Elmhurst College ranks among the top 15 colleges in Illinois in Forbes magazine’s annual America’s Top Colleges guide, which focuses on the return on investment that students get from their college experience.
And for the 11th year in a row, the Princeton Review education-services company has named Elmhurst College one of the Best in the Midwest.
The reports by Forbes and the Princeton Review join Money magazine’s recently released Best Colleges list in distinguishing Elmhurst as one of the nation’s leading colleges when it comes to which offer the most bang for the tuition buck.
“Taken together, the ratings tell a story of Elmhurst’s academic excellence, value for the dollar and strong student outcomes,” said Elmhurst College President S. Alan Ray. “We can and should be proud that Elmhurst is walking the walk, doing for our students what we say we will do, and never breaking with our tradition or our mission.”
To compile its report, Forbes partnered with the Washington, D.C.-based Center for College Affordability and Productivity (CCAP) to create a list of 650 top schools, ranging from small liberal arts colleges to huge public universities. The list emphasizes what students get out of college by analyzing and evaluating data in several “outcome-related” categories, including: student satisfaction with their classes; post-graduate success, in terms of not only alumni salaries but also how often alumni become leaders, influencers and innovators; student debt; graduation rates; and academic success, or how often students win prestigious scholarships and fellowships, and whether they pursue doctoral studies.
The Princeton Review’s 2015 Best Colleges: Region by Region selected 648 colleges and universities in four regions of the country—Northeast, Southeast, Midwest and West—that the Review considers academically outstanding. To be selected, schools are evaluated through surveys of college administrators, staff and counselor advisors; and also through independent surveys of students attending the schools.
The student surveys report that Elmhurst offers “great financial aid,” and “endless opportunities for scholarships, mentorships, internships, research, and so much more.” Personal attention to the well-being and success of all students is of the utmost importance, the students add. “Elmhurst wants its students to be successful both now and in the future,” a student says. “This school brings in numerous outside lectures, activities, and learning experiences. It truly cares about students and teaches to open minds, not just to get jobs.”
In July, Money magazine ranked Elmhurst among the top 7 percent of the 2,472 four-year colleges and universities in the United States. By a wide margin, Elmhurst ranked the highest among the small private colleges and universities in Illinois. The College also outranked a number of larger competitors, including some of the biggest and best-known schools in the state.
The Money list pays special attention to the financial considerations that factor heavily into the college selection process for most students and parents—what it will cost to earn that diploma, and the value of that diploma when it comes to landing a job.