Citadel Tops in the South Again

South Carolina's public military college has again found itself ranked first among top public universities in the South.

U.S. News & World Report ranked The Citadel No. 1 among the top public universities in the South in a list released today. It's the second year the school has received the top honor.

The university also ranks No. 8 in the South for value, and its engineering program ranks 17th, up from No. 20 last year. The news was met with praise at The Citadel.

"U.S. News & World Report confirms what we have known all along — The Citadel is a preeminent institution with excellent academics and a tradition of developing principled leaders,” said Citadel President Lt. Gen. John W. Rosa.

“We are proud to be No. 1 again, and we are particularly proud of our alumni for their commitment to what we do," Gen. Rosa said.

When stacked up against both private and public schools in the South, The Citadel ranks No. 5. Rollins College in Winter Park, Fla., tops the public-private list. Elon, Stetson, Samford and The Citadel round out the Top 5. No. 6 is James Madison University.

Harvard, Princeton and Yale hold the top 3 positions in the overall national rankings. In the regional universities rankings for public and private colleges, The Citadel has the highest rate of alumni giving at 30 percent.

The 2013 Best Colleges guidebook will be on newsstands Sept. 18. Read the full rankings.