Saint Martin’s University places in top tier of
2005 US News rankings
Aug. 19, 2005
Lacey, Wash. -- U.S. News & World Report has ranked
Saint Martin’s University among the top universities in the West. The
magazine ranks U.S. universities and colleges each year in its
guidebook, “America’s Best Colleges.”
Saint Martin’s ranked number 34, tying with two
other Western universities in the “Best Universities – Master’s”
category. The category ranks universities that offer a full range of
undergraduate degrees and master’s programs, but no doctoral programs.
It includes 572 universities across the country by geographic region.
Also ranking 34th were California State University-Fullerton and Sonoma
State University, also in California.
“I am pleased to see us recognized as among the
leading colleges and universities in the Northwest,” said Saint Martin’s
President Douglas M. Astolfi, Ph.D. “We plan to continue our march up
the rankings as we grow as a university dedicated to providing a quality
education to an increasing number of students.”
To reach a final assessment, U.S. News uses a
ranking formula based on several categories: peer assessment; graduation
and retention rates; faculty resources; student selectivity; the
institution’s financial strength; and alumni giving, a category that
denotes to some extent how graduates view their alma mater.
The overall ranking system is based on quantitative
measures deemed to be reliable indicators of academic quality and the
magazine’s analysis of those factors. The ranks of the top schools are
designated by number. Schools in the lower three tiers are listed in
alphabetical order.
Overall, Saint Martin’s scored high in several
categories, including student/faculty ratio, with 15:1; class size – 77
percent of its classes have fewer than 20 students; and percentage of
full-time faculty, 94 percent.
Barbara Gayle, the university’s vice president for
academic affairs, said, “Public recognition of the academic and
co-curricular quality of Saint Martin’s University is gratifying. I look
forward to increasing recognition of the excellent job that faculty and
staff do in educating students here at Saint Martin’s.”
Deanna Partlow
media relations coordinator
360-438-4541;
dpartlow@stmartin.edu