NEWS from
CENTENARY COLLEGE OF LOUISIANA


FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE (8/98)
Contact: Lynn Stewart, Centenary News Service
318-869-5120 or 869-5709

Centenary Rises to No. 1 Spot as "Best College Value" Among South's Regional Universities in U.S. News "America's Best Colleges" Survey

SHREVEPORT, LA -- Where will you get the most for your money? Centenary College offers the best value among regional universities in the South, according to U.S. News and World Report's 12th annual "America's Best Colleges" survey.

Centenary rises to the No. 1 spot from No. 7 last year among the South's Top 15 "Best-value" universities, which are identified annually by the magazine. The best-value results were released today (Friday, Aug. 21) and are tentatively scheduled to be published in the magazine's Sept. 7 issue.

"We are pleased to be listed at the top of some very fine institutions," said Centenary President Kenneth L. Schwab. "Centenary does indeed offer an excellent academic program through an outstanding and caring faculty, and we have worked diligently to present our student-centered program in the most cost-effective ways possible."

U.S. News noted that it measures value by relating a school's quality ranking with the net cost to a student who receives the average level of financial aid.

Centenary is also ranked in a separate listing of the South's best regional universities. In its annual "America's Best Colleges" issue, on newsstands Aug. 24, U.S. News names Centenary No. 8 among the South's Top 15 colleges/universities.

The rankings mark the ninth consecutive year that Centenary College has been listed by the magazine.

To arrive at its "Best Colleges" rankings, U.S. News did a reputational survey of officials at accredited four-year colleges and universities. The results of that survey were combined with educational data in several areas, including retention, faculty resources, student selectivity, financial resources, graduation rate and alumni giving. For its "Best Value" rankings, the magazine considered a quality-to-price ratio, the percent of undergraduates receiving grants meeting needs, grants exceeding financial needs and the percent of total costs covered by average grants to undergraduates.

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