RADFORD – Radford University is ranked 14th among public master’s universities in the south in  U.S. News and World Report’s 2009 Guide to America’s Best Colleges. RU has been named one of the top 20 public universities in this category for five consecutive years and  has been ranked among the top 15 public institutions for the past two years. Among the 121 public and private universities  in the south, RU is at number 36, up from 38 in 2008.

“We are proud that Radford continues to rise in this prestigious ranking,” said RU President Penelope W. Kyle. “The numbers are a reflection of our successful, ongoing efforts to increase financial resources and the number of full-time faculty.”

The U.S. News and World Report category in which RU is included, master’s universities in the south, comprises institutions within a 12-state region that provide a full range of undergraduate and master’s programs, with few or no doctoral programs. This fall students are enrolling in RU’s first doctoral program, a doctor of psychology in counseling, with a focus on rural mental health.

RU has shown consistent improvement in the U.S. News and World Report rankings over several years. In 2005, Radford was ranked at number 51 among public and private schools in its category; it ranked 49th in 2006; 47th in 2007; and 38th in 2008.

“While we are proud of our improvement in the U.S. News and World Report rankings, we recognize that these numbers reflect only part of what is great about Radford University,” said Kyle. “Radford offers a number of unique and distinguished programs, some of which are models for other universities. Many of our faculty are recognized nationally as experts in their fields, serve as leaders in state and national professional organizations, edit academic journals, and produce scholarly and creative work. But above all, they give 100 percent to the overarching task of helping students find success at the highest possible levels.”