As UNK students began moving back on campus for the 2007-2008 academic year, they arrived to a new ranking in U.S. News & World Reports, a new hip residence hall that features apartment style living and a new fully-wired campus.
The University of Nebraska at Kearney (UNK) has been recognized for the first time as one of the top 15 public universities in the Midwest region at the Master's Level, according to the 2008 edition of U.S. News & World Report's annual America's Best Colleges rankings.
UNK also moved up five ranking positions within the top tier on the overall listing of the best Midwestern Master's universities, public and private, from 65 last year to 60 currently.
"This year's ranking confirms what we observe every day: UNK continues to improve in those areas most important to parents and students, and which reflect UNK's focus on small classes, high academic standards, faculty strength and student success," stated Chancellor Douglas A. Kristensen.
The Master's Midwest region includes colleges and universities in a 12-state region, which includes Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, North Dakota, South Dakota, Ohio and Wisconsin.
According to Chancellor Kristensen, UNK's elevated ranking reflects several key factors, including an outstanding freshmen retention rate (83%) and the high percentage of full-time faculty (93%).
The rankings, which are a popular index for prospective students and their parents, measure 11 areas of university performance and peer assessment. UNK moved up in four of the 11 categories and maintained the previous years' solid rankings in the remaining seven categories.

On the technology front, along with port-per-pillow access that has been in place since 1999 and smart classrooms UNK now offers wireless access in every building and residence hall and is the first UN system campus to do so. "Port per pillow" access, means there is one wired port for each person living in any residence hall. UNK's smart classrooms offer internet access in every room, plus a computer, projector, digital presenter and VCR.
And to kick the new school year off, UNK opened Antelope Hall just days before classes started. The new hall features a mix of two and four person suites that houses 160 students. Antelope Hall is part of a 3 building residence hall complex totaling $22 million. The other buildings are set to open during the fall and will be named after well respected educator, Dr. William R. Nester, UNK's first chancellor. Nester's efforts took the campus from Kearney State College, in the Nebraska State College system to the University of Nebraska at Kearney, in the Nebraska University System.