Longwood University is for the 16th consecutive year ranked among the best colleges in the annual U.S. News & World Report survey.

In the 2014 U.S. News "Best Colleges" report, released Sept. 10, Longwood moved up from No. 33 to No. 31 in the ranking for all Regional Universities in the South. Among Public Regional Universities in the South, Longwood is ranked No. 12.

"We are excited to be recognized by U.S. News & World Report and to move from 33 to 31 among Regional Universities in the South," said Sallie McMullin, dean of admissions. "However, we feel that the most important ranking is being No. 1 in the eyes of the students we serve—and we are. Lancer and Longwood pride are at an all-time high, our students are happy, and our graduates are successful. As we continue to build new facilities and renovate existing ones, initiate ways to increase retention and graduation rates, and increase academic offerings, we will continue to move up in the rankings."

The U.S. News rankings are based on assessment by peers and counselors, retention of students, faculty resources, student selectivity, financial resources and alumni giving. Longwood is ranked among regional universities, which are those that offer a full range of undergraduate majors and master’s programs but few, if any, doctoral programs. There are 621 such institutions in the South region, which encompasses 12 states.

"For families concerned with finding the best academic value for their money, the U.S. News Best Colleges rankings provide an excellent starting point for the search," said the publication. "They allow you to compare at a glance the relative quality of institutions based on such widely accepted indicators of excellence as freshman retention and graduation rates and the strength of the faculty.

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