Ohio Northern University moved up in the U.S. News & World Report’s ranking of the best regional colleges in the Midwest, claiming the No. 2 spot in the latest report.
ADA — Two west central Ohio universities claimed high ranks in the U.S. News & World Report’s latest ranking of the top regional colleges in the Midwest.
Ohio Northern University came in second, while nearby Bluffton University ranked No. 22 on the list of the top 370 regional colleges in the Midwest, one of several school rankings compiled by the U.S. News & World Report.
“These latest accolades are a reflection of who we are as a community,” ONU President Melissa Baumann said in a press release Tuesday.
“We attract students who are ready to learn and ready to work hard, and our faculty and staff support them each step of the way. That’s what makes us special and ensures that an ONU education is an outstanding value.”
U.S. News separates its rankings into dozens of categories like the best research schools, the top liberal arts schools, the best nursing schools or the schools with the best first-year experiences.
The regional colleges list compares mostly prviate undergraduate institutions where fewer than half of all degrees awarded are in the liberal arts, looking at factors like graduation rates, financial aid packages, graduate indebtedness, student-faculty ratios and peer assessments to identify its top picks in the Midwest, North, South and West.
U.S. News previously ranked ONU as the fourth-best regional college in the Midwest, while Bluffton University ranked 36 on the list, with this year’s list showing an improvement for both institutions since the report revised its formula.
“This ranking simply shows the world what we already knew: Bluffton alumni are successful in their fields, acting as leaders at home, at work and in their communities,” Robin Bowlus, Bluffton University vice president for advancement and enrollment management, said in a press release.
