Oklahoma universities rank well in magazine survey

Nearly a dozen Oklahoma universities received special rankings last week in U.S. News and World Report's annual survey.<br><br>The universities were praised for a variety of things, including high

Sunday, August 24th 2003, 12:00 am

By: News On 6

Nearly a dozen Oklahoma universities received special rankings last week in U.S. News and World Report's annual survey.

The universities were praised for a variety of things, including high enrollment of American Indians and a high number of freshman.

The University of Tulsa, was rated 91st in the nation and University of Oklahoma was 117th among universities offering degrees through the doctorate level.

OU was mentioned for having an 82% retention rate and having 92% of its faculty members employed full-time.

Oklahoma State University was rated in the third tier of the top national universities offering doctorate degrees.

OSU's freshman retention rate was 55% and its percentage of full-time faculty members beat OU with 95%.

The U.S. News survey also ranked colleges based on regions of the country. Oklahoma falls into the western division.

In that division, Oklahoma Baptist University was ranked second and Oklahoma Christian University ranked seventh among colleges offering bachelor's degrees.

The University of Science and Arts of Oklahoma, a four-year college in Chickasha, was the only public institution rated in the Top 20 of this category.

The college was also honored for the second year in a row as being the No. 1 best buy among western undergraduate colleges.

The university was also praised for its minority enrollment with 13% of its students being American Indian.

Oklahoma Panhandle State University was recognized because 9% of its students are black, according to the report.

Oklahoma City University ranked 25th in the western division among the best universities offering master's degrees.

Southern Nazarene University in Bethany was listed in the second tier of the best universities offering graduate degrees.

More than 3,000 colleges participated in the magazine's survey.

"Each year, the academic community hotly debates the significance of the U.S. News rankings," said Robert K. Erwin, OSU spokesman.

"Certainly, the rankings are not the only indicator of excellence, but they are one indicator and a useful tool for parents and prospective students."