Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College moves up the ranks from number 27 to number 18 as one of the Best Regional Colleges in the Midwest by U.S. News & World Report in its 2014 Best Colleges guidebook. The exclusive rankings of more than 1300 schools nationwide, are available today online and will also be on newsstands beginning September 24, 2013.
“This new ranking position reflects our commitment to learning experiences that transform our students,” said Dottie King, Ph.D., president of Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College. “We continue to be intentional with our curriculum and programs to ensure we remain relevant in today’s competitive economic environment.”
According to the selection methodology, the regional colleges focus almost entirely on the undergraduate experience and offer a broad range of programs in the liberal arts and in fields such as business and education. The 367 colleges in the Midwest category draw heavily from nearby states.
Among the 74 top-ranked Midwest colleges, SMWC was recognized for having one of the highest percentages of classes under 20 students at 93 percent and 44 percent of freshmen were in the top 25 percent of their high school class. Additionally, the College touts a 62 percent graduation rate.
With a low faculty-to-student ratio, diverse leadership opportunities, and many options for faculty-student research and collaboration, The Woods provides numerous paths for student exploration at home and abroad.
The College offers these educational opportunities to women and men through distance and graduate programs, while maintaining its commitment to women’s education.