The 2008 edition of "America's Best Colleges" by U.S. News & World Report will be published in the magazine's Aug. 27 issue, on newsstands Monday, Aug. 20, and available online at www.usnews.com/colleges beginning today.

The formula used by U.S. News to rank universities involves a set of criteria that includes: peer assessment, retention, faculty resources, student selectivity, financial resources and alumni giving.

St. Edward's has shown improvement in the following areas:

• SAT scores for incoming freshmen are increasing. In the 2005-2006 academic year the average SAT for freshmen was 1116. This fall the average will be an anticipated 1131. Average SAT scores for incoming freshmen at St. Edward's have increased some 90 points since 1999.
• A higher percentage of freshmen coming to St. Edward's have graduated in the top 25% of their high school class. Fifty-two percent this year, compared to 45% last year.
• St. Edward's continues to improve the quality of its student body. Acceptance rates for freshmen applicants has dropped from 69% last year to 64% this year, making the freshman class a more select group of students.
• The number of students who are satisfied with St. Edward's and who continue on in their education at St. Edward's has steadily increased since 1999. Freshman retention rates have improved by more than 10 percentage points, from 73.5 percent in 1999 to an anticipated 85.8% in fall 2007.

The freshman class will begin moving into residence halls on Aug. 24. This new group of students will bring undergraduate enrollment to 3,280. St. Edward's University has seen a 97 percent growth in the freshman class since 1999.