SIOUX FALLS – U.S. News & World Report’s 2009 edition of America’s Best Colleges gives Augustana high rankings in two categories.

The magazine lists Augustana No. 3 in its Midwest Best Baccalaureate Colleges category, and No. 2 in best values for Midwest Baccalaureate Colleges.

Schools in the Baccalaureate College category focus on undergraduate education and offer a range of degree programs—in the liberal arts, which account for fewer than half of their bachelor’s degrees, and in professional fields such as business, nursing, and education. The 319 colleges in this category are ranked within four geographic regions: North, South, Midwest, and West.

The formula used to determine which colleges and universities offer the best value relates a school’s academic quality, as indicated by its 2009 U.S. News ranking, to the 2007–2008 academic year net cost of attendance for a student who receives the average level of need-based financial aid. The higher the quality of the program and the lower the cost, the better the deal. Only schools ranked in or near the top half of their categories are included because U.S. News works on the premise that the most significant values are among colleges that are above average academically.

Highlights of the college rankings will be published in the September 1 edition of U.S. News & World Report.

In addition, Forbes.com includes Augustana in its inaugural rankings of America’s Best Colleges. In conjunction with Dr. Richard Vedder, an economist at Ohio University, and the Center for College Affordability and Productivity, Forbes.com ranks 569 undergraduate institutions based on the quality of the education they provide, and how much their students achieve.  Augustana is listed at No. 503 out of approximately 3,000 colleges and universities nationwide. Augustana is the only college in South Dakota listed.