Forbes has once again recognized Grove City College as one of America’s Top Colleges. The College was also ranked as a top private college and one of the best schools in the Northeast region.
Grove City College is ranked at 224 overall out of 650 colleges and universities recognized as top schools by Forbes. The College came in at 166 on the magazine’s list of Top Private Colleges in the nation and number 97 in the Northeast.
The recognition follows the College’s inclusion earlier this month on Money magazine’s list of Best Colleges for Your Tuition Dollar. Both Forbes and Money look at graduate earnings to gauge student success and assess the return on investment that students see out of a college education. Payscale.com reports an average starting salary of $46,684 for Grove City College alumni and mid-career earnings averaging at $83,000.
Other factors heavily weighted by Forbes include: student satisfaction, student debt, graduation rate and academic success.
After reviewing all of the colleges and universities on its list, Forbes offers a “recipe” for a Top College that includes ingredients delivered upon by Grove City College:
- Satisfied students – With a 90 percent freshman retention rate and just 2.5 percent of students transferring to other schools, it’s clear that Grove City College is meet most students higher education expectations.
- Low student to faculty ratio – Grove City College’s 15 to 1 ratio promises small class sizes, but the numbers can’t measure the personalized learning opportunities that exist between students and professors at the College.
- Out in four years – Grove City College’s four-year graduation rate of 82 percent is among the best in the country. Graduating on time and on budget saves thousands in tuition and lightens student debt loads.
- Age of institution – Most of the country’s best schools were founded before 1900, with all of the top 25 established before 1887. Grove City College was founded in 1876.
In a nod to the ongoing debate about the value of college rankings in choosing a school, Forbes cautioned readers to use its list as “a means and not an end to your final college decision.” According to Forbes, “each student has his or her own unique constellation of ‘top colleges’ based on each school’s particular academic strengths (degrees offered, research opportunities, etc.) and campus experience (location, size, athletics), as well as cost vs. family finances.”
Forbes partnered with the Washington, D.C.-based Center for College Affordability and Productivity to rank America’s Top Colleges.