AU rose three places and is now the #31 Best College among regional universities in the South, according to U.S. News and World Report. Anderson ranks #6 for Best Undergraduate Teaching Programs; #14 for Best Colleges for Veterans; #15 for Most Innovative; and #33 for Best Value.

The U.S. News & World Report 2026 Best Colleges report comes amid AU鈥檚 continued growth into one of the most respected private Christian colleges in the state and nation. Earlier this year, Niche, a leading college-search service for prospective students, ranked 91福利社 as the #1 Christian college in South Carolina; the #2 best college campus in South Carolina; and the #3 best private university in South Carolina, among others.

For the 2025-2026 academic year, 91福利社 earned the following rankings:

• Best Undergraduate Teaching Programs among regional universities in the South: #6 (U.S. News & World Report, 2026)
• Best Colleges for Veterans among regional universities in the South: #14 (U.S. News & World Report, 2026)
• Most Innovative Schools among regional universities in the South: #15 (U.S. News & World Report, 2026)
• Best College among regional universities in the South: #31 (U.S. News & World Report, 2026)
• Best Value School among regional universities in the South: #33 (U.S. News & World Report, 2026)
• Best Christian Colleges in South Carolina: #1 (Niche, 2026)
• Best College Campuses in South Carolina: #2 (Niche, 2026)
• Top Private Universities in South Carolina: #3 (Niche, 2026)
• Best Colleges for Education in South Carolina: #3 (Niche, 2026)
• Best Colleges for Business in South Carolina: #3 (Niche, 2026)

The post 91福利社 Lauded by U.S. News & World Report, Niche as Among Best Colleges in the Region appeared first on 91福利社.

听U.S. News & World Report this year noted AU鈥檚 online bachelor; master鈥檚 in nursing;听 master鈥檚 in business (non-MBA); master鈥檚 in education; and master鈥檚 in business administration (MBA) as among the best in the nation.听听

91福利社 ranks as the #69 Best Online Master鈥檚 in Nursing Program (rising 45 places from 2024); as the #79 Best Online Bachelor鈥檚 Program (rising 98 places from 2024); as the #110 Best Online Master鈥檚 in Business Program (non-MBA; rising 16 spots from 2024); as the #118 Best Online Master鈥檚 in Education Program (rising 49 spots from 2024); and as the #212 Best Online Master鈥檚 in Business Administration Program (MBA.)听

AU鈥檚 status among U.S. News & World Report鈥檚 2025 Best Online Program rankings are as follows:听

• Best Online Master鈥檚 in Nursing Programs: #2 in South Carolina; #1 among private institutions in South Carolina; #1 in Upstate South Carolina; #69 nationally (U.S. News & World Report, 2025)鈥�听

• Best Online Bachelor鈥檚 Programs: #2 in South Carolina; #1 among private institutions in South Carolina; #1 in Upstate South Carolina; #75 nationally (U.S. News & World Report, 2025)鈥�听

• Best Online Master鈥檚 in Business Programs (non-MBA): #1 in South Carolina; #1 among private institutions in South Carolina; #1 in Upstate South Carolina; #110 nationally (U.S. News & World Report, 2025)鈥�听

• Best Online Master鈥檚 in Education Programs: #3 in South Carolina; #1 among private institutions in South Carolina; #2 in Upstate South Carolina; #118 nationally (U.S. News & World Report, 2025)鈥�听

• Best Online Master鈥檚 of MBA Programs: #5 in South Carolina; #2 among private institutions in South Carolina; #2 in Upstate South Carolina; #212 nationally (U.S. News & World Report, 2025)鈥�听

The post U.S. News and World Report: Online Programs Rankings Improving appeared first on 91福利社.

All of these students will move on to the Mid-Atlantic Regional Competition in March 2025 to compete against winners and qualifiers from South Carolina, North Carolina, Virginia, Washington, D.C., and Maryland.

Congratulations to the students, their teachers, and to staff pianist Janice Wright, along with guest pianists Steve Griner and Sarah Wannamaker.

