Monmouth College continues to rise in national rankings. The College is ranked No. 82 among liberal arts colleges in the current issue of the Washington Monthly’s College Guide and Rankings, up 29 spots from its 2018 ranking.
Since 2014, Monmouth has risen 101 spots in the magazine’s “Liberal Arts” category.
Washington Monthly ranks colleges based on how they educate students and how they benefit society. The publication measures a college’s success in three areas – students’ social mobility (admitting and graduating low-income students); community service; and students who engage in research and go on to earn a doctorate.
“While no rankings model is perfect, the Washington Monthly‘s rankings are respected throughout higher education because the magazine focuses on how well colleges prepare students for rich rewarding personal and professional lives,” said Monmouth President Clarence R. Wyatt. “Monmouth’s latest position in the Washington Monthly rankings is yet another example that the trajectory of our graduates’ lives moves swifter, higher and stronger because of their experience at the College.”
Monmouth performed especially well in the Washington Monthly rankings in the categories of predicted median earnings (No. 68), graduation performance (No. 56) and social mobility (No. 48).
“This is a powerful example of the difference Monmouth College makes in the lives of young people,” Wyatt said. “There are many ways to measure the difference Monmouth makes in the lives of young people – growth of character, civic engagement and professional achievement. Another powerful measure is social mobility, and Monmouth has long been committed to being a place that serves students of high potential, no matter their backgrounds.”
Monmouth is ranked No. 33 among liberal arts colleges in the success of first-generation college students. More than one-third of the College’s students are the first in their families to attend college, and about half of the College’s students qualify to receive a federal Pell grant, which is awarded to students from families with greater financial need.
Over the last five years, Monmouth has made significant investments in its academic programs, including the creation of new programs in data science, engineering and neuroscience, and the establishment of a bachelor of science degree, both of which are pending Higher Learning Commission approval. The College has also continued innovation in its existing academic programs and teaching methods.
“Surveys such as Washington Monthly‘s certainly don’t tell the whole story of what makes a college distinctive,” said Dean of the Faculty Mark Willhardt. “But these results remind us that Monmouth remains a place where students can achieve beyond even what they imagined, because we have the faculty and staff dedicated to their success, from matriculation through graduation.”
In addition to its new majors, Monmouth offers students multiple undergraduate research opportunities, including the Summer Opportunity for Intellectual Activity (SOFIA); the prestigious endowed Kieft Scholars in chemistry and biochemistry; and the peer-reviewed Midwest Journal of Undergraduate Research, which has held two national conferences on campus.
***Report Courtesy of Monmouth College***
