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University of Maine at Fort Kent

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Enrollment & Advancement Center • University of Maine at Fort Kent • 23 University Drive, Fort Kent, ME 04743

UMFK RISES TO A TOP 10 PUBLIC COLLEGE IN THE NORTH

September 10, 2013

Note: this is an archived news release. As such, the information provided may no longer apply.

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The University of Maine at Fort Kent has achieved a significant milestone in its meteoric rise up the ladder of top public colleges with its ranking today as a Top 10 public college in the North region by U.S. News & World Report, according to the 2014 edition, released by the publisher.

The latest U.S. News & World Report rankings put UMFK among the top 10 public colleges and universities in the North region, following three consecutive years as a top-15 public institution. UMFK first achieved top-tier college status in U.S. News & World Report's 2011 rankings.

“I am excited that our campus has earned this distinctive recognition by U.S. News & World Report,” said University President, Wilson G. Hess. “Here at UMFK, our focus on access to an affordable, quality college experience is one of the great value-added opportunities in Maine higher education.

“Our small campus has excellent teaching, actively-engaged students, excels at student success, and is part of a dynamic community. It is deeply rewarding to have that affirmed by an organization as distinguished as U.S. News & World Report. UMFK is justly recognized as a top-10 small public university of regional excellence,” President Hess added.

The U.S. News & World Report ranking marks the third national accolade for UMFK in the last three weeks. Last month, UMFK was cited for the ninth-consecutive year as a Best Northeastern College by The Princeton Review; an accolade derived primarily from student input. UMFK also was selected for a third-consecutive year as a College of Distinction, one of only 200 colleges and universities, nationwide, to receive that praise.

The U.S. News ranking is based on key measures of quality that education experts have proposed as reliable indicators of academic quality. The indices include: peer assessment; graduation and retention rates; faculty resources; student selectivity; financial resources; and, alumni giving.

The U.S. News rating system rests on two pillars: the formula relies on quantitative measures that education experts have proposed as reliable indicators of academic quality, and, are based on U.S. News' researched view of what matters in education.

Three Maine public colleges – UMFK, the University of Maine at Presque Isle, and Maine Maritime Academy -- are recognized in the 2014 U.S. News & World Report top 50 North region rankings.

The North region includes the states of Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, and Maryland.

For prospective students and their families, the 2013 U.S. News rankings provide an excellent starting point to help identify colleges and universities that are right for them, because they offer the opportunity to judge the relative quality of institutions based on widely-accepted indicators of excellence.