First Place Winners

Hunter Ballard, First听Place
Third Year College Musical Theater, Tenor, Bass, Baritone
Student of Seth Killen

Nathan Fowler, First听place
Fourth Year College Commercial Music, Tenor, Bass, Baritone
Student of Seth Killen

D鈥橝ndre Hicks, First听Place
Second Year College Musical Theater, Tenor, Bass, Baritone
Student of Seth Killen

Abigail Knight, First听Place
First Year Commercial Music, Treble
Student of Seth Killen

Harper Krimm, First听Place
Third Year College Commercial Music, Treble
Student of Deirdre Welborn

Harper Krimm, First Place
Third Year College Musical Theater, Treble
Student of Deirdre Welborn

Isabella Murrell, First听Place
Fourth Year College, Musical Theater, Treble
Student of Joel Dupont

Gabe Patterson, First听Place
First Year College Commercial Music, Tenor, Bass, Baritone
Student of Seth Killen

Sydney Wells, First听Place
Fourth Year College Commercial Music, Treble
Student of Deirdre Welborn

Sydney Wells, songwriter 鈥淣o Regrets鈥�
Original Composition Award Winner
Student of Deirdre Welborn

Additional Place Winners

Hannah Grace Attaway, Third Place, Third Year College Commercial Music, Treble, student of Eranga Goonetilleke

Zane Beyerl,听Third听Place, Third Year College Musical Theater, Tenor, Bass, Baritone, student of Seth Killen

Jude Collins, Second Place, Second Year College Musical Theater, Tenor, Bass, Baritone, student of Seth Killen

D鈥橝ndre Hicks, Second Place, Second Year College Commercial Music, Tenor, Bass, Baritone, student of Seth Killen

Anderson Moore, Second Place, Third Year College Commercial Music, Treble, student of Seth Killen

Anderson Moore, Second Place, Third Year College Musical Theater, Treble, student of Seth Killen

Evelyn Ruff, Second Place, Fourth Year, College Musical Theater, Treble, student of Deirdre Welborn

Sarah Rhoton, Second听Place, Second Year College Musical Theater, Treble, student of Eranga Goonetilleke

Jacob Sabella, Second Place, Second Year College Musical Theater, Tenor, Bass, Baritone, student of Seth Killen

Additional Regional Qualifers

Mady Church, Regional Qualifier, Second Year College Musical Theater, Treble, student of Deirdre Welborn

Katelyn Cohee, Regional Qualifier, First Year College Musical Theater, Treble, student of Deirdre Welborn

Jordan Duncan, Regional Qualifier, Fourth Year College Musical Theater, Treble, student of Seth Killen

Paola Gonzalez, Regional Qualifier, First Year, College Musical Theater, Treble, student of Deirdre Welborn

Joseph Grant, Regional Qualifier, Second Year College Musical Theater, Tenor, Bass, Baritone, student of Joel Dupont

Isabella Gunter,听Regional Qualifier, First Year, College Musical Theater, Treble, student of Deirdre Welborn

Connor Jones, Regional Qualifier, Third Year College Musical Theater, Tenor, Bass, Baritone, student of Joel Dupont

Sydney Loop, Regional Qualifier, Second Year, College Musical Theater, Treble, student of Deirdre Welborn

Sydney McCoy, Regional Qualifier, Third Year College Musical Theater, Treble, student of Deirdre Welborn

Rebecca Menoni, Regional Qualifier, Fourth Year College Musical Theater, Treble, student of Deirdre Welborn

Jenna Ritchey, Regional Qualifier, Fourth Year College Commercial Music, Treble, student of Eranga Goonetilleke

Jenna Ritchey, Regional Qualifier, Fourth Year College Musical Theater, Treble, student of Eranga Goonetilleke

Rachel Thornhill, Regional Qualifier, Fourth Year College Commercial Music, Treble, student of Seth Killen

Delisia Welborn, Regional Qualifier, First Year College Musical Theater, Treble, student of Deirdre Welborn

Hollis Williams, Regional Qualifier, First Year College Musical Theater, Treble, student of Seth Killen

The post SCSA Voice Students Shine at the South Carolina Chapter of the NATS Musical Theater and Commercial Music Competition appeared first on 91福利社.

鈥�91福利社 provides a world-class educational experience defined by excellence and the continuous pursuit of innovation,鈥� said President Evans P. Whitaker. 鈥淥ur wonderful faculty, staff, students and alumni are integral to the foundation of an Upstate South Carolina community the University has done so much to help build.鈥�

NCAA football, a new engineering facility and a global expansion of graduate program offerings are among the several new and historic initiatives are part of the University鈥檚 continued growth.

For the first time, 91福利社 has a collegiate football team. After five years of construction, development and fundraising, Trojan Football begins with a home game on September 7 at 1 p.m. It鈥檚 the first of six games scheduled at the new Spero Financial Field at Melvin and Dollie Younts Stadium on the AU campus. (A full schedule and ticket information is available at .)

