Gustavus Adolphus College has been named one of America’s Best Colleges for 2008 by Forbes.com. The new report ranks 569 undergraduate institutions based on the quality of the education they provide and how much their students achieve.
The report ranks Gustavus as the 103rd best college in the country. Only three Minnesota institutions–Carleton College, St. Olaf College, and Gustavus–were ranked in the top 20 percent. Gustavus is the only Minnesota college included in a list called “30 Surprises,” which includes some of the best colleges in the country.
“When Forbes.com put together these rankings it attempted to put itself in a student’s shoes,” said Gustavus President Jack R. Ohle. “Gustavus prides itself on delivering a positive college experience to its students and that is reflected in these rankings.”
Fifty percent of the ranking is based equally on three factors: the average amount of student debt at graduation held by those borrowed; the percentage of students graduating in four years; and the number of students or faculty, adjusted for enrollment, who have won nationally competitive awards. Another 25 percent of the rankings is based on student evaluations of courses and instructors. The final 25 percent depends on how many of the school’s alumni, adjusted for enrollment, are listed among the notable people in Who’s Who in America.
On Gustavus’s profile page on Forbes.com, Gustavus student Scott Slarks is quoted as saying, “The best reason for a student to choose Gustavus Adolphus College is because of the small-community feel. Students are able to get to know their professors and fellow students, and students can find a fit for the personality types within the institution.”
The Forbes.com rankings were developed in conjunction with Dr. Richard Vedder, an economist at Ohio University, and the Center for College Affordability and Productivity. The entire rankings are online at Forbes.com, in a college rankings section published Aug. 13, 2008).
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