National publicity

Alabama colleges got the attention of two national publications this week.

U.S. News and World Report released its annual rankings of the nation's top colleges and universities. Jacksonville State was not listed in the top tier of the 60 best master's-granting institutions in the South. Some of its peer schools from the Ohio Valley Conference--Murray State (14) Tennessee Tech (25) Tennessee-Martin (50), Morehead State (53) and Eastern Kentucky (60)--made the list. JSU was listed in the third tier of similar schools in the South.

Elsewhere in the state, Alabama was the No. 42 public university and Auburn ranked No. 45. Both slipped from their tie for No. 39 last year.

Also this week, The Chronicle of Higher Education listed Alabama as one of the "Seven Sorry Sister" states, joining California, Hawaii, Idaho, Mississippi, New Mexico and either Missouri or Wyoming. The list indicates states with lax oversight on colleges; they're often havens for "diploma mills," or institutions that grant degrees with little if any work required.

Watch The Star next week for an analysis of the U.S. News and World Report rankings and JSU's reaction.