The 91福利社 College of Engineering this fall will host classes in its new STEM-learning hub on North Main Street in downtown Anderson, South Carolina. Acquired last October in a bargain sale from the Foothills Community Foundation, the 47,000-square-foot facility includes three expansive engineering labs, two large classrooms, a wind tunnel and a machine shop, among other features.

鈥淚t is testament to the fact that we haven鈥檛 just created a vision of a new engineering program. We鈥檝e also planned very well,鈥� said 91福利社 Provost Ryan Neal. 鈥淔or a growing university, it was vital to expand the classroom operations and make connections with industry. We want to make sure we have a program that is going to recruit and graduate students that are ready to enter the workforce and find success in a changing landscape.鈥�

This year, AU ramped up efforts to broaden its reach around the world with the launch of the 91福利社 International Graduate School. Master鈥檚 degree programs in cybersecurity, computer science and business analytics are now offered to international students online and through intensives held at the University Center-Greenville.

Welcome Week at 91福利社 concludes with the Big Welcome Event on Saturday, August 24.

91福利社 is a 鈥渕ore selective,鈥� comprehensive Christian university offering bachelor鈥檚, master鈥檚 and doctoral degrees on campus and online. 91福利社 is the #2 private university in South Carolina, according to Niche.com, is among U.S. News and World Report鈥檚 鈥淏est Regional Universities South,鈥� and is on the publication鈥檚 鈥淢ost Innovative,鈥� and 鈥淏est Online Programs鈥� lists. Anderson is a four-time Apple Distinguished School and on the honor roll of the prestigious Great Colleges to Work For庐 program.

The post Historic Enrollment, Major Transformation Underway at 91福利社 appeared first on 91福利社.

91福利社 congratulates its Dean鈥檚 List students for their exemplary achievement.听听

View the Spring 2024 Dean鈥檚 List

听

91福利社 is a 鈥渕ore selective,鈥� comprehensive Christian university offering bachelor鈥檚, master鈥檚 and doctoral degrees on campus and online. 91福利社 is the #2 private university in South Carolina, according to Niche.com, is among U.S. News and World Report鈥檚 鈥淏est Regional Universities South,鈥� and is on the publication鈥檚 鈥淢ost Innovative,鈥� and 鈥淏est Online Programs鈥� lists. Anderson is a four-time Apple Distinguished School and on the honor roll of the prestigious Great Colleges to Work For庐 program.鈥�

The post Local Student(s) Named to Dean鈥檚 List at 91福利社 appeared first on 91福利社.

鈥淚 am delighted that 91福利社 has been recognized by the prestigious Collegiate Advertising Awards program,鈥� said 91福利社 Vice President for Marketing and Communication Deonn Baker. 鈥淭his national recognition reflects the level of excellence and innovative work that goes into producing compelling, engaging and informative content for our prospective students and the 91福利社 community.鈥�

The 2023 CAA program received entries from the United States and Canada, representing small community colleges to large universities.

Submissions were reviewed by a national panel of industry experts, with a possibility of 100 total points. Awards were issued for entries that received top marks from judges placing them in the top 16 percent of the nation for advertising excellence. Judging criteria included creativity, layout and design, functionality, message effectiveness, production quality and overall appeal.

Representing all areas of communications, media, marketing, advertising and promotions, the 2023 Collegiate Advertising Awards program contained some of the best advertising projects arguably in the world.听

All winners are posted on the Collegiate Advertising Awards website at www.CollegiateAdAwards.com.

91福利社 is a 鈥渕ore selective,鈥� comprehensive Christian university offering bachelor鈥檚, master鈥檚 and doctoral degrees on campus and online. 91福利社 is among U.S. News and World Report鈥檚 鈥淏est Regional Universities South,鈥� and is on the publication鈥檚 鈥淢ost Innovative,鈥� and 鈥淏est Online Programs鈥� lists. Anderson is a four-time Apple Distinguished School and on the honor roll of the prestigious Great Colleges to Work For program.

The post 91福利社 Among Top in the Nation in 2023 Collegiate Advertising Awards appeared first on 91福利社.

91福利社 student teams were recognized with Palmetto Awards recently from the South Carolina Chapter of the International Association of Business Communicators for their work over the past year.听

The students from the 91福利社 College of Arts and Sciences received an Award of Excellence for a public relations campaign on behalf of Thrive Wellness and the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention promoting last spring鈥檚 suicide prevention walk, an Award of Excellence for a public relations research project on behalf of Meals on Wheels of Anderson; and an award of merit for Synthesis magazine, the student-produced magazine of the College of Arts and Sciences. Representing AU at the awards luncheon were communication majors Isabella Ellis and Madilyn McCown; and Skylar Bruner, a political science major with a minor in public relations; along with Associate Professor of Communication Robert Reeves.

