By Adam Mills and Kelsey Zokan

CW Staff

The University of Alabama was listed as the ninth “Least Rigorous” college in the nation, according to an August Newsweek and The Daily Beast ranking.

The rankings were of the “top 200 most selective [colleges] according to the percentage of applicants admitted and the median SAT/ACT score for accepted students,” according to The Daily Beast.

The most selective schools were then ranked, using data from College Prowler, on student assessment of workload manageability (out of 10 points) and the student-to-faculty ratio, according to the National Center for Education Statistics.

For the final ranking, the degree of selectivity, workload score and faculty ratio were each weighted a third.

The University of Alabama ranked ninth, with, according to the ranking data, a 44 percent acceptance rate, a 1130 median SAT, 25.5 median ACT, a 19 to 1 student-to-faculty ratio, and a “College Prowler manageability workload score” of 7.6/10.

“Our students’ achievements and success speak for themselves,” Cathy Andreen, director of UA media relations, said. “Our admissions standards have become more selective as our enrollment has grown. Clearly, our students and their parents are choosing the University over many other institutions nationwide.”

Andreen cited statistics for the 2011 UA freshmen class, including the number of National Merit Scholars, the number coming to the University with a 4.0 or higher GPA and the number of participants in the University Honors College.

“Each year for the last several years, we have welcomed the largest and most academically talented freshman class in our history,” Andreen said. “These students are looking for a rigorous college education and finding it here at UA.”

Brad Erthal, a doctorate student in economics, was skeptical of the ranking criteria and said he doesn’t take it seriously.

“At any college you can get a degree without doing anything particularly challenging,” Erthal said. “You would have to compare within majors across different schools. That would be the only valid way to do it.”

Brandyn Dupree, a sophomore, said UA’s academic environment might be misconstrued because of its social environments.

“In my opinion, this preconceived notion of our campus has come about partly because we have one of the largest greek communities in the nation,” Dupree said. “Also, being a part of the SEC, gamedays and tailgating are a huge tradition that are not understood by other parts of the country.”

Students can find a top-notch, rigorous college experience at the University, Robert Brooks, director of the Master of Finance program, said.

“If you want to come to Alabama and want the easiest path through, you can find it,” Brooks said. “If you want to come here and be challenged, you can find it here, too. Behind the dust of Alabama being the party school, we have programs like the MSF where students have gotten jobs in New York city at JP Morgan and Goldman Sachs, among others.”

Brooks describes the study culture of the University as having two distinct modes of student study habits.

“There are some students who are really laser focused,” Brooks said. “Nowadays, students are arriving as sophomores and leaving in four years with a masters.”

He described this mode as incredibly competitive students, more competitive than those of 25 years ago, but shrinking, while the other mode of students rarely study.

“My guess is the study just kind of found the least common denominator,” Brooks said.

At the time of press, Newsweek could not be reached for comment.