AU makes BestColleges top 10 list
Augusta University ranked number five on the BestColleges top 10 list due to its affordable tuition and return on investment among other qualities. (photo by Rakiyah Lenon)
By Rakiyah Lenon | Editor in chief
Augusta University is one of the best choices for a college education in the country, according to the most recent BestColleges top 10 list.
BestColleges looked at the cost of tuition, expected future salaries and the time it would take to pay off the cost of obtaining a degree, ranking AU to be number five in the nation.
AU Provost Neil MacKinnon said it was surprising yet validating to see the BestColleges ranking.
“We know that we’re very affordable, especially compared to a lot of private universities,” he said. “We have a lot of degrees, whether they are undergraduate or graduate, where students can make very good salaries upon graduation. We know we have a lot of students who are going to get jobs and also high-paying jobs.”
Speaking to BestColleges’ findings on the length of time it takes to pay for education, MacKinnon said, “If your education cost is low and you’re making a lot of money, then that time is going to be shorter.”
He added, “Return on investment is important whether you are a parent or a student.”
At the ninth annual faculty Fall Kick-Off on Aug. 14, there was much discussion about AU’s status, considering it has been a decade since the merger of the Health and Summerville campuses.
“Having now seen what this university has become is really, really exciting,” said AU President Brooks Keel.
New degree programs are also available this school year, including a Bachelor of Science in Neuroscience, a Bachelor of Science in Biomedical Systems Engineering and Bachelor of Arts in Sports Management.
“If you look at the three new degrees we launched this fall, all of them are demand fields,” MacKinnon said.
AU’s enrollment is also up, with a 27 percent increase in total enrollment since the year 2015. MacKinnon acknowledged that it’s AU’s priority to retain these students.
According to a press release published by the university on Aug. 15, the University System of Georgia also reported that Augusta University and AU Health has added three billion dollars and over 21,000 jobs to the state’s economy this fiscal year.
The report stated AU had the second-highest growth rate in the system, being one of eight out of 26 institutions that reported growth in Georgia.
On this topic, Keel said, “This is a pivotal time for our university, and that is shown in the continued growth of our student body, the addition of quality academic programs and the number of successful graduates those programs produce.”
Faculty speak with each other at the Fall Faculty Kickoff in the Maxwell Theatre on Aug. 14. (photo by Rakiyah Lenon)
Contact Rakiyah Lenon at rlenon@augusta.edu.
This story is published in the Wednesday, Aug. 23, 2023 print edition of The Bell Ringer on the front page.