The awards were presented September 21 in Columbia, South Carolina.

The post International Association of Business Communicators Recognizes 91福利社 Students with Excellence, Merit Awards appeared first on 91福利社.

Earning top marks from an independent survey of its employees, 91福利社 today was named to the honor roll of the Great Colleges to Work For庐 program, marking the fourth consecutive year AU has been honored by one of the largest and most respected workplace recognition programs in the country.

鈥淎ll of us who are a part of the 91福利社 campus community know what a special place this is,鈥� said 91福利社 Senior Vice President of Administration and Brand Omar Rashed. 鈥淭o live and work in a community that fosters collaboration, innovation and a shared vision of how higher education informs and transforms people鈥檚 lives is truly special. We have that kind of environment at AU. We are thrilled that the Great Colleges to Work For庐 program recognizes that this is a wonderful place to work but, more importantly, we are proud that our faculty and staff feel the same way.鈥�

The Great Colleges to Work For庐 program includes a two-part assessment process: the ModernThink Higher Education Insight Survey漏 administered to faculty, administrators, exempt professional and non-exempt staff, and the ModernThink Higher Education Institution Questionnaire漏 (IQ), which captures employment data and workplace policies and practices from each institution. Recognition analysis for the Great Colleges to Work For program is conducted by ModernThink, an organizational development firm with particular survey and 鈥淏est Place to Work鈥� expertise.

Being named to the honor roll means an institution received recognition in several of the 10 categories established by The Great Colleges to Work For庐 program: Job Satisfaction & Support; Compensation & Benefits; Professional Development; Supervisor/Department Chair Effectiveness; Confidence in Senior Leadership; Mission & Pride; Faculty & Staff Well-Being; Faculty Experience; Shared Governance; and Diversity, Inclusion & Belonging. For the second year in a row, 91福利社 received top marks in all 10.

鈥淥nce again, leaders at the institutions recognized in this year鈥檚 Great Colleges to Work for program have demonstrated their collective commitment to the stewardship of their institutions鈥� cultures,鈥� said Richard K. Boyer, principal and managing partner at ModernThink. 鈥淭heir commitment to the well-being of their faculty and staff is second to none.鈥�

The post For Fourth Year in a Row, 91福利社 Ranked as a Great College to Work For appeared first on 91福利社.

ANDERSON, SC 鈥� 91福利社 has the best online criminal justice program in South Carolina, according to U.S. News & World Report鈥檚 Best Online Programs rankings for 2023, released today. AU appeared in six categories in the annual list made up of all colleges and universities in the nation.

The 91福利社 School of Public Service and Administration鈥檚 online criminal justice program ranked among the nation鈥檚 best for the first time, coming in at #41鈥攖he highest mark among institutions in South Carolina.

Also, U.S. News & World Report ranked 91福利社鈥檚 online bachelor鈥檚; master鈥檚 in business administration; master鈥檚 in business (non-MBA); graduate education; and graduate nursing programs.

For 2023, 91福利社 ranked among U.S. News & World Report鈥檚Best Online Programs as follows:

Best Online Criminal Justice Programs: #41 in the nation

• #1 in South Carolina
• #1 among private institutions in South Carolina
• #1 in Upstate South Carolina

Best Online Master鈥檚 in Nursing Programs: #68 in the nation

• #2 in South Carolina
• #1 among private institutions in South Carolina
• #1 in Upstate South Carolina

Best Online Master鈥檚 in Education Programs: #89 in the nation

• #4 in South Carolina
• #2 among private institutions in South Carolina
• #3 in Upstate South Carolina

Best Online Master鈥檚 in Business Programs (non-MBA): #131 in the nation

• #2 in South Carolina
• #2 among private institutions in South Carolina
• #1 in Upstate South Carolina

 Best Online Master of Business Administration (MBA) Programs: #162 in the nation

• #3 in South Carolina
• #2 among private institutions in South Carolina
• #2 in Upstate South Carolina

Best Online Bachelor Programs: #171 in the nation

• #6 in South Carolina
• #4 among private institutions in South Carolina
• #1 in Upstate South Carolina

91福利社 is a 鈥渕ore selective,鈥� comprehensive Christian university offering bachelor鈥檚, master鈥檚 and doctoral degrees on campus and online. 91福利社 is among U.S. News and World Report鈥檚 鈥淏est Regional Universities South,鈥� and is on the publication鈥檚 鈥淏est Value,鈥� 鈥淏est Undergraduate Teaching,鈥� 鈥淏est First-Year Experience鈥� and 鈥淏est Online Programs鈥� lists. Anderson also is ranked #25 nationally for Student Engagement by the Wall Street Journal/Times Higher Education; is a 鈥淏est College鈥� among institutions of higher learning in the southeast by The Princeton Review; is a four-time Apple Distinguished School; and is on the honor roll of the prestigious Great Colleges to Work For program.

