NC Universities shine nationally

Published October 2, 2014

deskOpinion by The Times-News, October 1, 2014.

We spend a lot of time these days bragging about Elon University. It seems a week doesn’t go by when the campus isn’t being decorated with one award or another for everything from academic programs to how well the shrubbery is maintained.

It’s amazing.

Most recently Elon came up with outstanding numbers in the highly regarded U.S. News & World Report’s annual ratings. It scored three No. 1s for academic programs, teaching and affordability. In judging “America’s Best Colleges” Elon rose to No. 1 among 126 masters level universities in the Southern Region. And before we forget, let it also be noted that Elon was ranked first in “Strong Commitment to Undergraduate Teaching”; and first in Up-and-Comer” university — although it could be argued that Elon has moved well beyond the “up and comer” stage and moving toward “here to stay.”

But while we’re bragging about Elon let’s also turn an eye to the rest of North Carolina. We’re a state with a wealth of tremendous institutions of higher education.

Among those ranked in the top 30 national universities by U.S. News & World Report was Duke, Wake Forest and the flagship of the state system, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. UNC Wilmington joined Elon in the regional rankings as did Appalachian State.

Perhaps even more notable is that The New York Times recently named UNC-CH the third most economically diverse institution in the nation, based on accessibility to students of all means. It was one of few public universities listed in the study, which looked at nationally ranked universities with high graduation rates that make strong efforts to enroll low- and middle-income students.

Many private universities have large endowments to offer large, need-based scholarships to students who qualify to attend. In the case of UNC-Chapel Hill, the school’s “Carolina Covenant” made it a priority to help students get through four years of schooling debt-free, regardless of family income.

The commitment apparently has paid off. But as the university system budget continues to get squeezed, the prospect of an education at North Carolina’s top public universities becomes more elusive for families who cannot afford college without assistance. That does not bode well for our future.

We need to educate as many young people as possible, and we cannot afford to turn away any of our brightest young people.

Many admissions advisers will tell students and their parents not to look at the price tag but, for many families, that is what has had to happen. As prices go up, the financial aid pool is spread thin. Many families also are on the bubble — they earn too much money to qualify for most need-based aid and too little to afford the cost outright.

College ranking studies are common, and they often differ depending on what the study is measuring. But many students and parents look to the U.S. News rankings as a gauge, and North Carolina’s public — and private — universities had a good showing in categories ranging from national universities to liberal arts colleges.

It’s quite an impressive list of universities and colleges, a record that speaks well of North Carolina and one we should all look to with a sense of pride.

And we’ll also add, it’s not bragging if you can back it up.

http://www.thetimesnews.com/opinion/our-opinion/n-c-universities-shine-nationally-1.380683?page=0