The "2009 Fiske Guide to Colleges" lists Elon as one of the nation's "best buy" universities and a "rapidly rising star among liberal arts colleges in the Southeast and an emerging name nationwide."
The “best buy” ranking is a recognition of what the guide calls “outstanding academics with relatively modest prices.”
The guide notes Elon’s “welcoming environment and supportive faculty” and says the university has a “strong emphasis on global perspectives and hands-on learning in the classroom.”
In concluding its profile, the Fiske Guide says the following: “Elon is truly an up-and-coming school. The leadership of the university is taking Elon to a new level of national prominence … By steadily ramping up its educational offerings, growing and improving its facilities, and upping its admissions standards, this quality liberal arts university is quickly outgrowing its local reputation and making a name for itself across the country.”
This is Elon’s fifth year in the Fiske Guide, which lists the “best and most interesting” colleges and universities out of the nation’s 2,200 four-year schools. Edited by Edward B. Fiske, former education editor for The New York Times, the annual guide has been published since 1982, selecting top schools from around the country based on academic quality and other factors.