NEW: Brown Named Top 20 College in US—Forbes Ranking
Thursday, August 02, 2012
Brown University lands in the Top 20 in Forbes' latest ranking of America's Top Colleges. Photo: Brown University.
The annual ranking of the 650 best undergraduate institutions is based on "things that matter most to students," according to Forbes: "Quality of teaching, great career prospects, graduation rates and low levels of debt."
Brown is the highest-ranked RI-based college or university on the Forbes list. It ranked #18 overall in Forbes' listing of private colleges and #11 among research universities.
The RI colleges: some up, some down
Forbes ranked Providence College #182, with a ranking of #148 among private colleges. URI placed at #452, Roger Williams at #544, Rhode Island College at #552 and Johnson and Wales at #649.
Princeton University tops the list for the first time since 2008. Williams College, the small liberal arts college in northwestern MA, fell to #2 after leading the list last year. Stanford placed at #3 followed by the University of Chicago at #4, and Yale at #5. Brown University received the 2nd lowest ranking of Ivy League schools, followed only by Cornell at #51.
A shift in the rankings
The formula for the rankings this year changed slightly, adding greater weighting to Post Graduate success. This may explain why most Rhode Island schools have fallen significantly in rankings from last year. Johnson and Wales fell 107 spots, ranking #542 last year. Along with Brown University, Rhode Island College was the only other Rhode Island school to rise in the rankings, moving up 19 spots from last year's #571.
The rankings are based on five general categories:
- Post Graduate success (32.5%)- Evaluates pay and prominence of alumni
- Student Satisfaction (27.5%)- Includes professor evaluations and freshman to sophomore year retention rates
- Debt (17.5%)- Penalizes schools for high student debt loads and default rates
- Four-year graduation rate (11.25%)
- Competitive awards (11.25%)- Rewards schools whose students win prestigious scholarships and fellowships like the Rhodes, the Marshall and the Fulbright or go one to earn a Ph.D.
For all the rankings, go here.
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