North Park University Moves Up the Ranks Among U.S. News and World Report's Best Colleges

CHICAGO, IL--(Marketwire - September 8, 2009) - North Park University moved up five spots in U.S. News and World Report's 2010 edition of "America's Best Colleges," ranking 40 out of 146 schools in the Midwest region. North Park remains in the top tier of the Universities-Master's category, which ranks schools based on their undergraduate programs.

Since 1983, U.S. News and World Report has presented exclusive annual rankings on colleges nationwide, offering students various search tools and providing information regarding scholarships, loans and grants. Using a basic version of classifications from The Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teachings, it categorizes colleges for comparison within one of four main groupings: National Universities, Liberal Arts Colleges, Universities-Master's and Baccalaureate Colleges.

There were 572 Universities-Master's colleges ranked within four geographic areas: North, South, Midwest, and West. Schools in the Universities-Master's category provide a full range of undergraduate programs and some master's level programs, with few or no doctoral programs. Each college is ranked based on U.S. News' nonpartisan view of what matters in education, taking into account peer assessment, retention, faculty resources, student selectivity, financial resources and alumni giving.

"We are pleased with the recognition," said North Park University President David Parkyn. "However, our focus has not been on advancing in the ranks, but on providing our students with a strong and well-rounded education -- to equip them with sound values and prepare them to lead as well as to serve."

North Park University is recognized as being "distinctively Christian, intentionally urban and purposefully multicultural," offering courses at various locations throughout the Chicagoland area, including its main campus on the North Side of Chicago, as well as satellite locations in Grayslake, Arlington Heights and Waukegan.

About North Park University

Located in Chicago, North Park University is a Christian comprehensive university that serves nearly 3,200 undergraduate and graduate students of all faiths and diverse multicultural backgrounds from around the country and the world. North Park offers a values-based education to students through more than 30 undergraduate majors and an adult degree-completion program, as well as graduate and continuing education in business, nonprofit management, nursing, education, music, and theology. By integrating faith with learning and service -- as it has done since its founding in 1891 by the Evangelical Covenant Church -- North Park University continues to focus on the important task of preparing students for lives of significance and service. More information is available at www.northpark.edu.

Contact Information: Media Contacts: Aubrey Pauly for North Park University (312) 780-7218 apauly@dresnerco.com Joshua Taustein for North Park University (312) 780-7219 jtaustein@dresnerco.com