Two national ranking publications, The Princeton Review and U.S. News & World Report, have rated St. Ambrose University among the top universities in the region.
This is the seventh year in a row St. Ambrose has been selected by the Princeton Review as one of the best universities in the Midwest. In addition, St. Ambrose has maintained an average placement in the top 40 among peer institutions as determined by the U.S. News & World Report.
The Princeton Review, which uses student opinion data to determine their rankings. selected the university as one of 153 institutions of higher education it recommends for its "Best in the Midwest" designation.
Colleges named "regional bests" represent only about 25 percent of the nation's four-year colleges. Student opinion data, which led to the "best" designation, referenced small class sizes and accessible professors. "One of Ambrose's best features is the caring faculty and staff," said one student. An elementary education major reported that "coming to Ambrose was one of the best choices I have ever made."
U.S. News & World Report ranked St. Ambrose University 40th?and in the top tier?among "Best Regional Universities - Midwest." The region includes 12 states.
Among university strengths related to high rankings are nationally accredited academic programs in Nursing, Occupational Therapy and Physical Therapy. St. Ambrose offers one of only 41 post-doctoral orthopedic PT clinical residencies nationwide, the only master's level occupational therapy program in the state of Iowa, and a growing Master of Speech-Language Pathology degree program. A new $11.5 million health sciences education center offers students state-of-the-art classrooms and laboratories.
"The growth in number of students seeking degrees in health sciences reflects both a response to community need for highly qualified health care professionals, and the strength of our programs," says John Cooper, vice president for enrollment management at St. Ambrose. "Our fall enrollment report is also showing the results of managed growth, while focusing on building strong neighborhood relations and providing appropriate facilities to meet the needs of current students."
A total of 2,752 undergraduate students are enrolled this fall, along with 815 graduate students. This fall, the most popular undergraduate degree programs include Business and Accounting, Education, Nursing, Psychology and Exercise Science. The most popular graduate programs include the MBA, Master of Organizational Leadership, Master of Social Work, Master of Occupational Therapy, Master of Speech-Language Pathology and Doctor of Physical Therapy. A new Mechanical Engineering degree program has been added this fall, the only one of its kind offered in the Quad Cities.
Founded in 1882, St. Ambrose is a coeducational, Roman Catholic liberal arts university with more than 3,600 students. It maintains an 11-to-1 student-faculty ratio while offering more than 75 areas of study, as well as master's and doctoral programs.
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