For the twelfth consecutive year, Hamline University remains the top-ranked Minnesota university in its class according to U.S.News & World Report magazine’s “America’s Best Colleges” edition.

Hamline University ranked first in Minnesota and ninth among 144 universities in the Midwest region in the magazine’s Best Regional Universities category. Hamline has been ranked first in Minnesota and in the top 11 in the Midwest since it was added to the Best Regional Universities category (formerly titled Best Universities-Master’s category) in 2001.

In the U.S. News sections entitled “Great Schools, Great Prices” section, in which schools are ranked in terms of dollar value for the quality of education, Hamline was again ranked in the top fifteen “best value” schools among the 144 universities in its class.  Hamline also made the list of “A+ Schools for B Students.”

“At Hamline University, we offer students an exceptional academic experience with real-world, high impact learning opportunities and true value for a quality education. These are hallmarks of the Hamline experience, and it is heartening to note that for more than a decade Hamline’s academic reputation and success has been affirmed by U.S. News in its annual college rankings,” said Dr. Linda Hanson, president of Hamline University. “I do reiterate to students and parents, however, that rankings are just one reference source for learning about various schools. To make the college choice that is right for them, students should visit campuses; talk to professors, staff, and current students; thoroughly examine academic and co-curricular programs offered; and carefully consider the quality of teaching they will receive.”

The magazine’s Best Regional Universities category includes schools throughout the nation that award primarily undergraduate and master’s degrees and a small number of doctoral degrees. The rankings measure a school’s overall academic reputation, as well as selected criteria within its undergraduate college, such as average graduation rate, first year student retention, class size, and faculty to student ratio, among other criteria, to compute an academic quality rating.

Other Minnesota schools in the Best Regional Universities category include St. Catherine University (#14), Bethel University (#24), College of St. Scholastica (tied for #27), Augsburg College (tied for #27), and Concordia University (#93). A complete listing of this year's rankings is available at the U.S.News & World Report website