Cornell among U.S. News & World Report top tier

The 2011 U.S. News & World Report annual guide to “America’s Best Colleges” ranks Cornell College in the top tier among national liberal arts colleges and features it among “Great Schools, Great Prices,” “Schools with a Strong Commitment to Teaching” and “A+ Schools for B Students.”

Cornell is ranked 81st out of the 250 ranked liberal arts colleges, an improvement of four places over last year.

Even more telling, Cornell is 27th on the list of liberal arts “Great Schools, Great Prices,” which is based on academic quality and net cost.

Cornell was also 34th on the list of “Schools with a Strong Commitment to Teaching,” which recognizes the college’s dedication to undergraduate education.

And the college was also included on the unranked list “A+ Schools for B Students,” which recognizes the college’s commitment to recruiting a well-rounded student body.

“The hallmark of the Cornell College experience is the extraordinary opportunities for students afforded, in large part, by our distinctive One Course At A Time academic calendar,” said Jonathan Stroud, vice president for enrollment.

“While institutional quality cannot be captured adequately in college rankings, we are nonetheless pleased that Cornell is being recognized fittingly among the nation’s finest colleges,” he added.

Cornell has long been recognized as a top institution, and was included as one of 40 Colleges That Change Lives. The college has also been cited in The Fiske Guide to Colleges as a “Top Financial Find.” The Princeton Review also cited Cornell as among the best in the country and ranked the theatre department 15th in the nation.

The full rankings will be released in the Aug. 24 issue of U.S. News & World Report.