Winthrop has received a new ranking for Best Undergraduate Teaching Programs in the South from the U.S. News & World Report for Best Colleges. The institution tied with Florida Southern College and Asbury University for No. 15.
This ranking was determined by college administrators responding to a spring 2018 U.S. News survey, voting on universities who had a “a particular focus on undergraduate teaching.”
“Many colleges have a strong commitment to teaching undergraduates instead of conducting graduate-level research,” according to the U.S. News & World Report.
Winthrop also received two rankings for Regional Universities South, tied with Longwood University for No. 25, No. 17 for Best Colleges for Veterans, and tied No. 8 for Top Public Schools in the South with Longwood again. This is also the 27th time Winthrop has been ranked in the top 10 regional public colleges and universities.
Judy Longshaw, Winthrop’s news and media services manager, said a major component of undergraduate learning at Winthrop is the integration of research into standard courses.
“We get students to do a lot of research in undergraduate work …They write up findings, they present, they go to conferences. Professors also have them learn how to present their research clearly and effectively,” Longshaw said.
Winthrop does not provide Ph.D. programs, so it could not be compared to universities like Clemson University and the University of South Carolina. Longshaw said that those two universities are in a different category as a result.
Winthrop’s ranking for Best Veteran Services was determined by a report from the U.S. News spring 2018 survey about their enrollment of and benefits for veterans and active-duty service members. This is the second year that Winthrop received this ranking.
“In fall 2017, Winthrop had 118 students who identified as veterans, active duty or in the reserves,” Longshaw said.
The Military, Adult, and Transfer Services Office (MATS) provides services to these students throughout their college careers, including personalized one-on-one consultations, referrals to various resources and an undergraduate peer mentor for questions, seminars, workshops and events.
Winthrop is also a Yellow Ribbon school. The Yellow Ribbon Program allows approved institutions of higher learning and the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to contribute tuition and fee expenses that exceed the established thresholds under the post-9/11 GI Bill.
“That makes Winthrop attractive to veterans, who are also now more easily able to establish in-state residency for their tuition because of additional federal legislation,” Longshaw said.
Winthrop has received praise from other college and university ranking media outlets, including the Princeton Review’s Best Southeastern Colleges. Focus was on the diversity of Winthrop’s student body and its “beautiful campus.”
The institution was also identified as a leader among higher education institutions with high ratings in graduation success among minority populations, according to the spring 2017 Education Trust national report, “A Look at Black Student Success: Identifying Top- and Bottom-Performing Institutions.”
“Winthrop doesn’t chase rankings, but we do take pride in earning consistent recognition of the student-focused higher education experience we offer. The strong teaching mission is obvious at Winthrop,” President Daniel Mahony said.
Despite Winthrop’s accolades, Longshaw said that Winthrop is seeking to improve through Mahony’s Winthrop Plan, which “notes goals and initiatives that push the campus community to strive to be a national model for a student-centered university experience.”
