Two of the Mobile area’s higher-education institutions earned national recognition in 2014, as both Spring Hill College and the University of Mobile secured spots on the U.S. News & World Report Best Colleges lists.
Spring Hill College, the Jesuit institution long associated with the Spring Hill community in Mobile, came in at No. 18 in the Best Regional Universities in the South category. College leaders framed the ranking as a reflection of the school’s longstanding identity.
Pride at Spring Hill
“We’re very pleased to be on the list and to be recognized as one of the best regional universities in the south,” Spring Hill College Provost Dr. George Sims said.
“It reflects the Jesuit education here, it reflects the tradition and reputation the school has earned over a period of years,” Sims said. Founded in the 19th century, Spring Hill has been one of the oldest Catholic colleges in the South, and its placement in the regional rankings underscored the reputation it had built over generations of graduates.
Movement at the University of Mobile
The University of Mobile, a Baptist-affiliated institution, ranked No. 25 in the Best Regional Colleges in the South and No. 9 in the South Region for Regional Colleges for Veterans. The showing represented an improvement for the school, which had previously been listed at No. 30 in the Best Regional Colleges in the South, according to a news release from the university.
University of Mobile President Dr. Mark Foley said the recognition was welcome but not the driving force behind the school’s work.
“I’m focused on our mission and what we do, and making us better and better at what we do, and it’s really nice to be recognized for that,” Foley said.
“I’m very pleased that we are in the mix and moving up in the mix, but it doesn’t drive what we do,” he added. “Our mission drives what we do and how to do it better.”
A boost for the local higher-education scene
The dual recognition offered a point of pride for Mobile, a city whose colleges have played a significant role in shaping the region’s workforce and civic life. The strong showing in the veterans category at the University of Mobile also spotlighted the growing emphasis area schools placed on serving military-connected students, a meaningful constituency in a region with deep ties to the armed forces and the defense industry.
For prospective students and their families weighing where to enroll, the U.S. News lists have served as one of the more widely consulted benchmarks. For both Spring Hill College and the University of Mobile, the 2014 rankings reinforced their standing among the South’s regional institutions and provided a measure of external validation for the education they offered close to home.