U.S. News & World Report Releases 2014 Best Colleges Rankings

TAMPA, Fla., Sept. 10, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- U.S. News & World Report has released Best Colleges 2014. This annual report provides education seekers with authoritative rankings of colleges and universities that award bachelor's, master's and doctoral degrees. Best Colleges 2014 is specifically designed to be easy to use and provide the information students need to make informed choices about their education.

The rankings are available now on USNews.com and USNewsUniversityDirectory.com. The print edition will hit newsstands on Sept. 24, 2013.

Schools are grouped into ten categories:  National universities, national liberal arts colleges, regional universities (North, South, Midwest and West), and regional colleges (North, South, Midwest and West).  Within each category, institutions are ranked according to several indicators of academic excellence, including alumni giving, assessment by administrators at peer institutions, faculty resources, financial resources, retention of students and student selectivity.

"Higher education remains an important indicator of future earnings and career stability and  we're pleased to provide this useful tool and data to help students make an informed decision," said Matt Speer, Director of Sales and Marketing for U.S. News University Connection. "U.S. News University Connection is proud to play a role in helping students choose a school and degree program that can allow them to compete in today's challenging job market."

Data provided by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) indicates that workers who hold a bachelor's degree earn significantly more than those who hold only a high school diploma, and are much less likely to experience unemployment.  In 2012, bachelor's degree holders had a median weekly income of $1,066 and an unemployment rate of 4.5%. Workers with only a high school diploma had median weekly earnings of $652 and saw 8.3% unemployment.

The benefits of a bachelor's degree go beyond increased wages and lower unemployment. College graduates typically have access to better benefits, greater career mobility, more vacation time and the sense of personal achievement that comes from challenging themselves to excel. For education seekers who want these advantages and more, the Best Colleges 2014 rankings are the go-to resource.

About U.S. News University Directory

U.S. News University Directory provides comprehensive and unbiased information on more than 1,900 academic institutions directly from U.S. News & World Report, the most trusted source for college and university rankings since 1983. Prospective students can search the nation's best colleges and the nation's best graduate schools offering associate's degrees, bachelor's degrees, master's and MBA degrees, doctoral and PhD degrees, and certificate programs.  And because U.S. News is the leading ranking resource for anyone seeking an on-campus or online degree, students who use the directory can be confident that they are getting the best education advice and information available.

Contact:
Matthew Speer, Director, Sales and Marketing
U.S. News University Connection
http://www.usnewsuniversitydirectory.com
866-442-6587

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SOURCE U.S. News University Connection