Southgate Rises in Regional University Rankings, Cites Gains in Graduate Outcomes

Southgate University climbed eleven positions in this year's regional universities (Midwest) ranking, according to figures released this month, continuing a five-year upward trend the provost's office attributes to targeted investments in advising and career services.

The ranking weighs factors including four-year graduation rates, student-to-faculty ratio, and outcomes such as employment or graduate school enrollment within six months of commencement. Southgate's four-year graduation rate has risen four percentage points since 2021.

Provost Steven Aldrete credited the university's expanded peer-mentoring program and the Career Studio, launched in 2023, for much of the gain. "Rankings are an imperfect measure, but they do reflect something real: our students are finishing on time and finding meaningful work," Aldrete said.

University officials noted the improvement comes alongside steady enrollment in the College of Engineering & Computing and the Templin School of Business, both of which have added staff to their career-placement teams over the past two years.