ONU No. 5 in U.S. News & World Report Rankings

Ohio Northern University continues to be the highest ranked Ohio university in its category in the U.S. News & World Report annual look at higher education.

ONU is ranked No. 5 among Midwest comprehensive colleges in the 2006 edition of "America's Best Colleges." Comprehensive colleges are defined by U.S. News as institutions that focus on undergraduate education and offer a range of degree programs including liberal arts and professional fields.

"We are very pleased to receive the recognition this ranking provides,” said ONU President Dr. Kendall Baker. “Although we realize that the U.S. News assessment does not include all the factors needed to judge colleges and universities, we believe it calls attention to the top quality of the education offered at our University. Hence, it is a tribute to the very hard work and accomplishment of the extremely dedicated, highly-committed staff that makes ONU the special place it is."

The 2006 rankings marks the 14th straight year ONU has been ranked in the Midwest region's top 10 and the fifth consecutive year it has been ranked No. 5.

"America's Best Colleges" ranks 324 comprehensive colleges within four regions: North, South, Midwest and West. The Midwest region is composed of Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota and Wisconsin.

Karen Condeni, Ohio Northern's Vice President of Admissions and Financial Aid, said, "The U.S. News publication can be a valuable resource for students looking for the distinctive mix of opportunities offered at ONU. The rankings indicate that we do an excellent job of meeting our students' needs."

U.S News offers its publication as a way for students to broaden their college search and compare before visiting and interviewing at appropriate universities.

For reporting purposes, the schools are categorized by mission and, in some cases, region. Data is gathered from each college on up to 15 indicators of academic excellence.

Those indicators fall into the following categories: peer assessment; retention of students, faculty resources, student selectivity, financial resources, graduate rate performance and alumni giving. The indicators are designed to reflect the school's student body, its faculty and financial resources and to measure how well the institution does the job of educating its students.

"Choices in higher education are as varied as the needs of the students, "said Condeni. " We are pleased to be in the top group once more as it validates the good work of so many here at the university."

Founded in 1871, Ohio Northern University (http://www.onu.edu), located in West Central Ohio, is a private university offering a diverse, dynamic and unique learning community, with rigorous professional programs in partnership with the arts and the sciences. Its 3,300 students study for graduate and undergraduate degrees in five colleges: Arts and Sciences, Engineering, Business Administration, Pharmacy, and Law. Ohio Northern takes pride in being a student-centered, service-oriented, values-based institution.

The U.S. News & World Report’s 2006 edition of America’s Best Colleges will be on newsstands on Monday, Aug. 22.