Southern is pleased to announce its ranking as a Top Tier university by U.S. News and Worlds Report’s “Best Colleges” guide. Although Southern has been ranked regionally for the past 15 consecutive years, this is the first year that the ranking status has switched from college ranking to university ranking.

Volker Henning, vice president of academic administration at Southern, explains the recent switch.

“Due to our growing graduate program, which includes numerous master’s degrees as well as one doctoral program,” Henning said, “U.S. News has moved Southern from being listed among 98 Regional Colleges to now being listed among 148 Regional Universities.”

Schools are ranked according to their performance across several indicators of excellence, including graduation rate, performance rank, alumni giving, graduation and retention rates, faculty resources, and student selectivity. 

The U.S. News report allows for students and parents who are seeking the best academic value for their money to have an overview of colleges in order to make an informed decision.

Along with the honor of being ranked regionally in the south, SmartAsset’s “Best Value Colleges” study ranked Southern as one of the most economically valuable institutions in Tennessee. The average starting salary for Southern graduates is $45,000.

With a student body of nearly 3,000, Southern continues to provide a Christ-centered, student-focused, and excellence-driven campus.