Eastern kept its top-tier rankings in the U.S. News and World Report “Annual College Guide,” holding steady in two categories.

For the second year, Eastern ranked 31st among regional universities in the Midwest.

“It is thrilling to learn that Eastern is again ranked in the first tier of Midwestern master’s universities,” interim President Lou Hencken said in a press release. “Eastern has a long, steady tradition of academic excellence, supported by strong, nurturing relationships with our students.”

The magazine’s rankings are based on seven categories, used to determine overall academic quality. The categories include:

– Peer assessment

– Retention rates

– Faculty resources

– Student selectivity

– Financial resources

– Graduation rate performance

– Alumni giving rate

“Our rankings reflect a continuing commitment by our faculty and staff to uphold these traditions,” Hencken said.

Also in line with last year’s rankings, Eastern placed fifth among 12 Midwestern public universities with master’s programs.

Blair Lord, vice president for academic affairs, is content with Eastern’s success in the U.S. News rankings, saying it’s often difficult to argue whether the rankings should have been better.

“I’m pleased that we’re in the first tier,” Lord said. “There are many things about Eastern Illinois University that are very positive and very laudable and that are affirmative of such a rank.”

This college guide is one of many that Lord, as well as prospective students and their parents, use to gauge the university’s quality, he said. But it is an important one because it is so widely used by those prospective students.

“(The rankings) can have nothing but a favorable impact,” Lord said, noting that such an impact can translate into good enrollment numbers.

There are 145 schools in Eastern’s category, 56 of which are public. Eastern ranked 31st out of the 145, placing the university in the top tier of the rankings. Thirty-seven schools were included in the top tier.

Eastern was the fifth-highest ranked public university in the top tier, behind Truman State University of Missouri, University of Northern Iowa, University of Wisconsin at La Crosse and University of Wisconsin at Eau Claire.

Other schools in Illinois that were ranked in the top tier were fourth-ranked Bradley University, 13th-ranked North Central College, 15th-ranked Dominican University, 17th-ranked Benedictine University and 29th-ranked North Park University.