FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                                                                    August 20, 2007

U.S. NEWS LISTS NORTHWESTERN AS TOP-RANKED OKLAHOMA
REGIONAL UNIVERSITY, NATIONAL LEADER IN LOWEST STUDENT DEBT

            Students at Northwestern Oklahoma State University walked to class for the first day of the fall semester today with a little greater sense of school pride after learning that their school was recognized nationally in the latest U.S. News and World Report college rankings.

            The magazine ranked Northwestern in the third tier of best baccalaureate colleges in the western region of the United States. Northwestern is the only Oklahoma public regional institution to achieve third tier ranking. Several other regional universities were ranked in the fourth tier of best master’s degree universities.

            The third tier ranking placed Northwestern in the top 20 to 28 of all baccalaureate colleges in the west.

            U.S. News also listed Northwestern as the top-ranked baccalaureate college in the western United States in terms of least debt load of graduating students. Only 56 percent of Northwestern students graduated with debt, averaging $11,637 per student. The low amount of student debt also placed Northwestern in the top 10 nationally in the category.

            “The rankings are reflective of our commitment to two of our cornerstone values – the commitment to quality academic programs and services, and affordability,” said Dr. Janet Cunningham, university president. “Every department on campus is looking at ways to better serve students. This news will be an incentive for us to work even harder in the future.

            “There is no question that our scholarship and financial programs are among the best anywhere,” she said. “When you combine our assistance programs with our affordability, Northwestern becomes a great college value. That is important to parents and students alike.”

            The annual rankings use data in several categories including graduation rates, retention rates, ACT/SAT scores and student/faculty ratio. The rankings also rely heavily on peer assessment, or the opinion of other schools about Northwestern.

-NW-

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