Springfield, Ohio - 114 best liberal arts colleges in the country 2002 America's Best Colleges rankings Wittenberg University has been ranked in the second tier of the just released 2002 America's Best Colleges rankings. This ranking places Wittenberg among the 114 best liberal arts colleges in the country. The magazine will publish the new rankings in the Sept. 10 edition of U.S. News & World Report.

Wittenberg University has moved from the third tier to the second tier in its category of national liberal arts institutions in the latest rankings released on the magazine's web site today.

The editors of the popular U.S. News "America's Best Colleges" magazine edition and companion newsstand book by the same name changed the category names for this year’s ranking. "Best National Liberal Arts Colleges" category was renamed to "Best Liberal Arts Colleges - Bachelor's" in this year's rankings.

"We know such rankings are consulted by many prospective students and parents, so we are pleased to be ranked among the nation's strongest liberal arts colleges," said Baird Tipson, Wittenberg president. "But they are suspect because U.S. News arrives at them by a relatively superficial analysis of the data that the magazine can most easily collect."

"For example, we'd be much happier if they surveyed our graduates to find out what they had accomplished and how well we had prepared them, rather than basing their judgment of alumni satisfaction on the percentage who give to our annual fund."

Wittenberg joins peer institutions Denison, Earlham, Ohio Wesleyan, and Wooster in the Second Tier in the 2002 rankings.