Regional colleges, according to U.S. News, focus on undergraduate education but grant fewer than half their degrees in liberal arts disciplines. The magazine considered many factors in evaluating the colleges, including academic reputation, freshman retention, faculty resources, and other criteria.
The Senior Vice President and Provost of Montreat College, Dr. Marshall Flowers, said of the selection by U.S. News and World Report, “We are honored with the selection of Montreat College as a Best Southern Regional College. We believe that Montreat’s mission as a Christ-centered, student-focused, and service-driven college coupled with the presence of a renowned faculty committed to the integration of faith and learning serves as a distinctive for academic excellence in Christian higher education across North Carolina and the Southeast region of the United States.”
The 27th U.S. News best college rankings report divides the schools into four main groups; national university, national liberal arts university, regional university and regional college. Harvard University was ranked first among National Universities, edging out its Ivy League rivals Princeton and Yale, which ranked second and third, respectively.
Duke University was the highest-rated National University in North Carolina and was ranked ninth overall in the nation.