FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — The University of Arkansas continues to increase the number of National Merit Scholars it enrolls as freshmen, while improving its ranking among the top universities and colleges in the country. The University increased Merit Scholar enrollments by 35 percent over four years, from 37 students in 2002 to 50 in 2005.

     Chancellor John White says that the improvement shows that the University’s campaign to recruit and enroll Merit Scholars from in-state is working. 

    “The University has worked hard to keep our best high school students in the state and to attract other bright students from across the country and around the world.  The 'brain drain’ that existed for too many years has turned into  a 'brain gain’ for Arkansas. It’s encouraging to see the success of these efforts, which are being felt across the campus.  Not only are we attracting outstanding students, but also we are recruiting and retaining faculty at the top of their academic disciplines.  The combination ensures classroom and research environments that strengthen the educational experiences of  every student on our campus.”

     The increased number of Merit Scholars puts the University in prestigious company among both public and private institutions of higher learning.  The U of A is tied with John Hopkins University, the University of California at Berkeley, and Michigan State for 46th place among all colleges and universities, according to the Chronicle of Higher Education. That’s up ten places since 2003. The University ranks in 18^th place among public institutions, up from 24^th place in 2003.

       Among Southeast Conference schools the University of Arkansas is ranked in 4^th place, behind the University of Florida (#4 overall), Vanderbilt University (#9 overall), and the University of Alabama (#31 overall). 

       Suzanne McCray, Associate Dean of the Honors College, says that the university’s efforts to increase academic standards and offer more challenging programs of study has helped attract  Merit Scholars.

       “That we are tied with schools like Johns Hopkins, Berkeley, and Michigan speaks volumes.  Scholarships help, but are not the sole reason we can attract such outstanding students.  These students know when they come here they will be able to work one-on-one with nationally known faculty.  They will be challenged to engage actively in the classroom and beyond, and they will be supported both financially and academically to study abroad.   It is a success story for everyone involved-the students, the university, and the state.  There is no limit to what they can achieve here, and their presence on our campus enhances the national reputation of our institution and our state.”