LAKELAND, Fla. (Aug. 17, 2010) -- In its annual "Best Colleges" rankings released today, U.S. News & World Report ranked Florida Southern College among the Top 10 Best Regional Colleges in the South. At No. 8 on the list, Florida Southern is the highest-ranked regional college in Florida.

U. S. News & World Report ranks institutions in the areas of student quality and selectivity; retention and graduation rates; faculty quality; class size; and alumni giving, among other criteria. The publication defines regional colleges as those that focus on undergraduate education and offer a range of degree programs in the liberal arts and in professional fields such as business, education, and nursing.

In the rankings, Florida Southern College improved in the area of freshman retention, a key quality indicator.