The Wall Street Journal has reaffirmed the value and quality of a Gustavus education by naming the College the 4th-best liberal arts school in the Midwest. The esteemed publication published the regionalized update to its national rankings this week. (The article is behind a paywall, but a chart with the rankings is below.) This news comes on the heels of the strong showing by Gustavus earlier this fall in multiple annual college rankings.
The WSJ/College Pulse ranking are primarily based on student outcomes—including graduation rates, graduates’ salaries, and how those salaries offset the cost of attaining a bachelor’s degree at each school—and these numbers account for 70% of the overall score.
Another 20% of the rankings factors in learning environments according to each school’s students, who were asked to assess their college’s learning facilities and opportunities, how well their college prepares them for a career, and how strongly they would recommend their school. Finally, the diversity of a school’s students and faculty accounts for 10% of the overall rankings.
As the WSJ states, the College Pulse rankings emphasize “how much each school boosts outcomes beyond what would be expected for its students.” This year’s recognition of Gustavus demonstrates how the College’s first-rate educational opportunities are producing valuable post-graduate options for all our students.