Southwestern College has been named a Tier One college in the 2017 “U.S.News and World Report Best Colleges” annual ranking of the nation’s colleges and universities. The college’s Professional Studies program also has been recognized in the Best Colleges report for its online bachelor’s degree programs, online graduate business program, and online graduate education programs.

This is another indication of the great quality and value of a Southwestern College education,” says Southwestern College President Brad Andrews.  “I am so proud of the high quality education our faculty provide to each student.”

Andrews says there is a direct correlation between the rankings and the large freshman class at Southwestern.  Enrollment numbers become official after the 20th day of classes.  SC’s freshman class has 182 students, the second largest class in more than 40 years.  SC also welcomed 54 transfer students to campus. 

"The size of this year's new student class is a clear indication that students and their families realize the quality and value of a Southwestern College education," Andrews says. 

Southwestern is categorized as a “Midwest Regional University.” The region is made up of colleges and universities from Kansas, Wisconsin, Iowa, Indiana, Nebraska, Minnesota, Missouri, Ohio, Michigan, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Illinois. “U.S. News and World Report” defines regional universities as schools that offer a wide range of undergraduate majors and graduate programs but few doctoral programs.  

Southwestern College and other regional universities are compared to and ranked against their peer group in the surrounding geographical location because they tend to draw students primarily from surrounding states, according to “U.S. News & World Report.” Other regions in the publication included the North, South, and West.