Belmont Abbey College boosts national ranking

Belmont Abbey College rose two places to number 10 in the Regional Colleges-South category of the U.S. News & World Report rankings. The college also ranked eighth among top private regional southern colleges and third among regional colleges in North Carolina.

According to the college, it is the highest-ranked Newman Guide college in the region, a ranking of Catholic colleges produced annually by the Cardinal Newman Society. President Dr. Jeffrey W. Talley said the rankings reflect the quality of education and formation provided to students by the faculty.

The college currently has 1,693 students, marking its second largest enrollment in ten years. This includes the largest class of traditional non-athlete students in eight years. College officials attributed this growth to the college's academic programs and its approach to Catholic higher education.