Gonzaga University

Gonzaga University is a private institution that was founded in 1887. It has a total undergraduate enrollment of 4,837, its setting is urban, and the campus size is 131 acres. It utilizes a semester-based academic calendar. Gonzaga University's ranking in the 2016 edition of Best Colleges is Regional Universities (West), 4. Its tuition and fees are $37,990 (2015-16).

Gonzaga University is a private, Roman Catholic institution that is open to students of all faiths. Residing along the Spokane River, it is less than half a mile to downtown Spokane, Wash. On campus, there are more than 95 active clubs for students to choose from. Intramural sports are very popular at Gonzaga, with more than 60 percent of the student body participating. The Bulldogs of Gonzaga are part of the NCAA Division I West Coast Conference. The men’s basketball team is the pride and joy of the university, and the team has returned the love by winning more than 90 percent of its games at the school’s McCarthey Athletic Center. At Gonzaga, students are required to live on campus during their first two years, but the university has stated that on-campus housing is not guaranteed for an entire college career. Students interested in outdoor pursuits can journey to the 100-acre Riverfront Park and go ice skating in the winter or check out the sky ride over the falls. They can also explore the Spokane River Centennial Trail, a 37-mile paved trail perfect for walking, running, skating, or biking.

As a Roman Catholic institution, Gonzaga collaborates with Bishop White Seminary by offering theology courses to students preparing for priesthood. The Gonzaga University School of Law is one of only three law schools in the state of Washington, and it has produced multiple state Supreme Court justices. With a large international presence on campus, the university has increased its offerings to international students with the creation of the Center for Global Engagement. Mock trial is a very popular, highly competitive political law club at the school. Students that would like entry into the club must go through a series of rigorous tryouts before joining the team. Notable alumni of the university include singer Bing Crosby, former Speaker of the House Tom Foley, and Hall of Fame basketball player John Stockton.
 

School mission and unique qualities (as provided by the school):

Gonzaga University is a private Catholic, Jesuit, humanistic university situated on the banks of the Spokane River near downtown Spokane, Washington. Routinely recognized among the West's top regional universities, Gonzaga offers 75 fields of study, 25 master's degrees, doctoral degrees in Nursing and Leadership Studies, and a Juris Doctorate through its School of Law. Founded in 1887, by Father Joseph Cataldo, S.J, the University was named for the Jesuit Saint Aloysius Gonzaga, the patron Saint of youth. Its educational philosophy is based on the centuries-old Ignatian model that seeks to prepare faith-filled, ethical leaders whose actions reflect a commitment to service, justice and promotion of the common good. At Gonzaga, students discover how to integrate science and art, faith and reason, action and contemplation. Cura personalis, or care for the individual, is our guiding theme. An education at Gonzaga is fueled by academic rigor, a high quality of student life, competitive athletics, service for others, and a strong sense of community. Students welcome the disciplined approach to scholarship and focus on developing critical thinking skills. Applied learning through internships and undergraduate research are prized avenues to prepare students for career work. Academic Life The student-faculty ratio at Gonzaga University is 11:1, and the school has 48.1 percent of its classes with fewer than 20 students. The most popular majors at Gonzaga University include: Business, Management, Marketing, and Related Support Services; Social Sciences; Engineering; and Biological and Biomedical Sciences. The average freshman retention rate, an indicator of student satisfaction, is 92.8 percent. Student Life Gonzaga University has a total undergraduate enrollment of 4,837, with a gender distribution of 46.3 percent male students and 53.7 percent female students. At this school, 58 percent of the students live in college-owned, -operated, or -affiliated housing and 42 percent of students live off campus. Gonzaga University is part of the NCAA I athletic conference. Campus Services Gonzaga University offers a number of student services including health service and health insurance. Gonzaga University also offers campus safety and security services like 24-hour foot and vehicle patrols, late night transport/escort service, 24-hour emergency telephones, lighted pathways/sidewalks, student patrols, and controlled dormitory access (key, security card, etc). Of the students at Gonzaga University, 24 percent have cars on campus. Alcohol is not permitted for students of legal age at Gonzaga University. Cost and Financial Aid At Gonzaga University, 55.7 percent of full-time undergraduates receive some kind of need-based financial aid and the average need-based scholarship or grant award is $20,463. Paying for college doesn't have to be difficult or devastating. Go to the Paying for College knowledge center to get advice on raising cash and reducing costs, or use the U.S. News 529 Finder to choose the best tax-advantaged college investment account for you.

