For the 10th straight year, Pacific Union College continues to rank in the top tier in U.S. News and World Report’s annual edition of “America’s Best Colleges.” The national magazine’s 2004 rankings place PUC as the number two comprehensive college offering bachelor’s degrees in California. It also places PUC in the top 10 among comprehensive colleges in the 14 Western states.

Along with these overall standings, PUC ranks in the top tier for: ethnic diversity, best value, student/faculty ratio, low debt ratio and full-time faculty.

“The indicators include input measures that reflect a school’s student body, its faculty, and its financial resources and outcome measures that signal how well the institution does its job of educating students,” said Robert Morse, U.S. News editor.

The criteria used to measure academic quality include: acceptance rate, alumni giving, faculty with doctorate degrees, retention and graduation rate, SAT/ACT scores, and student/faculty ratio.

“We are pleased that the excellence of education offered by Pacific Union College has been honored by the most recognized ranking agency,” said Richard Osborn, PUC president. “It is our desire to maintain a strong academic program that our students and community can be proud of.”