Best Regional Colleges in the South for 2018
College Consensus (https://www.collegeconsensus.com), a unique new college ratings website that aggregates publisher rankings and student reviews, has published their ranking of the Best Regional Colleges in the South for 2018 at https://www.collegeconsensus.com/rankings/best-regional-colleges-south/.
To identify the Best Regional Colleges-South 2018, College Consensus combined the latest results from the most respected college rankings with thousands of real student reviews to produce a unique consensus score for each school. According to College Consensus founder Jeremy Alder, “Like Rotten Tomatoes or Metacritic does for movies, College Consensus gathers the publisher rankings and student reviews from around the web and distills the results into simple, easy to understand scores so students can quickly and easily compare schools. It is the ranking of all rankings, so to speak.” Learn more about the College Consensus rankings methodology at https://www.collegeconsensus.com/about/.
To help prospective college students and their families evaluate the educational options open to them, College Consensus has identified the best regional colleges in the South, according to the combination of published rankings and student reviews. The top 10, out of nearly 50, are:
1. University of Mobile – Mobile, AL
2. Flagler College – St. Augustine, FL
3. Huntingdon College – Montgomery, AL
4. University of South Carolina-Aiken – Aiken, SC
5. Kentucky Wesleyan College – Owensboro, KY
6. Lander University – Greenwood, SC
7. High Point University – High Point, NC
8. Barton College Wilson, NC (tied)
8. University of South Carolina-Upstate – Spartanburg, SC (tied)
10. Newberry College – Newberry, SC
“The Best Regional Colleges-South ranking,” as Managing Editor Carrie Sealey-Morris explains, “puts the spotlight on the smaller regional colleges that provide the grassroots foundations of higher education.” As Sealey-Morris’ introduction to the ranking notes, “Regional colleges do the grunt work of educating a middle-class workforce, and in the South, that often means helping rehabilitate rural and industrial areas.” For the College Consensus ranking, regional colleges are defined as those that “offer associate’s and bachelor’s degrees, usually in career and professional fields, and usually at affordable rates.” Regional colleges primarily offer undergraduate programs, and though they may have some graduate programs, those do not usually include doctorates. Most importantly, regional universities focus on the essential programs: “From nursing and healthcare to computer science and technology, regional colleges get people working.”
“Every ranking has its focus, and every student review has its bias,” according to Managing Editor Carrie Sealey-Morris, “but in the Consensus, every voice gets its due.” The College Consensus methodology “takes a higher perspective on the college ranking landscape, and in the Consensus, the playing field is leveled.” As an aggregate ranking, “the much-loved but less prominent regional colleges have as much opportunity to shine as the most famous research university.” College Consensus’ Best Regional Colleges ranking “means the schools that make a difference in students’ lives get the recognition they deserve.” By taking the long view, College Consensus can become an invaluable part of a prospective college student’s research process. As Sealey-Morris asserts, “Prospective Southern college students need look no further for the full picture of the south’s college opportunities.”
College Consensus is a new approach to college rankings. We combine the latest results from the most respected college ranking systems with thousands of real student review scores from around the web to produce an aggregate College Consensus rating for each school. Students will not find a more comprehensive ranking of the top colleges and universities anywhere. In addition to rankings, College Consensus also offers expert advice and guidance on all aspects of college life, from finding the perfect college, to getting accepted, paying for it, and finding your professional path after graduation.
