The Tigers make their debut on the U.S. News and World Report College List
COLUMBIA, SC., September 24, 2021, Benedict College has been gaining national academic recognition since it increased its admission standards and lowered its tuition four years ago. Prior to 2018, the South Carolina HBCU was an open-enrollment college with tuition slightly higher than many of its peer institutions and not listed on U.S. News and World Report college rankings.
For the first time in the 150-year history of Benedict College it is listed #44 in the Top Performers on Social Mobility, #53 among the top half of ranked Historically Black Colleges and Universities, and #71 in the 2022 edition of Best Colleges in Regional Colleges South.
“Four years ago, we engaged the campus in creating a five-year Strategic Plan to increase academic standards for student admissions, focus on technology innovation, and to formulate a competitive, yet affordable tuition,” said Dr. Roslyn Clark Artis, President and CEO of Benedict College. “I’m pleased to say the academic profile of our freshman classes have improved, thanks to the tireless efforts of our enrollment management team, who are committed to recruiting the BEST to Benedict College.”
In 2018, Benedict launched a new Summer Bridge Program to offer students extra academic support to become successful members of the Freshman Class. The program is still going strong, and this year, 49 students completed the rigorous program and have joined the Class of 2025 with six credit hours towards graduation.
“Through our Career Placement Initiative Program, we partnered with industry leaders to align our academic programs with expectations of business industries across the world which has resulted in improved internships and job placements,” noted Dr. Artis. “Our introduction to the U.S. News and World Report is just part of our plan that continues to open doors for our students.”
The Career Pathways Initiative (CPI) at Benedict College was launched to prepare students for a global workforce. The innovative program provides each student with a customized career readiness plan designed to enhance their leadership and career mapping skills. The program effectively aligns guided pathways with an institutional wide approach from their freshman to senior year.
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About Benedict College
Founded in 1870 by a woman, Bathsheba A. Benedict, Benedict College is a private co-educational liberal arts institution, offering 26 competitive baccalaureate degree programs. The Midlands HBCU welcomes students from all 46 counties in South Carolina, 30 states across America, and 26 countries around the world.
Benedict offers several high-demand fields of study in STEM, Cyber Security, Mass Communication, Sport Management, Business Administration, Engineering, Computer Science, Biology, and Education. The College also has a diverse faculty and importantly, 80 percent of courses are taught by full-time faculty.
There are over 18,000 proud Benedict Tigers throughout the nation. Benedict College has been a community leader for over 150-years and is a significant contributor to South Carolina and the region. Contributing $130 million and 1,218 jobs in total local and annual economic impact, a Benedict graduate working full-time throughout his or her working life can expect to earn $1.1 million in additional income because of their Benedict College degree.
The College made front-page news in the spring of 2018 when it became the first South Carolina college to lower its tuition by 26 percent. Cutting tuition drew praise from the Commission on Higher Education, South Carolina’s education oversight body. The commissioner noted that the move Benedict College made should be applauded because it offers families affordability and students greater access to higher education.
Benedict College has been highly regarded and exceptionally ranked for its programs by several academic and traditional publications. For example, Benedict College was ranked as one of the top baccalaureate colleges in the nation by Washington Monthly magazine for creating social mobility and producing cutting-edge scholarship and research. In 2019, Benedict College received the 2019 ACE/ Fidelity Investments Awards for Institutional Transformation and was named the HBCU of the Year by HBCU Digest.
Benedict College is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges to award baccalaureate and master’s degrees. Five of the College’s degree programs hold national accreditation: The School of Education, Social Work Program, Environmental Health Science Program, Studio Art Program, and the Tyrone Adam Burroughs School of Business and Entrepreneurship.
