Bradley ranks 4th among Midwestern universities; considered a "best value"

Peoria, Illinois...September 13, 2002...Bradley University has been ranked 4th among Midwestern universities by U.S. News & World Report's 2003 America's Best Colleges.

Bradley moved up from a 5th place ranking last year in the annual publication which evaluates reputation, class size, the academic profile of students, and alumni giving to determine the overall ranking of schools.

"It is gratifying to see Bradley recognized nationally as a top university based on the characteristics that make our University such a great choice for students," said Dr. David Broski, president of Bradley.

Bradley also is listed 3rd among midwestern universities on the publication's list of "Great Schools at Great Prices." To determine which schools offer the best value, U.S. News uses a formula that relates a school's academic quality, as indicated by its ranking, to the net cost of attendance for a student who receives the average level of financial aid. Bradley was ranked 7th on the list last year.

The magazine also rated Bradley's engineering program 20th nationally in the Best Undergraduate Engineering Programs category. The Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering and Technology program ranked 2nd among schools offering that program.

The newsstand book, America's Best Colleges, which contains the U.S. News college rankings, is slated to go on sale Sept. 16. Most of the rankings and some of the articles from the book will be in the Sept. 23 issue of U.S.News & World Report, the weekly newsmagazine, which also goes on sale Sept. 16.