Gustavus Adolphus College is once again ranked among the top 100 liberal arts colleges in the nation in U.S. News & World Report’s annual college rankings for 2011. Gustavus moved up from last year’s rankings to 79th on the magazine’s “Best Liberal Arts College’s” list. Gustavus was ranked 80th in the 2010 edition and 88th in the 2009 edition.
Released to the public Tuesday, Aug. 17 on USNews.com, the rankings are scheduled to be published in the September issue of the magazine and in the annual America’s Best Colleges guidebook. The guidebook will hit newsstands and book stores on Tuesday, Aug. 24, while the magazine will be available for purchase on Tuesday, Aug. 31.
This year’s “Best Liberal Arts College’s” list includes information on 266 colleges and universities that U.S. News and World Report considers liberal arts colleges. Gustavus is one of six Minnesota colleges that placed in the top 100 in this year’s rankings.
“This is the second straight year that Gustavus has risen in the U.S. News rankings and we believe that is another sign that the College continues to move in a positive direction,” said President Jack R. Ohle. “We think Gustavus has a great deal to offer students seeking a superior liberal arts education. We have a beautiful campus with great facilities, but most importantly we have outstanding faculty and students who are committed to academic excellence and making a difference in this world.”
The rankings distributed by U.S. News & World Report are formulated with the use of statistical data and peer assessment scores from similar liberal arts colleges. Gustavus has a 90 percent retention rate (first-year students who return for their sophomore year) and an 82 percent four-year graduation rate. Other areas that the magazine uses to compare schools include class size, student-to-faculty ration, percentage of faculty who are full-time, average alumni giving rate, and average SAT/ACT scores.
America’s Best Colleges is reportedly the top-selling college guidebook. The guidebook groups schools into categories based on a national educational classification that includes liberal arts colleges, national universities, regional colleges, and regional universities.
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