Each spring, Ducks Unlimited announces its Sweet 16 list of top-producing volunteer university chapters throughout the nation. This elite group is considered the best of the best when it comes to fundraising and overall chapter strength.

To qualify for the Sweet 16, chapters must have raised more than $14,000 during the 2011 calendar year. Collegiate chapters throughout the country raised more than $600,000 in 2011, more than $300,000 of which was from the Sweet 16 chapters.

"Ducks Unlimited's university program continues to be a vital part of our organization's mission. It is a valued revenue generator for our conservation efforts, as well as an important source of organizational awareness and leadership," said David Schuessler, DU's national director of grassroots fundraising. "I congratulate not only the Sweet 16 chapter volunteers but all college students who have chosen to support DU through university chapters, and I encourage those who have not attended an event to come share in the excitement and fun!"

The 2011 Sweet 16 college chapters are:

1. North Carolina State University
2. East Carolina University
3. Milwaukee School of Engineering
4. Texas A&M University
5. Purdue University
6. Mississippi State University
7. University of Alabama
8. University of South Carolina
9. Bemidji State University
10. Western Kentucky University
11. The Citadel
12. Lamar University
13. Kansas State University
14. Stephen F. Austin State University
15. Boise State University
16. Louisiana Tech University