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Howard U. Moves Up in U.S. News Rankings

By Christina M. Wright
Black College Wire

Photo credit: Howard University The Louis Stokes Health Sciences Library is one of the "investments" that Howard University has made in its campus, its vice provost says.

Improvements at Howard University were key to the school moving up five positions in U.S. News & World Report's annual ranking of "America's Best Colleges" -- securing the 88th spot in the 2007 guidebook, according to Howard officials.

"It's a result of previous investments," said Alvin Thornton, vice provost. "Rankings don't come from what you did last year."

Among other historically black colleges and universities, Dillard University in New Orleans tied for 17th among "Comprehensive Colleges-Bachelor's (South)," Johnson C. Smith University in North Carolina tied for 30th, Winston-Salem State University in North Carolina and Stillman College in Alabama tied for 35th; Elizabeth City State University in North Carolina was 41st; Miles College in Alabama tied for 44th and Oakwood College in Alabama tied for 44th. Dillard, hit by Hurricane Katrina, was 14th in the category last year.

In recent years, Howard has built the Louis Stokes Health Sciences Library and the School of Law Library on its District of Columbia campuses. The university has also awarded more scholarships. Thornton said he would like to see the school continue to improve its facilities and programs.

"You have to invest," he said. "The university will have to do more investments so that our rankings keep going up."

Carole Thomas, a senior biology major, said she has seen changes that probably led to the higher ranking.

"Although students complain, the university really has tried to keep tuition down," she said. "It is nowhere near what some people are paying. And, even still, they keep stuff in working order."

Thornton said the university should not become too content with any progress.

"We have to be careful that we don't take it for granted," he said. "Especially as the young people lose a sense of where they come from and the old people like me don't pass it on to them."

U.S. News compares more than 1,400 colleges and universities. It splits those into categories, then weighs the performances of those in each category. Howard falls under "National Universities," with 247 other institutions that range from private to public and undergraduate to doctoral.

Thornton called those in "National Universities" an elite group. Howard is "competing in tall grass with people who have a lot of money and pay high tuitions," he said..

"It's a psychological thing that a HBCU meet the needs of the black community," he continued, speaking of historically black colleges and universities.

U.S. News also ranked Howard in the "Great Schools, Great Prices" category, which compares a university's U.S. News ranking with its need-based financial aid. Howard ranked 22nd this year, an increase from 24th.

Thornton said the ranking shows other universities what can be done to allow students access to higher education.

"This is where the national purpose comes in," he added. "How can we replicate this so that people can access higher education."

Thornton said that although Howard has raised tuition, students are still not paying the prices charged by some other schools. The emphasis should be on providing quality higher education for a reasonable price, he said.

"You could raise the tuition to $25,000; you would be able to build all kinds of buildings and pay professors more," he said. "But you would be denying access for some students."

Christina M. Wright, a student at Howard University, writes for the Hilltop.

Posted Sept. 5, 2006