CIU among the Best Regional Universities in the South

The 2020 U.S. News & World Report rankings are out, and Columbia International University continues to be among the Best Regional Universities in the South, ahead of nine other South Carolina public and private schools.

According to the report’s methodology page, schools are ranked by graduation and retention rates, the percentage of students from impoverished families who graduate, class size, student to faculty ratio, opinions of college presidents and deans, per-student spending, test scores and the percent of alumni who donate to the school.

The annual rankings also recognize CIU at #12 among Best Value Schools in the South and one of the Best Colleges for Veterans in the South.

To be a Best Value School, the report takes into account a school's academic quality, as indicated by its 2020 U.S. News Best Colleges ranking, and the 2018-2019 net cost of attendance for a student who received the average level of need-based financial aid. In other words, the higher the quality of the program and the lower the cost, the better the deal.

To be a Best College for Veterans:

• The institution is certified for the GI Bill.

• The institution participates in the Yellow Ribbon Program or is a public school that charges in-state tuition to all out-of-state veterans.

• For the third consecutive year, the institution must have enrolled a minimum of 20 veterans and active service members, or a critical mass, in the 2018-2019 academic year.

• The institution must be ranked in the top half of its 2020 edition Best Colleges ranking category.

The rankings come in a school year in which CIU is celebrating a significant increase in enrollment. CIU President Dr. Mark Smith told new students and their families that CIU is about investing in the whole person, and committed $35 million toward improvements over the last two years to make CIU the best experience possible.

Columbia International University consistently ranks among the Top Regional Universities in the South by U.S. News & World Report. Excitement is growing on campus with CIU’s first baseball program in development and new academic programs such as the Doctor of Ministerial Leadership. Request information on enrollment at CIU and Columbia Biblical Seminary or call (800) 777-2227, ext. 5024.