U. S. News and World Report: TAMIU One of Top Public Master's Level Universities in West

For the first time in its history, Texas A&M International University has been placed in Tier 2 of the Western regional ranking system by U.S. News & World Reports' annual issue of America's Best Colleges, 2002.

The western region includes 15 states from Texas to California and Alaska. America's Best Colleges has classified regional universities as Best Universities - Masters for the 2002 publication. Rankings are provided within four areas (north, south, east and west) and four tiers.

TAMIU president Dr. Ray Keck said the ranking is a telling tribute to the University's dedicated faculty, staff and students and its dynamic programs and collaborative efforts.

"This ranking in Tier Two of Best Universities - Master's is impressive and should be considered a tribute to our fine faculty, staff and our students. We have been focusing on building a regional University here through dynamic programs and collaborations and this ranking indicates that we are doing just that. We are thrilled. Just last year, we were unranked in the survey," Dr. Keck said.

He noted additional recent honors including accreditation of the University's College of Business Administration by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB), the Department of Fine and Performing Arts and expected accreditation of the Dr. F. M. Canseco School of Nursing.

"I think you could say we have a definite feeling of momentum. We are proud to be bringing this caliber of higher education to our growing service community and encourage all of our local and area high school students who will graduate in the weeks to come to visit TAMIU and realize the treasure they have right here at home," he said.

Among factors that figure in the America's Best Colleges' ranking are academic reputation, classroom size, student/faculty ratios, percentage of full-time faculty, graduation rates, average SAT scores, acceptance rate, and high school class rank of entering freshman students. Factors were based on 2000 data.

Among stand out statistics for TAMIU were a 60% retention rate, 94% full-time faculty, a student/faculty ratio of 14 to 1 and having 53% of entering freshmen in the top 25% of their high school class.

Other Texas public regional universities included in the West Tier Two ranking are Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi and Southwest Texas State University.

America's Best Colleges defines Tier Two institutions as those that provide a full range of undergraduate and master's-level programs, and some doctoral programs. It considers Tier Three institutions those that emphasize undergraduate education and award at least 50 percent of their degrees in liberal arts disciplines.

Among Tier Three institutions are the University of Texas at San Antonio, Our Lady of the Lake University, University of Texas-Pan American and University of the Incarnate Word.

For additional information on U. S. News and World Report, visit http://www.usnews.com. To view TAMIU's ranking in the Western Tier II, visit http://www.usnews.com/usnews/edu/college/rankings/univmas/umwest/tier2/t2univmas_w.htm

Journalists who need additional information or help with media requests and interviews should contact the Office of Public Affairs and Information Services at pais@tamiu.edu