Cornell College ranked 32nd nationally

Cornell College is ranked 32nd among national liberal arts colleges in a list released today that uses a methodology derived from a physicist’s system of ranking international chess players.

The inaugural Parchment Top-Choice College Rankings by Parchment.com, an education data company, are the first broad-based college rankings based not on criteria allegedly defining which colleges are “best,” but on actual students’ preferences for what school is ultimately the “best fit” for them.

Liberal arts colleges like Cornell hold 12 of the top 30 slots, showing that they compete well against larger national universities. Cornell, Grinnell and Luther are the only Iowa colleges represented.

The unique methodology for the list is derived from physicist Arpad Elo, who created the system of ranking international chess players. Parchment.com adapted his method with data from students admitted to more than one institution to rank colleges from “most likely to be chosen” to “least likely to be chosen” by students given the option to attend. The rankings are based on students’ preferences and opinions—using a sampling of more than 120,000 college acceptances—and are therefore designed to reflect what is important to high school students applying for college.

Recognized consistently as one of the nation’s finest and most distinctive colleges, Cornell College attracts an academically and personally engaged student. Its students are drawn to the immersive and exploratory academic experiences enabled by the college’s One Course At A Time, or block, calendar and its outstanding teaching faculty. In addition, they discover the diverse and friendly Cornell community embraces students who are passionate and involved outside of the classroom. These distinctive characteristics assist students in assessing whether Cornell would be a good match for their academic readiness, interests and talents.