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CORVALLIS, Ore. - The Oregon State University Honors College was rated among the top 22 honors colleges in the nation in 2014 by Public University Press, a private organization.

The rating confirms the distinctive opportunities that Oregon State provides for high-achieving students, said Toni Doolen, dean of the OSU University Honors College. It complements Oregon State's 2014 rating as a Best Buy School by the "Fiske Guide to Colleges."

In recent years, Oregon State and the University Honors College have made it a priority to inform high-achieving students about the benefits of the honors experience at Oregon State. As a result, honors college applications, student enrollment and degrees awarded have increased significantly.

"These recent rankings indicate that Oregon State and the University Honors College are providing an affordable and valuable option for high-achieving students," said Doolen.

Among 50 honors colleges rated by Public University Press, Oregon State received a 4.5 on a scale from 3 to 5, with 5 being the best. Also receiving 4.5 ratings were honors colleges at the University of Washington, Purdue, Clemson and the University of Oregon.

Among the criteria used to evaluate colleges were class size, course diversity, graduation requirements and actual graduation rate.

Rather than being taught by a select group of faculty, honors courses can be offered by any Oregon State professor. "That means we offer an immensely diverse range of courses and experiences in small classes," said Doolen. "A lot of our courses are taught in a graduate format where there's more discussion."

All honors college graduates must complete honors course work and produce a thesis that they defend before a faculty committee, similar to the process for a graduate program. Access to all theses is provided by OSU's Scholar's Archive.

"We look for students who want to think deeply and engage in the scholarship of the university. In return we offer transformative academic and experiential opportunities," Doolen added.

About 1,100 students are enrolled in Oregon State's University Honors College, which was established in 1995.