12 Kentucky colleges, universities named to America’s Top Colleges list
By Lorie Hailey
lanereport.com editor
LEXINGTON, Ky. (July 29, 2013) — One Kentucky college was named in the Top 100 of Forbes annual list of America’s Top Colleges, and 11 other Kentucky schools were named to the list.
Centre College, with an annual cost of $46,400, total student population of 1,309 and student-to-faculty ratio of 1:11, was ranked No. 80 on the list. Centre also was ranked No. 12 in the south and No. 65 among private colleges.
The rankings look at public and private colleges and universities across the country, and consider teaching quality, career prospects, graduation rates and low student debt as measurements for a school’s success.
In evaluating the 650 ranked institutions on the list, Forbes focused on the rapidly changing landscape in higher education as the theme of this year’s ratings. Forbes partnered with the Center for College Affordability and Productivity in conducting its research. The magazine editors focused on what students are getting out of college when compiling its annual list, according to Forbes.com.
“We look at factors that directly concern today’s incoming students (and their families) who will be footing a bill which has multiplied into the six figures: Will my classes be interesting? Is it likely I will graduate in four years? Will I incur a ton of debt getting my degree? And once I get out of school, will I get a good job and be a leader in my chosen profession? We pointedly ignore any metrics that would encourage schools to engage in wasteful spending,” Forbes said in its story about this year’s list.
Stanford University was ranked No. 1, followed by Pomona College, Princeton University, Yale University and Columbia. Rounding out the Top 10 are Swarthmore College, United States Military Academy, Harvard, Williams College and Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).
It is the first time in six years that two West Coast schools have been selected No. 1 and No. 2.
Kentucky schools on the Forbes America’s Top Colleges list:
No. 80 — Centre College (No. 12 in the south; No. 65 in private colleges)
No. 215 — Transylvania University (No. 46 in the south; No. 251 in private colleges)
No. 257 — University of Kentucky (No. 59 in the south; No. 122 in research universities)
No. 354 — Asbury University (No. 75 in the south; No. 247 in private colleges)
No. 369 — Berea College (No. 82 in the south; No. 256 in private colleges)
No. 413 — Bellarmine University (No. 91 in the south; No. 281 in private colleges)
No. 445 — University of Louisville (No. 181 in research universities; No. 103 in the south)
No. 458 — Georgetown College (No. 109 in the south; No. 307 in private colleges)
No. 510 — Western Kentucky University (No. 130 in the south)
No. 511 — Murray State University (No. 131 in the south)
No. 608 — Northern Kentucky University (No. 175 in the south)
No. 624 — Eastern Kentucky University (No. 183 in the south)
Follow Lorie Hailey on Twitter at twitter.com/loriehailey.
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