Katie Schultz
News Editor

As Mesa State College steadily grows and changes, it ranks among the top schools in the nation. In fall 2009, MSC was ranked as one of the best public schools in the nation on Forbes magazine’s list of Top 100 Best Public Schools in America.
MSC ranked 69 for best public college and its overall ranking was 327, beating out such schools as Metro State and the University of Northern Colorado, which did not make the list.
Most students who heard the news were shocked. “I didn’t see that one coming,” said Dayna Joy, a freshman graphic design major.
Others saw this as a great opportunity for MSC. “I guess that gets us one step closer to the university status we’ve been looking for,” said Trey Atkins, a senior psychology major and employee of Tutorial Learning Center.
Yet others weren’t taken aback at all. “That doesn’t surprise me,” said Drew Fairfield, a freshmen mechanical engineering major. “Lots of students like the small campus and the small class sizes.”
The methodology behind the ranking is based on a number of different factors. Twenty-five percent of the ranking is based on student satisfaction with course instruction and another 25 percent is based on post-graduation success. About 16 percent is based on the likelihood students will graduate within four years, 20 percent is based on the average amount of debate a student will have after four years, and about 13 percent is based on the awards and recognition that both students and faculty receive in the given year.
“It’s a nice acknowledgement,” President Tim Foster said. “We’ll take it as a compliment.”
To see Forbes complete list and methodology visit, forbes.com.