PRINCETON REVIEW RAISES UNIVERSITY OF ARKANSAS' RANKINGS IN TWO CATEGORIES; ACADEMICS REMAIN TIED FOR THIRD IN THE SOUTHEASTERN CONFERENCE

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — The University of Arkansas finds itself once again listed among excellent company in the 2004 edition of The Princeton Review: The Best 351 Colleges. Included in its rankings, the University saw scores increase in two of the four categories used to rate colleges. Under "Admissions Rating," the U of A rose to a score of 81 from 79. Also, the University’s "Financial Aid Rating" crept up to 91 from 2003’s rating of 90 while scores for "Academics" and "Quality of Life" remained at 80 and 82 respectively.

"This is wonderful news for the University as, once again, a nationally respected publication is taking notice of our achievements," Chancellor John White said. "During the past few years, we have seen our scores consistently improve in The Princeton Review, revealing that the University of Arkansas is accomplishing its goals and becoming more nationally competitive. It’s encouraging to see these strides have not gone unnoticed."

Methods for scoring institutions consist of surveying more than 100,000 students with 70 multiple-choice questions. An average of 300 students per campus answer questions ranging from, "How many out-of-class hours do you spend studying?" to "Are your instructors accessible outside of the classroom?" That information is then used to assist in the creation of institutional profiles, but it is also used to rank colleges/universities in more specialized categories like "Best Overall Experience for Undergraduates" and the now infamous "Party Schools."

In the category of "Teaching Assistants Teach Too Many Upper-Level Courses," the University ranks 11th, a distinction White says could be misleading.

"As do our national counterparts, the University relies on graduate assistants to serve as instructors in a variety of courses," he said. "However, only five percent of our graduate assistants teach in upper-level courses."

The following table lists the University of Arkansas’ academic ranking among fellow SEC institutions and a projection of where it would rank among three other athletic conferences:

"The recognition we have received from The Princeton Review not only speaks well of the University, but also speaks volumes for the state of Arkansas," Chancellor John White said. "Our strong academic rating shows we measure up well against several esteemed and better-funded institutions. That serves as an indicator to our taxpayers, our generous benefactors, and our supporters that the University is a great investment and one continuing to pay huge dividends."