U.S. News and World Report recently used exclusive data to analyze how successful colleges and universities are at graduating low-income students. Gustavus was highlighted in the article as one of 29 “Top Performers”—schools where Pell Grant students are graduating at or close to the same rate as the overall student body.
The analysis involved comparing an institution’s six-year overall graduation rate with its six-year graduation rate of students who receive Pell Grants—a federal financial aid program that typically serves undergraduates with family incomes of less than $20,000. Gustavus has an identical graduation rate of 82 percent in both categories. Gustavus appeared on the “Top Performers” list with several prestigious national universities and liberal arts colleges including Princeton University, Duke University, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Wellesley College, and Carleton College.
“This news is certainly encouraging, and it doesn’t surprise me that Gustavus would fare well on a study like this,” Gustavus President Rebecca Bergman said. “With a faculty to student ratio of 11 to 1, we foster an environment here that ensures that every student receives individual attention and academic guidance regardless of their family’s financial situation.”
The U.S. News & World Report article and accompanying list can be found online.
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