Carson-Newman University No. 7 in the Nation says Washington Monthly

^{Carson-Newman student Kuo “Jessie” Wang, of China’s Inner Mongolia, works with other Carson-Newman students at Appalachian Outreach’s Ministry Center in Jefferson City. In its 2014 college rankings, Washington Monthly ranked the University No. 2 in the nation for community service within the “Baccalaureate Colleges” category.}

Click here to watch Knoxville’s WATE Channel 6 coverage of Carson-Newman’s ranking.

(August 25, 2014)– Carson-Newman University is ranked 7th among the nation’s baccalaureate colleges, says Washington Monthly magazine in its 2014 rankings released today. The University is the only Tennessee school to be named in the top 15 of the “Baccalaureate Colleges” category.

It is the third year in a row that the University has been recognized in the category’s Top 10. Last year Carson-Newman was ranked No. 10 by the publication.

“We are extremely pleased with this news from Washington Monthly,” said Carson-Newman President J. Randall O’Brien. “This ranking speaks volumes to the way our students, faculty, staff and trustees help to fulfill Carson-Newman’s mission year in and year out.”

Washington Monthly bases its ranking on three primary criteria: social mobility (recruiting and graduating low-income students), research (producing cutting-edge scholarship and PhDs), and service (encouraging students to give something back to their country).

Carson-Newman University was highlighted in several areas of the category. Carson-Newman’s net price was the second lowest among the top ten institutions at $14,827. The University was named No. 2 in the nation for “Community service participation and hours served.” And its ROTC program was ranked No. 7 among baccalaureate schools.

“Our rankings have always rejected the idea that expense, luxury, and exclusivity should be held up as the highest values for colleges and students to aspire to,” said editors of Washington Monthly on the publication’s website. “Instead, we ask a different question: What are colleges doing for the country?”

They also added, “We recognize those that do the best job of enrolling and graduating low-income students. Our rankings measure both pure research spending and success in preparing undergraduates to earn PhDs. And by giving equal weight to public service, we identify colleges that build a sense of obligation to their communities and the nation at large.”

Earlier this month, Carson-Newman was recognized nationally by the organization Colleges of Distinction.

For more information:

Click here for Washington Monthly full “Baccalaureate Colleges” rankings.

Click here for more on Washington Monthly’s Methodology.

Carson-Newman University is a private, Christian liberal arts institution. Founded in 1851, Carson-Newman is located in Jefferson City, Tennessee, among the foothills of the Great Smoky Mountains. The University offers 50 undergraduate majors, as well as bachelor’s, master’s and doctorate degrees.

Founded in 1969, Washington Monthly is a bimonthly nonprofit magazine covering politics, government, culture and the media.