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Loyola Marymount University

Loyola Marymount University is a private institution that was founded in 1911. It has a total undergraduate enrollment of 6,184, its setting is suburban, and the campus size is 142 acres. It utilizes a semester-based academic calendar. Loyola Marymount University's ranking in the 2016 edition of Best Colleges is Regional Universities (West), 3. Its tuition and fees are $42,569 (2015-16).

Loyola Marymount University—the largest Catholic university on the West Coast—is located in Los Angeles. LMU provides housing to more than 3,000 students in its residence halls, apartments, and houses. There are about 150 student clubs and organizations on campus, including nearly 15 Greek chapters. Students interested in media can join the radio station; The Los Angeles Loyolan, a student newspaper; The Tower, a university yearbook; or ROAR Network, a television channel. The Loyola Marymount Lions field a number of Division I athletic teams and compete in the West Coast Conference. Club sports like the surfing, rugby, and ski and snowboard are also popular among students.

LMU is comprised of seven schools and colleges. Graduate programs include the College of Business Administration, Loyola Law School, and School of Education. All undergraduates—whether members of Bellarmine College of Liberal Arts, Frank R. Seaver College of Science and Engineering, College of Business Administration, College of Communication and Fine Arts, or School of Film and Television—must complete the core curriculum. More than 500 students study abroad each year through LMU programs in Melbourne, Australia; Bonn, Germany; and Seoul, South Korea, among other locations. Notable alumni include Brian Helgeland, who wrote the screenplays for films Mystic River and L.A. Confidential, and famous lawyer Johnnie Cochran, who defended O.J. Simpson.

School mission and unique qualities (as provided by the school):

Loyola Marymount University is one of the largest Catholic universities in the West and one of 28 Jesuit universities in the United States. LMU's 142-acre campus, designated as one of the country's most beautiful, is situated on a bluff overlooking Los Angeles and the Pacific Ocean. At LMU the city becomes an extension of the classroom, offering a rich diversity of culture, interests, access and opportunities. LMU, founded in 1911, is a comprehensive university offering more than 60 major programs and 56 minor programs for undergraduates; 41 master's degrees; one doctoral degree; and 12 credential programs. Colleges and schools include Bellarmine College of Liberal Arts; College of Business Administration; College of Communication and Fine Arts; Frank R. Seaver College of Science and Engineering; Loyola Law School; School of Education; and School of Film and Television. A new state-of-the-art library opened in 2009. LMU educates over 6,000 undergraduate students and more than 3,000 graduate and law students, who benefit from small class sizes, study abroad programs and one of Southern California's most diverse student populations. The 2014 undergraduate class includes students from almost every state in the country and international students from the United Kingdom, China, Uruguay, Indonesia, Spain and many others. The diversity of cultures is a distinctive embodiment of LMU's commitment to human dignity, individual respect and social justice that creates an essential environment for academic excellence and community for the 21st century. In 2015, 21.8 percent of LMU's undergraduate students were Hispanic/Latino, 10.7 percent were Asian, 7.6 percent were Multirace, 5.7 percent were African-American, 7.1 percent were International, 0.2 percent American Indian/Alaska Native, 0.1 percent Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander and 46.4 percent were White, Non-Hispanic. Community-based learning has been integrated into many courses, giving students experience in being of service as they work on their academic goals. This commitment to service also is expressed by the 175,000 hours students volunteer every year through 350 community organizations. LMU's academic rigor and demand for excellence places it among the 25 cutting-edge schools with an eye toward the future and a top producer of Fulbright awardees. Academic Life The student-faculty ratio at Loyola Marymount University is 11:1, and the school has 51 percent of its classes with fewer than 20 students. The most popular majors at Loyola Marymount University include: Business/Commerce, General; Visual and Performing Arts, General; Social Sciences, General; and Biology/Biological Sciences, General. The average freshman retention rate, an indicator of student satisfaction, is 90.5 percent. Student Life Loyola Marymount University has a total undergraduate enrollment of 6,184, with a gender distribution of 42.9 percent male students and 57.1 percent female students. At this school, 53 percent of the students live in college-owned, -operated, or -affiliated housing and 47 percent of students live off campus. Loyola Marymount University is part of the NCAA I athletic conference. Campus Services Loyola Marymount University offers a number of student services including nonremedial tutoring, placement service, day care, health service, and health insurance. Loyola Marymount University also offers campus safety and security services like 24-hour foot and vehicle patrols, late night transport/escort service, 24-hour emergency telephones, lighted pathways/sidewalks, and controlled dormitory access (key, security card, etc). Of the students at Loyola Marymount University, 58 percent have cars on campus. Alcohol is permitted for students of legal age at Loyola Marymount University.

