National Awards Highlight Belhaven's Academic Excellence in Higher Ed.

October 10, 2023 (Jackson, Miss.) - Colleges of Distinction, a national guide for college-bound students, awarded Belhaven University three major awards for its commitment to higher education. Belhaven University is one of only three universities in Mississippi to earn the prestigious title 2023-2024 College of Distinction. This is the 14th consecutive year Belhaven has earned this national award.

Belhaven was the only Mississippi institution honored as a top Christian university, and this is the 13th year the University earned the title Christian College of Distinction. The University was honored with a third award, the 2023-2024 Mississippi College of Distinction, that recognized its educational impact within the state.

Vice President for Enrollment and Marketing Dr. Kevin Russell said, “We are fully cognizant that our 14-year honor of being named a College of Distinction is a direct result of our commitment to innovation in the ways we meet the needs of our students. We would not receive this recognition if our faculty and staff were not deeply engaged in delivering an outstanding educational experience.”

Four distinctions determine if an institution is recognized as a College of Distinction. The four requirements include engaged students, great teaching, vibrant community, and successful outcomes. Each institution’s freshman experience is reviewed as well as its general education program, strategic plan, alumni success, and satisfaction measures.

“We believe that engaged students are successful students,” said Tyson Schritter, Chief Operating Officer at Colleges of Distinction. “Belhaven University’s dedication to experiential learning shows us that each of its students has the opportunity to play an active role in their education. Belhaven University's inclusion as a College of Distinction is a testament to the way it caters to its own students’ potential and goals, helping them achieve success in unique ways that cannot be ranked against others.”

Colleges of Distinction recognized Belhaven University’s unique learning environment where students not only earn college credit and valuable life experience, but also participate in character-building seminars, service-learning programs, diversity and global learning programs, interdisciplinary programs, collaborative assignments and projects, undergraduate research projects, living-learning communities, common intellectual experiences capstone projects, study abroad programs and internships.