Claflin University Earns Third Place in U.S. News and World Report Ranking of HBCUs With Highest Four-Year Graduation Rates

Courtesy of Claflin University

Most colleges and University administrators covet high graduation rates and view them as indicators that help determine the value and worth of their academic programs. Graduation rates may also influence the decisions prospective students make about what colleges or universities are the best investments of their time and resources.

Claflin University’s commitment to academic excellence and lowering student debt was reaffirmed by a U.S. News and World Report Short List ranking that listed Claflin third among 10 HBCUs with the highest four-year graduation rates among first-time, full-time students who started in fall 2014.

“This is by far the most powerful and impactful of our impressive rankings,” Claflin President Dr. Dwaun J. Warmack said. “This ranking is consistent with our Value Proposition that includes providing affordable and exceptional educational experiences while maintaining higher student retention rates and shorter time for degree completion than the national average. This is what matters most to our students, parents, and stakeholders.”

According to U.S. News, The Short List is separate from the publication’s overall rankings. It is a regular series that magnifies individual data points in hopes of providing students and parents a way to find which undergraduate or graduate programs excel or have room to grow in specific areas.

U.S. News surveyed more than 1,850 colleges and universities for its 2021 survey of undergraduate programs. These schools self-reported myriad data regarding their academic programs and the makeup of their student body, among other areas. U.S. News also stated that this data is the most accurate and detailed collection of college facts and figures of its kind.

U.S. News and World Report previously ranked Claflin in the “Top 10” on its list of the Best Historically Black Colleges/Universities (HBCUs) for the 11th consecutive year.

Claflin is the only HBCU in South Carolina ranked in the “Top 10” of both categories.

The prestigious publication also ranked Claflin seventh in the Best Regional Colleges in the South category and third among the Top Performers on Social Mobility for Regional Colleges in the South.