“These rankings demonstrate Aquinas College’s strength in helping students complete their degrees and get jobs after graduation,” President Kevin G. Quinn said. “We offer high value to our students and their families so that they can achieve their own version of success through personalized education, faculty mentorship, experiential learning and career guidance in an affordable, accessible way.”
Aquinas improved its ranking by 40 spots from last year to reach 40th on the list. The social mobility list ranks how well colleges enrolled and graduated economically disadvantaged students, such as those who received federal Pell grants.
According to U.S. News and World Report, “Economically disadvantaged students are less likely than others to finish college, even when controlling for other characteristics. But some colleges are more successful than others at advancing social mobility by enrolling and graduating large proportions of disadvantaged students awarded with Pell Grants.”
“Aquinas College has a robust history as a Catholic and Dominican institution that prioritizes the educational attainment of its students -- in particular with families who may believe that college is not always financially feasible,” said Erin Craig, vice president for enrollment management. “As reinforced in our new strategic plan, the College is deeply committed to being an inclusive environment for all and expanding our reputation as an affordable and student-centered institution is integral to how we live out our mission.”
In addition to its higher ranking in the social mobility list, Aquinas improved its position among National Liberal Arts Colleges to 158th. The list emphasizes undergraduate education among 223 national higher education institutions that emphasize undergraduate education and award at least half of their degrees in the liberal arts fields of study.
For nearly 40 years, U.S. News and World Report has maintained one of the most well-known college rankings, helping college-bound students and their families find and understand which schools are the best fit for them. This year’s edition assesses 1,466 U.S. bachelor's degree-granting institutions on 17 metrics with the most weight placed on outcomes, including the ability of a college to retain and graduate its students from different socioeconomic backgrounds as well as graduates’ average indebtedness.
View the full 2022 U.S. News and World Report Best College Rankings at http://www.usnews.com/colleges. Learn more about Aquinas College at https://www.aquinas.edu/apply.