ECSU ranked second: Top Public Baccalaureate Colleges in the South
Kesha Williams
August 27, 2009

Elizabeth City State University rose in two of the 2009 rankings published by U.S. News and World Report magazine's "America's Best Colleges." This year, ECSU is ranked second among Top Public Baccalaureate Colleges in the South and 11th among the nation's Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs).

To identify the Top Public Baccalaureate Colleges the publication looks at institutions that focus primarily on undergraduate education but grant fewer than 50 percent of their degrees in liberal arts disciplines. At these schools, at least 10 percent of the undergraduate degrees awarded are bachelor's degrees. The 319 baccalaureate colleges are divided into four categories: North, South, Midwest and West. The indicators of success include seven broad categories: peer assessment; graduation and retention rate; faculty resources (for example, class size); student selectivity (for example, average admission test scores of incoming students); financial resources; alumni giving.

ECSU Chancellor Willie J. Gilchrist said the ranking is the kind of news that contributes to enrollment growth. He applauds the N.C. General Assembly and UNC President Erskine Bowles for making public education affordable and assessable. He credits faculty and staff with improving the university's academic programs and assisting with the graduation and retention rates.

"We've maintained dedicated faculty at the university and recruited additional faculty who will continue this tradition of quality, public education at Elizabeth City State University," Gilchrist said. "As a result, our students have qualified for some extraordinary internships, research projects and positions in the performing arts."

The Chancellor is encouraged by an increase in alumni donations. Gilchrist said ECSU alumni play an important role in the university's fundraising efforts. He is confident that new rankings by America's Best Colleges will motivate recent graduates to establish a pattern of giving that their predecessors set long ago.

"Our alumni have been supportive, and they're excited about their alma mater," Gilchrist said. "During the next year, we will implement additional strategies to involve more of our young alumni. Their contributions will play a significant role in the university's future developments."

The university's rank, 11th among HBCUs, is another indicator, Gilchrist said, of how well the university fares among peers. Last year, ECSU was ranked third among Top Public Baccalaureate Colleges in the South and 12th among HBCUs, a slot they shared with Winston-Salem State University. This year marks the third year the publication has compared and ranked HBCUs with each other and identified those offering "the best undergraduate education" at an HBCU. The publication conducted a peer survey among HBCUs and asked the president, provost and the admissions director/dean to rate the academic quality of all other HBCUs they were familiar with. They also gathered statistical data from each college for up to 15 indicators of academic excellence. The Department of Education determines which of the universities are categorized as HBCUs. There were 80 HBCUs eligible to be ranked in this year's report.

"The rankings support what alumni have said for years--Elizabeth City State University is a very special place to earn your degree. We continue to be a small university that celebrates its rich heritage as well as the growing diversity of our student body."