Fairfield University receives high marks in U.S. News & World Report and Princeton Review | Press Releases

Fairfield University has once again placed number three among the Best Universities in the North with master's degree programs, according to the new rankings just released by U.S. News & World Report's 2005 edition of "America's Best Colleges." The survey considers 165 colleges and universities from Maryland to Maine in determining where schools rank in this category. Fairfield has stayed at the top four of the rankings for the last 14 years.

Earlier this week Fairfield University was also included in the Princeton Review's "The Best 357 Colleges 2005 Rankings." Fairfield is also the only Connecticut school among 77 nationwide to make another Princeton Review publication, "2005 Edition of America's Best Value Colleges." The Best Value edition made note of Fairfield's significant financial aid program and said the university has a "tremendous array of first-rate academic resources, and schedules more extracurricular programs, speakers, and events than you could ever shake a stick at." It also said, "Community service is a big deal, and the Jesuit ideals of educating the whole person are taken quite seriously."

Rev. Jeffrey von Arx, S.J., who began his tenure as Fairfield's eighth president just last month, said he was pleased but not surprised by the solid rankings Fairfield achieved. "As a member of the Board of Trustees I have had the opportunity to see firsthand the quality education Fairfield provides its students. We have a dedicated and highly credentialed faculty, along with first-rate students, so I am confident we have a very solid base on which to build."

Judith Dobai, associate vice president for enrollment management, said the guides are helpful and should be accompanied by campus visits when possible. "I am delighted to see that Fairfield has again been recognized as an outstanding institution. We know these guides can be useful tools for students and families in deciphering the college selection process. However, there are important qualities in education that can be difficult to measure, and that's where a campus visit can make a big difference." At Fairfield, she said, education is whole-person-centered and values based. "We know families who spend time exploring our community gain even greater insight into these and other qualities that can make a difference in selecting a college."