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UNIVERSITY OF ALABAMA

University of Alabama--Birmingham is a public institution that was founded in 1969. It has a total undergraduate enrollment of 11,679, its setting is urban, and the campus size is 275 acres. It utilizes a semester-based academic calendar. University of Alabama--Birmingham's ranking in the 2016 edition of Best Colleges is National Universities, 149. Its in-state tuition and fees are $9,280 (2014-15); out-of-state tuition and fees are $21,220 (2014-15).

School mission and unique qualities (as provided by the school):

The University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) covers 88 blocks in the heart of Alabama's largest city, allowing its diverse student body to enjoy a rich campus life while taking advantage of enormous opportunities for research, internships and resume-building work experience. UAB's campus includes 10 schools, a large graduate school and a renowned medical center. As early as their freshman year, undergraduates can get hands-on experience in UAB's nationally ranked and highly interdisciplinary research programs. Their professors are the inventors, artists and scientists breaking new ground in their chosen fields. Recent student success stories include Rhodes, Fulbright, Truman and Marshall scholars. UAB - knowledge that will change your world. Academic Life The student-faculty ratio at University of Alabama--Birmingham is 18:1, and the school has 39.8 percent of its classes with fewer than 20 students. The most popular majors at University of Alabama--Birmingham include: Health Professions and Related Programs; Business, Management, Marketing, and Related Support Services; Education; Biological and Biomedical Sciences; and Psychology. The average freshman retention rate, an indicator of student satisfaction, is 80.5 percent. Student Life University of Alabama--Birmingham has a total undergraduate enrollment of 11,679, with a gender distribution of 41.8 percent male students and 58.2 percent female students. At this school, 21 percent of the students live in college-owned, -operated, or -affiliated housing and 80 percent of students live off campus. University of Alabama--Birmingham is part of the NCAA I athletic conference. Campus Services University of Alabama--Birmingham offers a number of student services including nonremedial tutoring, women's center, placement service, health service, and health insurance. University of Alabama--Birmingham also offers campus safety and security services like 24-hour foot and vehicle patrols, late night transport/escort service, 24-hour emergency telephones, lighted pathways/sidewalks, and controlled dormitory access (key, security card, etc). Alcohol is not permitted for students of legal age at University of Alabama--Birmingham Cost and Financial Aid At University of Alabama--Birmingham, 60.3 percent of full-time undergraduates receive some kind of need-based financial aid and the average need-based scholarship or grant award is $4,658. Paying for college doesn't have to be difficult or devastating. Go to the Paying for College knowledge center to get advice on raising cash and reducing costs, or use the U.S. News 529 Finder to choose the best tax-advantaged college investment account for you.

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Samford University

Samford University is a private institution that was founded in 1841. It has a total undergraduate enrollment of 3,051, its setting is suburban, and the campus size is 318 acres. It utilizes a 4-1-4-based academic calendar. Samford University's ranking in the 2016 edition of Best Colleges is Regional Universities (South), 4. Its tuition and fees are $28,370 (2015-16).

Samford University is a Christian institution located in Birmingham, Alabama, in the central region of the state. Students at Samford can choose from more than 150 majors, minors and concentrations. Graduate degree programs are offered in the Brock School of Business, the Cumberland School of Law and the Orlean Bullard Beeson School of Education, among others. Class sizes at the private university are small. Students complete a core curriculum that includes courses in communication arts, cultural perspectives and biblical perspectives.

Many students at Samford University participate in school traditions, such as the Spring Fling celebration with games and music on the quad, and Step Sing, a popular musical event produced and performed by students. Students can also get involved by exploring dozens of student organizations and by playing or cheering for the Samford University Bulldogs varsity sports teams, which compete in the NCAA Division I Southern Conference. Notable Samford University alumni include actor Tony Hale, who has starred in the television shows "Arrested Development" and "Veep."

