‘U.S. News,’ ‘Forbes’ and ‘Washington Monthly’ rankings include Goshen College among best liberal arts colleges

GOSHEN, Ind. — The annual college rankings have hit the presses, and Goshen College was again included by “U.S. News & World Report,” “Forbes” and “Washington Monthly” publications on their lists of best U.S. colleges. It was also again named a “College of Distinction.”

“U.S. News & World Report”

Goshen College placed 139th out of 236 national liberal arts colleges in the 2012 “Best Colleges” rankings by “U.S. News & World Report,” which is nearly the same as last year’s ranking.

Of special note, Goshen College was included on an exclusive lists for being an “A-plus School for B Students,” which is a list of colleges that are highly rated and also “accept a significant number of students with nonstratospheric transcripts.” In addition, Goshen was again on the “Least Debt College” list, in relation to students that graduate with the lightest debt loads, ranking 17th among national liberal arts colleges. For the class of 2010, 68.4 percent of GC students graduated with debt and their average debt load was $14,219.

In addition, Goshen College was on lists of schools with the highest rates of students studying abroad and the highest percentage of international students. The college also ranked in the top 100 liberal arts colleges for best campus ethnic diversity and for economic diversity.

“U.S. News & World Report” categorizes institutions by mission and ranks them based on data in 16 areas related to academic excellence such as peer assessment, graduation and retention rates, faculty resources, student selectivity, financial resources, alumni giving, graduation rate performance and high school counselor ratings. The “Liberal Arts” category, in which Goshen College is ranked, is defined as schools emphasizing undergraduate education and awarding at least 50 percent of degrees in the liberal arts.

“Forbes” Forbes magazine ranked the college 260^th on an elite list of 650 institutions (top 20 percent) – selected from the more than 4,000 total U.S. colleges and universities – based on its student satisfaction, post-graduate success, student debt, four-year graduation rate and competitive awards (so Forbes now ranks Goshen College among the top 6.5 percent of all U.S. colleges  and universities). Among the 18 Indiana schools included on the list, Goshen College was ranked eighth.

According to Forbes and CCAP, America’s Best College rankings are focused on measuring how well colleges meet student needs. The third year of ratings were released earlier this month by Forbes and the Center for College Affordability and Productivity of Washington, D.C., which conducts research on higher education issues. Learn more at www.forbes.com or www.centerforcollegeaffordability.org.

“Washington Monthly”

In the list of 249 liberal arts colleges, the “Washington Monthly” ranked Goshen College 154th.

With very different criteria than other well-known college rankings, “Washington Monthly” highlights colleges whose students, faculty, and alumni provide “contributions to public good.” Its rankings are based on three broad, equally weighed categories. The social mobility category investigates recruiting and graduating low-income students. The research category considers cutting edge scholarship and the number of alumni who earn doctorates. And the last category looks for service to community and country.

Colleges of Distinction

And finally, for 2011-2012, Goshen College was among only 200 U.S. colleges and universities to be named a “College of Distinction” for providing students with the highest level of undergraduate education and continuing to demonstrated its commitment to four distinctions: “Engaged Students, Great Teaching, Vibrant Communities and Successful Outcomes.” Only five colleges in Indiana received this recognition.

Colleges of Distinction is a college guide which seeks to determine which colleges are are the best places to learn, to grow, and to succeed and evaluates the success of its graduates, the quality of its teaching, the atmosphere of its campus, and other factors. Admission experts help rank the colleges. Learn more at collegesofdistinctions.com.

Editors: For more information about this release, contact Goshen College News Bureau Director Jodi H. Beyeler at (574) 535-7572 or jodihb@goshen.edu.

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Goshen College, established in 1894, is a residential Christian liberal arts college rooted in the Anabaptist-Mennonite tradition. The college’s Christ-centered core values – passionate learning, global citizenship, compassionate peacemaking and servant-leadership – prepare students as leaders for the church and world. Recognized for its unique Study-Service Term program, Goshen has earned citations of excellence in Barron’s Best Buys in Education, “Colleges of Distinction,” “Making a Difference College Guide” and U.S. News & World Report’s “America’s Best Colleges” edition, which named Goshen a “least debt college.” Visit www.goshen.edu.