Concordia named to "Great Schools, Great Prices" list

Concordia was one of 10 Midwest regional colleges and universities named to U.S. News & World Report's 2011 "Great Schools, Great Prices" rankings released today. Concordia is the only Nebraska school in the category to be included.

The university also held steady at No. 16 in the overall "America's Best Colleges" rankings in the Regional Colleges - Midwest category, remaining the highest ranked school in Nebraska in this category.

"This is a terrific affirmation of what we stand for," said Dr. Jenny Mueller-Roebke, provost of the university. "As an institution, we've always endeavored to be Christ-centered, to offer high quality education and to be affordable. That's Concordia, and it's great to see our efforts nationally recognized."

The "Great Schools, Great Prices" category recognizes the value of the overall education at those schools ranked above average academically and the net cost of attendance for a student who receives the average level of need-based aid.

Based on the first tier ranking and an overall score of 66, Concordia also compares well to schools in other categories and regions. Concordia Nebraska is the highest ranked school in the Concordia University System and placed third among the members of the Great Plains Athletic Conference.

"Many colleges and universities today are questioning whether their institutions can be both sincerely religious and academically superior. The answer is yes," said Aaron Roberts, director of admission at Concordia. "It's nice to have the U.S.News rankings put an exclamation point on that. Our faculty and staff provide excellent academics and extensive extra-curriculars within a Christian community which equips students to succeed in the classroom and beyond."

Criteria evaluated in the rankings included academic reputation, retention and graduation rates, faculty resources, student selectivity and alumni support.

While placed in the regional colleges category based on the overall percentage and number of graduates in programs offered, Concordia also offers master's degrees in multiple areas, including education, family life and an MBA program with 13 emphasis options. The rankings group schools based on categories created by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching.

Complete rankings are available online at www.usnews.com/colleges and will be published in the magazine's September issue, on newsstands Monday, Aug. 31. The 2011 Best Colleges guidebook will be on newsstands Aug. 24.