MONMOUTH, ILLINOIS (September 9, 2019) Support of innovative academic programs and a high social mobility rank helped Monmouth College continue its rise in US News and World Report's Best Colleges.
The guide's 2020 edition, released September 9, places Monmouth N° 124 nationally in the publication's "National Liberal Arts Colleges" category. That's 11 spots higher than where the College was in 2018, and it is an increase of almost 50 spots since 2013.
"No one set of rankings can provide the true measure of an institution's strength or impact, but Monmouth College's strong and steady rise in the US News and World Report's Best Colleges, combined with a similar progress in the Washington Monthly rankings, indicates that the rest of American higher education is realizing even more clearly the power and quality of a Monmouth College education and looking to it as a model," said Monmouth President Clarence R Wyatt.
In the current edition of the Washington Monthly's College Guide and Rankings, Monmouth was ranked N° 82 among liberal arts colleges, up 29 spots from its 2018 ranking and up 101 spots since 2014.
Especially impressive in the US News and World Report's Best Colleges guide is that Monmouth is ranked N° 7 in the nation among liberal-arts colleges in terms of social mobility, which evaluates the graduation rates of a school's students who receive a federal Pell grant compared to those students who did not receive one. Pell grants are awarded to students from families with greater financial need.
"This is such exciting news because it affirms that the College is even more effectively fulfilling its mission of empowering young people to live lives of achievement and service," said Wyatt. "It is a great tribute to our dedicated and mission-driven faculty and staff, along with the trustees, alumni, and parents and friends of the College who provide the resources and vision that make such results possible."
Monmouth has made significant investments in its academic programs. In addition to continuing to evolve and innovate existing academic programs, Monmouth has started new programs in data science, engineering and neuroscience, and established a bachelor of science degree, all of which are pending Higher Learning Commission approval.
"The faculty and staff of Monmouth College are deeply committed to the growth and development of our students," said psychology professor Joan Wertz, who is chair of the Faculty Senate. "Of course, this means that we support and challenge them in their academic work, but we're also heavily involved in helping them to develop professional and life skills that will serve them well in their future careers and as citizens in their communities."
Monmouth also offers students multiple undergraduate research opportunities, including the Summer Opportunity for Intellectual Activity (SOFIA); the prestigious endowed Kieft Scholars in chemistry and biochemistry; and the peer-reviewed Midwest Journal of Undergraduate Research, which has held two national conferences on campus.
