation rate (compared to other schools in the region) with 53 percent of freshmen making it to graduation.

Campbell was also strong in the category of classes with fewer than 20 students (58 percent), and its percentage of incoming freshmen who were in the Top 25 percent of their class (also 58 percent).