Samford University boasts world-class student engagement, according to new rankings published by The Wall Street Journal and Times Higher Education.
The university ranked third nationally in student engagement, climbing nine spots year-over-year.
Samford, located in Homewood, was also ranked 170 overall out of 801 total national institutions, marking an improvement of 33 places since the previous year.
This ranking emphasizes how well a college prepares students for life after graduation. Schools were evaluated using multiple data sources including the Times Higher Education U.S. Student Survey of nearly 200,000 current U.S. students, the annual Times Higher Education Academic Reputation Survey and public data such as alumni salaries and academic spending per student.
The student engagement category specifically highlights how challenged and inspired students felt inside and outside the classroom, as well as the breadth of courses available.
According to The Wall Street Journal, student engagement is central to exceptional teaching quality and entails education of the entire student – body, mind and soul.
The report stated, “Decades of research has found that the best way to truly understand teaching quality at an institution – how well it manages to inform, inspire, and challenge students – is through capturing what is known as student engagement.”
Per a release from Samford, the private Christian university’s mission is to nurture student development intellectually, ethically and spiritually, fostered through an array of opportunities including 166 student organizations, global engagement in more than 19 different countries and over 180 courses that incorporate community service.
Additionally, undergraduate students complete Samford’s core curriculum, providing a well-rounded foundation in the liberal arts. The result is a highly-tailored educational experience that results in 96% of undergraduate alumni employed or in further study within six months of graduation.
“Rankings are just one measure of a university’s effectiveness and reputation, but it is encouraging to see the praiseworthy work of our faculty and staff recognized by The Wall Street Journal,” said Samford President Andrew Westmoreland.
“At Samford we know that success after graduation means not only advancing professional goals, but also pursuing personal growth in purpose and faith. Nurturing student engagement is important in accomplishing this mission,” he added.
In the latest rankings @WSJ and @timeshighered rank Samford #3 in the nation for student engagement and #1 in Alabama! #TheWallStreetJournal
➔ https://t.co/ywvxryxOvP pic.twitter.com/hV2aBGq312
— Samford University (@SamfordU) September 5, 2019
This comes after the university was recently ranked 34th nationally among private universities on Kiplinger Personal Finance’s “Best College Values” list.
Sean Ross is the editor of Yellowhammer News. You can follow him on Twitter @sean_yhn
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