We're No. 56! We're No. 56!

SMU moves up collegiate rankings

The 2011 edition of “Best Colleges” published by U.S. News Media Group showed Southern Methodist University a little love in its latest rankings of the best colleges in the United States.

SMU reached No. 56 out of 191 listed institutions of higher learning, and why not 200? It represented the highest placement to date for SMU, which previously ranked No. 68 last year and No. 73 in 2004.

Only Rice University, at 17, and the University of Texas-Austin, No. 45, rated better than the Ponies.

The rankings come from gauging aspects such as peer assessment, graduation and retention rates, faculty resources, student selectivity, financial resources, alumni giving, graduation rate performance, and high school counselor ratings of colleges. Here’s betting that alumni giving weighed heavily in SMU’s favor.

But, good for little SMU. Last year a bowl bid, this year another few notches up the college pecking order … what’s next, a presidential library? Oh.

Bruce Felps owns and operates East Dallas Times, an online community news outlet serving the White Rock Lake area. He thinks SMU is nice and everything, but it’s no Tyler Junior College from back in the day.
 

Copyright FREEL - NBC Local Media
Contact Us