DSU Improves HBCU Ranking from 17th to 15th

Delaware State University has moved up to 15^th among 72 Historically Black Colleges and Universities in the country in the annual ranking released today by U.S. News & World Report.

 

DSU is tied with South Carolina State University for 15^th place. Among Mid-Atlantic Region schools, DSU joins Howard University (2^nd), Hampton University (4^th) and Morgan State University (18^th) that made the top 20 HBCUs in the 2012 ranking.

 

DSU President Harry Lee Williams said while moving from 17^th to 15^th reflects well on the University, it also shows there is much work to be done to reach the ultimate goal of becoming the No. 1 HBCU in the country. Nevertheless, he said, the University’s current rise in ranking affirms that the University is moving in the right direction.

 

“It shows what happens when we focus, stay on task with clear goals and remain consistent with the vision that we have developed for this University,” Dr. Williams said. “We are happy, but not satisfied; we are encouraged by the latest ranking and remain steadfast in our efforts to become the best.”

 

When the U.S. News & World Report first published its HBCU ranking in 2008, DSU ranked #22, and then rose to #17 in 2009 and 2010.   

 

The HBCU rankings are based on the following categories to assess academic quality: assessment by administrators at peer institutions, retention of students, faculty resources, student selectivity, financial resources and alumni giving.

 

Spelman College of Atlanta, Ga., is ranked as the No. 1 HBCU in the country by the magazine, a top distinction it has held since 2008.