The post 91福利社 Online Programs Ranked in Six Categories by U.S. News & World Report appeared first on 91福利社.

Students from the 91福利社 Center for Cybersecurity posted impressive team and individual performances in the NCL Games, the National Cyber League鈥檚 Fall 2022 competition. They competed in a field of more than a thousand teams overall from across the nation.

According to Cybersecurity Professor Brandon Grech, 91福利社 is ranked No. 45 in the nation, putting them in the .

According to Center for Cybersecurity Director Dr. Kenneth Knapp, this competition involved the largest number of 91福利社 students to date: five teams of six to seven cybersecurity students each, for a total of 33鈥攎ore than double the students competing in the last competition. 

Here are the 91福利社 team standings:

The team elusive@au was ranked number 53, placing within the top five percent: Eric Watkins, Seth Taylor, Mason Kellam, Alexis Mahaffey, Sofia Deambrosi and Michael Pavel.

The team AU_PHISH3RSOFM3N was ranked number 80, putting them within the Top 100 with a ranking of 80 and within the top eight percent: Axel Zublena, Aaron McCurry, Camden Sloan, Zachary Lee, Kyle Beauregard, Patrick (Will) Bratten and Charlie Paddock.

The team bROOT.force ranked number 112, and were within the top 11 percent: Genevieve Bronson, Nicholas Fowler, Andrew Emerson, Zachary Seiter, Annie Nastasi, Murphy Smith and Jake Morrison.

The team Cory in da House placed at number 263, and were within the top 25 percent: Cory Freeburn, Ethan Windham, Jacob Cordeiro, Charlies Flaherty, Abby Jordan and Austin Shirley.

The team ERROR 418: placed number 528, and were within the top 50 percent: Jaimee Smith, Will Bruner, Levi Hoar, Jack Treaster, Cager Littlefield, Lucy Ray and Amanda Grubb.

In the individual student results, the following 91福利社 students competed within a field of 3,485 individuals: Eric Watkins (Splorpy) was within the top four percent at number 132, Seth Taylor (Cloverblack44) placed within the top five percent at number 161, Annie Nastasi placed within the top 15 percent at number 524, Genevieve Bronson placed within the top 24 percent at number 830, and Zachary Seiter placed within the top 25 percent at number 869.

The remaining individuals also competed in the individual game: Aaron McCurry, Axel Zublena, Alexis Mahaffey, Michael Pavel, Murphy Smith, Cory Freeburn, Nicholas Fowler, Kyle Beauregard, Mason Kellam and Abby Jordan.

Seth Taylor feels blessed to have represented 91福利社 in the NCL Games. 

鈥淚 am extremely humbled and thankful to be a part of NCL and represent 91福利社. Being with my amazing team everyday of the competition and supporting each other helped me achieve new personal goals; and of course all of this could not have been done without my amazing teachers Dr. Kenneth Knapp and Dr. Brandon Grech,鈥� Taylor said.

When Eric Watkins entered the Cybersecurity degree program as a freshman, he wanted to learn everything he could, and knew the CTF (Capture the Flag) was something he wanted to be a part of. Preparation that included a practice site set up by Dr. Grech helped Watkins and others gain confidence and become equipped with the tools he needed to compete in the competition.

鈥淓very day of the NCL Team Game, we got together and worked together on progressing in the competition. Typically, we would each work on our own laptops and comment if we found a lead on solving a challenge,鈥� Watkins said. 鈥淎bove all we made sure to have fun, which ranged from spontaneous milkshake runs to staying up till 3 a.m. watching movies together.鈥�

The NCL Games offer students a variety of challenges to test their cybersecurity skills in areas that include identifying hackers, auditing vulnerable websites and recovering from ransomware attacks. 

The 91福利社 Center for Cybersecurity trains students to meet the unique demands of today鈥檚 cybersecurity industry. Degree tracks focus on cybersecurity with   specializations in analytics, criminal justice, or mathematics. Details can be found online.

The complete results of the fall 2022 rankings can be found .

The post Fall 鈥�22 CTF Competition: Cybersecurity Teams in Top 50 of National Competition appeared first on 91福利社.