"We are very pleased to be recognized again this year as one of the
outstanding regional public universities by this widely-popular college
guide," said MSU President Wayne D. Andrews. “This year’s ranking shows
we are making steady progress toward our goal of becoming the best of
the best.”
He continued:
“Our faculty and staff are deeply committed to making Morehead State
the best public regional university in the South, all for the benefit
of our students and their families.”
The rankings place emphasis on acceptance rates, graduation rates,
admissions selectivity, and small class sizes. Morehead State is
consistently recognized for relatively small classes and a high
percentage of full-time faculty members, two important factors of
student success.
The rankings include public and private institutions which grant
bachelor's and master's degrees in 12 states of the South, including
Kentucky, West Virginia, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina,
Tennessee, Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, Georgia, Arkansas and
Louisiana.
“This measure of excellence is reflected in our steady increase in
the academic ability level of incoming students,” said Jeffrey Liles,
MSU’s assistant vice president for enrollment services. “This year’s
freshman class has the highest average composite ACT score in our
history at 21.3.”
MSU first moved into the magazine’s top tier of ranked institutions
in the 2005 edition of “America’s Best Colleges.” The rankings are
based on research on more than 1,400 institutions nationally.
“Our students are accepted into professional schools, including
medical, dental and pharmacy programs, at rates well above state and
national averages, so we know they receive a first class education,”
Dr. Andrews stated. “We are elated that others recognize Morehead
State’s academic quality."
MSU was founded in 1887 as a private college, became a public institution in 1922, and gained university status in 1966.