Albion Recognized in Latest College Rankings

September 9, 2016

(updated September 13, 2016)

Washington Monthly, a bimonthly magazine about government and politics based in the nation’s capital, has become well known for its annual college guide, which for more than a decade has looked at the U.S. higher education landscape from the perspective of colleges and universities’ contribution to the public good.

In the recently released 2016 guide, Albion College ranked among the top 100 national liberal arts institutions—No. 92, to be exact—that contribute to the public good in what the magazine describes as “three broad categories: Social Mobility (recruiting and graduating low-income students), Research (producing cutting-edge scholarship and PhDs), and Service (encouraging students to give something back to their country).”

Albion, which welcomed the Class of 2020 last month, received its highest mark in the Research category, perhaps indicative of the strong and lasting relationships students develop with professors—often through collaborative projects supported by the College’s Foundation for Undergraduate Research, Scholarship and Creative Activity.

Washington Monthly also considered Albion a Best Bang for the Buck in the Midwest; that list included public and private universities as well. In other 2016 rankings signifying value and return on investment, Albion is part of Money magazine’s 50 Best Private Colleges for Merit Aid and Forbes’ Grateful Graduates Index of 200 private colleges and universities.

Albion is also featured in the latest editions of U.S. News & World Report‘s Best Colleges (national liberal arts category), The Princeton Review’s Best 381 Colleges and the Fiske Guide to Colleges.

Albion is attracting notable attention as well from other rankings that have emerged in just the last few years. USA Today College shares a ranking powered by College Factual that lists Albion as the No. 1 private college in Michigan. And LiberalArtsColleges.com counts Albion in its top 20 for Best Professor Relationships.

“Rankings and lists have a way of building up anticipation, and then when they’re announced, feelings usually run the gamut. But they’re fleeting,” President Mauri Ditzler said. “Being recognized for contributing to the public good is wonderful and important. Still, over time—be it a semester, a student’s four years, or an alum’s lifetime connection—the quality of a national liberal arts college like Albion comes through in the tight-knit relationships students develop with world-class professors and each other on a residential campus. It’s a powerful educational experience where a community comes together, asks questions, and addresses and solves problems. That’s what sets up our graduates for success in their careers and in their lives.”

Albion College is a private liberal arts college located in south central Michigan. Founded in 1835, Albion was the first private college in Michigan to have a chapter of Phi Beta Kappa. The College is best known for its distinctive blend of liberal arts education and pre-professional preparation in business, public service, the sciences, and medicine. Albion College is a member of the Great Lakes Colleges Association and the Michigan Campus Compact, an organization dedicated to encouraging student volunteerism.