The Lincoln University, which now offers courses in Coatesville, improved its rating in the annual assessment done by U.S. News and World Report magazine.

The Lincoln University ranked among the top 20 for Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), advancing seven places from last year, according to U.S. News & World Report’s annual HBCU rankings released this month.

In total, there were 81 HBCUs; 70 of which were ranked and 11 of those were unranked.  Schools designated as such by the U.S. Department of Education were compared only to one another for this ranking and were ranked based on quantitative measures that education experts have proposed as reliable indicators of academic quality, and is based on U.S. News & World Report’s nonpartisan view of what matters in education, a university news release said.

 “I think our advancement in the HBCU rankings demonstrates and highlights our commitment to enhance the quality of our academic programs, resources and environment for our students,” said Dr. Robert R. Jennings, president of The Lincoln University, formerly known as Lincoln University.  “Our progress is no small accomplishment and we hope to move even higher on the list in years to come.”

The indicators used to capture academic quality fall into six categories: assessment by administrators at peer institutions, retention of students, faculty resources, student selectivity, financial resources, and alumni giving.

According to U.S. News, the data that were used in the HCBU rankings – except the peer survey results, which used a separate HBCU peer assessment survey – were the same as those published and used in the 2014 edition of the Best Colleges rankings.

For the complete list of HBCU rankings according to the US News and World Report, visit: For the complete list of HBCU rankings according to the US News and World Report, visit http://colleges.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/best-colleges/rankings/hbcu.