News
U.S. News and World Report Ranks Southwestern One of the Best National Liberal Arts Colleges in Texas
September 13, 2021
September 13, 2021
Open gallery
The U.S. News and World Report has published its 2022 Best Colleges, and Southwestern has landed four coveted spots in the premier college ranking guide:
- #1 in Texas and #98 in the U.S. for National Liberal Arts Colleges (NLACs)
- #1 in Texas and #68 in the U.S. for Undergraduate Teaching–NLACs
- #2 in Texas and #92 in the U.S. for Social Mobility–NLACs
- #2 in Texas and #62 in the U.S. for Best Value–NLACs
Southwestern is categorized as an NLAC based on the Carnegie Basic Classification of Institutions of Higher Education; other classifications include National Universities, which offer graduate programs; Regional Universities (North, South, Midwest, and West); and Regional Colleges (also sorted into North, South, Midwest, and West lists). NLACs include private and public institutions that focus almost exclusively on undergraduate education and award at least 50% of their degrees in the arts and sciences. The editors of the popular college guidebook classify schools to more fairly compare schools with similar missions.
The U.S. News and World Report assesses colleges and universities based on varying measures of academic excellence, such as admissions selectivity, student retention, average class size, per-student spending, the strength of the faculty, graduation rates, alumni employment outcomes, and alumni giving. It also ranks schools in categories such as first-year experiences, internships, learning communities, service-learning, study abroad, undergraduate research and creative projects, senior capstones, and writing in the disciplines. Unlike other college-ranking organizations, they do not rely on opinions garnered from residence hall tours, student polls, or recruiter interviews. The publication has been ranking colleges and universities since 1983.
