Can someone explain what a “regional” university is?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Rankings and ranking classifications are based on academic offerings and quality, not the whereabouts of who attends. Regional schools do not have national or international academic recognition, thus they largely serve their local and nearby communities/states. That is, regional schools don’t have outstanding academics, thus they mostly attract regional students, not the other way around.

But weren't James Madison and Elon "regional universities" on USNWR just a few years back? Now I see they're both on the National Universities list. I really don't see how they changed that much if regional vs. national is really that big a distinction.

[Anonymous]

It also has to do with what the faculty at those schools do.

If you don't offer PhD programs, you're not a research university. Thereby the faculty's primary job is teaching.

If you are a research university, your faculty teach and research.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It also has to do with what the faculty at those schools do.

If you don't offer PhD programs, you're not a research university. Thereby the faculty's primary job is teaching.

If you are a research university, your faculty teach and research.

many of the unis on the national uni list- including some very highly ranked ones - do not have PhD programs.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Rankings and ranking classifications are based on academic offerings and quality, not the whereabouts of who attends. Regional schools do not have national or international academic recognition, thus they largely serve their local and nearby communities/states. That is, regional schools don’t have outstanding academics, thus they mostly attract regional students, not the other way around.

But weren't James Madison and Elon "regional universities" on USNWR just a few years back? Now I see they're both on the National Universities list. I really don't see how they changed that much if regional vs. national is really that big a distinction.

I wonder as well. Providence is a school that has been classified as "regional", and I've never understood why.

[Anonymous]

"Updates to the ranking categories: About 10% of ranked schools moved into different categories this year. For example, a school ranked previously as a Regional University may now be ranked as a National University. This is due to the "2021 update" from the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education, which U.S. News has used since the first Best Colleges rankings in 1983 to compare schools with similar missions."

https://carnegieclassifications.acenet.edu/index.php

https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/us-news-announces-2022-2023-best-colleges-rankings-301621622.html

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It also has to do with what the faculty at those schools do.

If you don't offer PhD programs, you're not a research university. Thereby the faculty's primary job is teaching.

If you are a research university, your faculty teach and research.

many of the unis on the national uni list- including some very highly ranked ones - do not have PhD programs.

Which ones?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It's a consolation prize for universities that aren't very good. They get to be on a "list" even if it's not the "real" list. You're not a top national university or a top LAC but you are a top regional university. Yay!

+1

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Rankings and ranking classifications are based on academic offerings and quality, not the whereabouts of who attends. Regional schools do not have national or international academic recognition, thus they largely serve their local and nearby communities/states. That is, regional schools don’t have outstanding academics, thus they mostly attract regional students, not the other way around.

But weren't James Madison and Elon "regional universities" on USNWR just a few years back? Now I see they're both on the National Universities list. I really don't see how they changed that much if regional vs. national is really that big a distinction.

https://www.jmu.edu/news/2022/02/18-r2-announcement.shtml

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It's a consolation prize for universities that aren't very good. They get to be on a "list" even if it's not the "real" list. You're not a top national university or a top LAC but you are a top regional university. Yay!

No, it's not that. There are excellent schools on regional lists.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It's a consolation prize for universities that aren't very good. They get to be on a "list" even if it's not the "real" list. You're not a top national university or a top LAC but you are a top regional university. Yay!

No, it's not that. There are excellent schools on regional lists.

Seems like the main difference is the Carnegie classification they get based on the volume of research activities of faculty, so it really isn't about the quality of undergraduate teaching at all.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It's a consolation prize for universities that aren't very good. They get to be on a "list" even if it's not the "real" list. You're not a top national university or a top LAC but you are a top regional university. Yay!

No, it's not that. There are excellent schools on regional lists.

For example?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It's a consolation prize for universities that aren't very good. They get to be on a "list" even if it's not the "real" list. You're not a top national university or a top LAC but you are a top regional university. Yay!

No, it's not that. There are excellent schools on regional lists.

Seems like the main difference is the Carnegie classification they get based on the volume of research activities of faculty, so it really isn't about the quality of undergraduate teaching at all.

https://www.chronicle.com/article/who-moved-up-and-down-in-the-new-carnegie-classifications

The final release of the classifications revealed that the trio of universities that were to be bumped to R2 instead remained among Research 1 institutions. In addition, six more universities joined the R1 group, which now numbers 146: the Colorado School of Mines, Ohio University, the University of Alabama at Huntsville, the University of Maine, the University of Maryland-Baltimore County, and the University of Montana.

The doctoral classification also includes “Doctoral/Professional” institutions, a group that had added 68 colleges when the revisions were finalized. Most of them were formerly classified as master’s institutions. In 2018 there were 407 doctoral institutions of all types, compared with 469 in the update finalized in February.

[. . .]

Explore the table below to see the colleges that moved into — or out of — the three categories of doctoral institutions:

[Anonymous]

Wake was a "regional" university when I applied in the 90s. It transitioned to a national while I was there and it was a huge deal.

It was listed in a book with the top 50 schools in the country at the same time.

Don't get too hung up on the National vs. Regional nonsense

And honestly, when I was there, it had a lot more in common with the LACs than the large universities (it has added enrollment - I think about 2000 more undergrads now)

[Anonymous]

I assume it’s the Carnegie Classification?

[Anonymous]

I was surprised Butler is considered regional but it does give them a consolation prize because they are listed as the top regional college in the Midwest.