For the sixth consecutive year, the College of Saint Elizabeth is ranked in the top tier of Best Comprehensive Colleges – Bachelor’s Level in the Northern region by U.S. News and World Report, and is being hailed by this report as a great school at an affordable price. The magazine’s 2007 evaluation of “America’s Best Colleges” is being released today. CSE is ranked 13th among the 34 colleges in that region – and is the top-ranked Catholic private college in the state of New Jersey in this category for the fourth consecutive year.

CSE President Sister Francis Raftery shared the report with the campus community calling it “a sign of positive recognition by our colleagues in higher education.” She emphasized, however, that the real challenge is to always remain faithful to the College’s mission to provide quality teaching to all CSE students in its Women’s College and School of Graduate and Continuing Studies while developing leaders committed to a spirit of service and social responsibility for others.

The U.S. News and World Report 2007 rankings are based on 2005/2006 data and, in some cases, multi-year averages. The publication ranks a total of 320 comprehensive colleges on statistical measures such as student SAT scores, graduation rates, alumni giving and institutional resources, as well as a subjective measure of academic reputation.

The College of Saint Elizabeth has remained strong within the following categories:

• Student-Faculty Ratio: Only two other colleges, Simon’s Rock College of Bard in Massachusetts and Champlain College in Vermont, have a lower student-faculty ratio than the 11-to-1 ratio at CSE.
• Percentage of Classes Under 20: With 83 percent of its class having less than 20 students, CSE places fourth.
• Average Freshman Retention Rate: CSE places fifth with Mercyhurst College in Pennsylvania and Saint Joseph College New York in Brooklyn with a retention rate of 83 percent.
• Average Alumni Giving Rate: With 26 percent of its alums financially supporting its alma mater, CSE stands in ninth.

Donna Tatarka, dean of Admission for the CSE Women’s College, said the report is a testament to student and faculty dedication to achievement. “We are proud, not only to be recognized by U.S. News as a top tier college among our peers, but also because we are committed to maintaining our tradition of academic excellence as a mission-centered institution. This recognition affirms that great things are happening here at CSE.”

Prospective students who would like more information on the College of Saint Elizabeth, may visit us on the Web at www.cse.edu or call (800) 210-7900 for the Women’s College, (973) 290-4300/4364 for the Center for Theological and Spiritual Development, or (973) 290-4600 for the School of Graduate and Continuing Studies’ day, evening, weekend and Saturday Fast Track® programs.