Written By: Libby May, The Hatcher Group
Washington Monthly has released its annual college ranking edition highlighting universities that promote civic engagement, recognizing schools that effectively educate students at a relatively low cost and calling out those that burn though tuition dollars without much to show for it.
Unlike other rankings, which focus on fat endowments and prestige, Washington Monthly features a national list of "Best Colleges for our Country" highlighting schools that encourage social mobility and promote public service. It also lists "Best-Bang-for-the-Buck" colleges that combine low tuition rates with high graduation rates.
Higher education excellence looks very different when measured by Washington Monthly's yardstick:
• Only one of U.S. News & World Report's top 10 schools, Stanford University, makes Washington Monthly's the top 10. Harvard University comes in at number 11 while Yale University fails to crack the top 40.
• Five schools in North Carolina make the list of "Best Colleges for Our Country"--University of North Carolina- Chapel Hill, Duke University, Warren Wilson College, Davidson College, Guilford College
• One North Carolina school ranked on first ever "Best-Bang-for-the-Buck" list-Elizabeth City State University