BEMIDJI, Minn. (Sept. 13, 2011) — For the fourth consecutive year, Bemidji State University has earned a place among the top 100 colleges and universities in the Midwest region in U.S. News and World Report’s rankings of America’s colleges and universities.

The University tied with four other institutions for 91st among all colleges and universities in the region and ranked 34th among public universities in the region.

Bemidji State tied for 92nd in the region in the 2011 rankings and were ranked 35th in the region among public universities.

Among other rankings released for universities in the Midwest region, Bemidji State tied for 26th in rankings of a school’s population of international students and tied for 42nd in the economic diversity category, with 31 percent of its students receiving Pell grants.

U.S. News & World Report categorizes schools based on mission, according to classifications developed by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching and, in some cases, also breaks schools down by region. U.S. News classifies Bemidji State University as a regional university in the Midwest region. Regional universities as classified as those offering a full range of undergraduate programs with some master’s, but few, if any, doctoral programs. America’s Best Colleges 2012 ranks 114 regional universities in its Midwest region and in total ranked 441 institutions across four regions: North, South, Midwest and West.

The publication’s Midwest region includes North and South Dakota, Nebraska, Kansas, Minnesota, Iowa, Missouri, Michigan, Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana and Ohio.

Ranking methodology
The U.S. News ranking system rests on two pillars. The formula uses quantitative measures that education experts have proposed as reliable indicators of academic quality, based on U.S. News’ researched view of what matters in education. Data is gathered on up to 16 indicataors of “academic excellence,” with each indicator assigned a weight based on U.S. News’ judgement of its importance. Once data is gathered, colleges and universities in each category are ranked against their peers, based on their composite weighted score. For a variety of reasons, schools could also be listed in a separate “unranked” category. These reasons include factors such as not using the SAT or ACT test scores in admissions decisions for first-time, first-year, degree-seeking applicants; having a total enrollment of less than 200; or having no first-year students.

A complete explanation of U.S. News’ ranking methodology can be found on its website.

U.S. News & World Report began publishing America’s Best Colleges in 1983. America’s Best Colleges 2012 will be available on newsstands Sept. 20.

LINKS
• Previous Bemidji State releases on U.S. News rankings [2008][2009][2010]
• America’s Best Colleges 2012
• Midwest Regional University rankings
• How U.S. News Calculates the College Rankings