Hope College continues to fare well in multiple college guides as the newest editions of a variety of the publications debut in tandem with the advent of the school year nationwide.
Recent or soon-forthcoming guides that list Hope among the select number of institutions they single out for praise include the 2011 "Best Colleges" published by "U.S. News & World Report," the 2011 "Fiske Guide to Colleges" and the "America's Best Colleges 2010" published by "Forbes Magazine."
The annual rankings compiled by "U.S. News & World Report" have once again included Hope College among the 100 best liberal arts colleges in the nation.
The college is 88th out of 266 institutions that are considered national liberal arts colleges in the rankings. A year ago Hope was ranked 92nd.
In addition, Hope also continues to be included among the institutions that the publication recognizes for providing outstanding undergraduate research/creative project opportunities, and the college is also included in a new category that highlights the nation's best undergraduate teaching.
The rankings were announced on Tuesday, Aug. 17, and are featured on the "U.S. News & World Report" website at https://www.usnews.com/best-colleges
The publication's "Best Colleges" guide will be released in September.
"U.S. News & World Report" has included Hope among the nation's top 100 liberal arts colleges for the past several years. Hope has been on the listing of approximately three dozen institutions outstanding for undergraduate research/creative projects since the "Best Colleges" guide initiated the category in 2003 (the institutions are not ranked). Hope is 25th in the new listing of national liberal arts colleges recognized for the best undergraduate teaching.
The "U.S. News & World Report" rankings group institutions in four categories: National Universities, National Liberal Arts Colleges, Regional Universities and Regional Colleges. The overall rankings are based on the publication's measurement of academic quality as indicated through seven categories including peer assessment, retention and graduation of students, faculty resources, student selectivity, financial resources, alumni giving, and graduation rate performance and high school counselor ratings. The listings in the undergraduate research/creative projects and undergraduate-teaching categories are based on nominations from senior college administrators from around the country.
The "Fiske Guide to Colleges," now in its 27th edition, continues to include Hope as one of only about 310 colleges and universities that it highlights as "the best and most interesting institutions in the nation - the ones that students most want to know about." The guide does not rank the institutions it selects, but instead includes statistical information for each--such as enrollment, test-score ranges and graduation rate--and multi-paragraph profiles that discuss qualities such as the academic and social environments.
The "Fiske Guide" profiles are based on questionnaires sent to administrators and students at the institutions selected for conclusion. The 2011 guide notes that Hope's "academic and athletic programs continue to grow and prosper." One of the students quoted observed that "The academic programs, particularly the research and collaborative opportunities, far surpass those of Hope's rivals," while another student comment notes that "The teachers are extremely open and approachable... They make it clear that your education is their goal."
Hope is one of 610 institutions selected for inclusion in the "America's Best Colleges 2010" guide published by "Forbes Magazine," scheduled for release on Monday, Aug. 30. The guide includes 610 institutions, noting, "Whether they're in the top 10 or near the end of the list, all 610 schools in this ranking count among the best in the country: we review just 9% of the 6,600 accredited postsecondary institutions in the U.S., so appearing on our list at all is an indication that a school meets a high standard."
Hope is 229th in the Forbes listing, which uses 11 factors in its rankings, grouped into one of five general categories: graduates' success in their chosen professions; how satisfied students are with their college experience; student debt; student graduation in four years; and a best-value ranking comparing quality to cost. More information, including the rankings, can be found online at: http://www.forbes.com/2010/08/11/best-colleges-universities-rating-ranking-opinions-best-colleges-10_land.html?boxes=Homepagelighttop