School mission and unique qualities (as provided by the school):

Samford University is the top-ranked private university in Alabama and provides nationally recognized academic programs rooted in its historic Christian mission. Founded in 1841 and located in suburban Birmingham, Samford is the 87th oldest institution of higher learning in the United States. It enrolls 4,933 students from 44 states, the District of Columbia and 25 countries in 10 academic units: arts, arts and sciences, business, divinity, education, health professions, law, nursing, pharmacy and public health. Samford offers 32 undergraduate and graduate/professional degrees. There are 155 undergraduate majors, minors and concentrations. Graduate/professional degrees are offered in business, divinity, education, environmental management, law, music, nursing and pharmacy. A new College of Health Sciences will bring many new undergraduate and graduate/professional programs online in the near future. The faculty-to-student ratio is 1:13, and no classes are taught by teaching assistants. Included in the 47,000-plus Samford alumni there are more than 60 U.S. congressmen, seven state governors, two U.S. Supreme Court justices, four Rhodes Scholars, multiple Emmy and Grammy award-winning artists, two national championship football coaches, and recipients of the Pulitzer and Nobel Peace prizes. The university fields 17 varsity sports -eight for men and nine for women - that participate at the NCAA Division I level in the Southern Conference.Samford has an annual economic impact of $335.1 million on the state of Alabama. Academic Life The student-faculty ratio at Samford University is 13:1, and the school has 62.9 percent of its classes with fewer than 20 students. The most popular majors at Samford University include: Business, Management, Marketing, and Related Support Services; Health Professions and Related Programs; Visual and Performing Arts; and Parks, Recreation, Leisure, and Fitness Studies. The average freshman retention rate, an indicator of student satisfaction, is 86.5 percent. Student Life Samford University has a total undergraduate enrollment of 3,051, with a gender distribution of 35.1 percent male students and 64.9 percent female students. At this school, 72 percent of the students live in college-owned, -operated, or -affiliated housing and 28 percent of students live off campus. Samford University is part of the NCAA I athletic conference. Campus Services Samford University offers a number of student services including nonremedial tutoring, health service, and health insurance. Samford University also offers campus safety and security services like 24-hour foot and vehicle patrols, late night transport/escort service, 24-hour emergency telephones, lighted pathways/sidewalks, and controlled dormitory access (key, security card, etc). Of the students at Samford University, 66 percent have cars on campus. Alcohol is not permitted for students of legal age at Samford University. Students who have cars on campus Cost and Financial Aid At Samford University, 41.3 percent of full-time undergraduates receive some kind of need-based financial aid and the average need-based scholarship or grant award is $14,036. Paying for college doesn't have to be difficult or devastating. Go to the Paying for College knowledge center to get advice on raising cash and reducing costs, or use the U.S. News 529 Finder to choose the best tax-advantaged college investment account for you.

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The California Institute of Technology

The California Institute of Technology, a private school with just 2,200 students in Pasadena, CA, takes the number one slot again this year in the 12^th annual World University Rankings, put out by Times Higher Education(THE), a London magazine that tracks the higher ed market. Four years ago Caltech bumped Harvard out of first place. This year Harvard has slipped to 6^th place, down from 2^nd in 2014. Second place this year goes to the oldest university in the English-speaking world, University of Oxford in the U.K., which dates its origins to 1069. Stanford, America’s great incubator of tech talent (Google founders Sergey Brin and Larry Page are alumni), has moved up to third from fourth place, followed by another British institution, University of Cambridge, and STEM-focused Massachusetts Institute of Technology. See our slideshow above for the top 10 schools and click here forTHE’s ranking of 800 universities.

Unlike Forbes’ own ranking, which only measures U.S. schools, THE casts its net around the world. The list emphasizes global scholarship and reputation and does not consider things like entry requirements, graduation rates, professor ratings by students or alumni salaries. “We put the heaviest weight on research and innovation, research productivity and research excellence,” says THE rankings editor Phil Baty. “Our list is really about producing new ideas, about innovating, about attracting skills and talented people into a country,” he adds. “It’s also about bringing business money into the higher education center.” THE gives a lot of weight to universities’ efficacy as graduate institutions, weighing things like the number of doctorates an institution awards and the extent to which top scholars teach and mentor undergraduates. THEconsiders only universities, not colleges.

We think THE’s rankings are worth a story in part because both universities and governments around the world are taking them seriously. Baty says Japan, with only two schools in the top 200 this year, down from five last year, is planning an educational growth strategy to boost its stature. (University of Tokyo and Kyoto University made the cut this year.) Government funding of universities has foundered as the economy has struggled, says Baty. Indian president Pranab Mukherjee has invited Baty on a visit to discuss the rankings. Baty says that Russian officials have met with him, in hopes of increasing their schools’ presence in the top 200 and THE held a conference in Moscow in December 2014. Still, only one Russian school is in the top 200, Lomonosov Moscow State University, in 161^st place, though it’s climbed from last year’s ranking of 196. “These countries want to know how they compare to the world’s best universities, says Baty.

To compile its ranking, THE looked at 13 different metrics to evaluate whether schools are achieving what it deems their core mission: teaching, research, knowledge transfer and what it calls “international outlook.”

Thirty percent of the ranking score comes from citations of a university’s scholarship. Thomson Reuters, which does the data crunching for THE, combed through more than 50 million journal articles in 11 million research papers published over a five-year period through 2014, and then calculated how many times those articles were cited by other scholars. Another 30% of the score comes from the volume of institutions’ research, and the reputation and income it generates. While THE also looks at teaching to derive 30% of a school’s score, it does not query students. Instead it examines four things: 1) staff-to-student ratios, 2) the percent of the faculty who have PhDs, 3) survey results from 10,500 academics around the world who answered questions about the best departments in their disciplines, specialists in their field, and where they would recommend their graduates go for further study, 4) total income of the university per faculty member. To measure international outlook, which counts for 7.5% of the score,THE looks at diversity on campus and to what degree academics collaborate with international colleague on research.

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Bournemouth University

Bournemouth University (BU) is located in the seaside town of Bournemouth, in Dorset, on England south coast.

Its roots can be traced back to the early 20th century, with the establishment of the Bournemouth Municipal College, which became Bournemouth University in 1992.

Today, the institution offers more than 150 undergraduate degrees and over 100 master’s and doctoral degrees.

It is home to two campuses: the Talbot Campus, which is where students can find the majority of the university’s faculties and facilities, and the Lansdowne Campus, which accommodates the Faculty of Health and Social Sciences

As well as being just a short walk from Bournemouth’s bustling town centre, BU is within easy access to some of Britain’s best beaches, the New Forest National Park and the largest natural harbor in Europe, Poole Harbour, which formed from a drowned valley at the end of the last Ice Age.

The university lays claims to a strong professional orientation with a focus on academic excellence and graduate employability.

It is particularly renowned for its media courses and BU is recognised as the only Centre for Excellence in Media Practice in the UK. Its former students have gone on to work on numerous award-winning productions in Hollywood, on films such as Gravity, Star Wars, Gladiator and Lord of the Rings.

Other areas of expertise include forensic archaeology and crime scene science, with some of BU’s faculty currently engaged in research into genocide in Iraq, Bosnia and Rwanda.

The university’s motto, Discere Mutari Est, can be found on its coat of arms and translates into English as: ‘To learn is to be changed’.

Forty per cent of the university’s 17,000 students hail from less than 40 miles away. International students number around 1,500 in total and come from 130 countries.

With more than 100 academic partners in the UK and around the world, students are encouraged to study or volunteer overseas to experience different cultures and gain life skills.

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University of Edinburgh

Founded in 1583, the University of Edinburgh (UoE) is the sixth oldest university in the English-speaking world and one of Britain and Ireland’s seven ancient universities.

It is made up of three colleges: Humanities and Social Science, Science and Engineering, and Medicine and Veterinary Medicine. Within these three colleges, there are 20 academic schools.

In total, the university attracts around 35,000 students, the majority of which study within the College of Humanities and Social Science, the largest of its colleges.

Its College of Medicine and Veterinary Medicine is reputed to be a world-leader in its field.

UoE is an internationally-focussed university and welcomes students from all corners of the globe, with the majority coming from China and the United States.

Its students can also take advance of the Go Abroad Fund, which provides grants for 250 or students to have a short-term international experience each year. Additionally, students are also encouraged to either study or work abroad as part of their course.

The university receives over £200 million in research income. It spends over £26 million on prizes, scholarships, studentships and bursaries. At around £317 million, it has the third largest endowment of any UK university after Oxford and Cambridge.

A total of 20 Nobel laureates are affiliated with the University of Edinburgh. These include winners of Prizes in Physics, Chemistry, Physiology or Medicine, Peace, Literature and the Memorial Prize in Economic Science.

Alumni include Charles Darwin, David Hume, Alexander Graham Bell and Sir Author Conan Doyle, among many others.

Situated in the heart of the historic capital of Scotland, the city of Edinburgh is home to the Scottish Parliament, an ancient volcanic rock and an iconic castle.

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