Cornell jumps in U.S. News Best Colleges Rankings
Cornell College continues to make its mark as a leader among liberal arts colleges for its innovative curriculum and strong history of graduating students who make their marks on the world.
In the U.S. News Best College Rankings released today, Cornell is positioned at its highest it has ever been among liberal arts colleges. This year the college progressed more than ten spots to secure a ranking as one of the top 75 national liberal arts schools in the country. The 2020 report lists Cornell at #68 out of 223, up 13 places from the 2018 report rank of #81.
“We have always known that we are one of the most distinguished national liberal arts colleges in the country,” said President Jonathan Brand “We are pleased to see that since 2015 we’ve moved up almost 40 places in the rankings, more than any other top 100 national liberal arts college, which is something we believe is a direct reflection of our momentum and impressive accomplishments over that period of time.”
The institution has also been ranked #1 among liberal arts colleges in a new U.S. News ranking on social mobility. This ranking measures how well schools graduate students who receive federal Pell Grants. Pell Grants are typically awarded to households whose family incomes are less than $50,000 a year.
“I am proud of Cornell College for this outcome because it means that we are helping all of our students, including those with financial struggles, to succeed better than other schools,” Brand said. “This is a result-oriented measurement and says a lot about our success at achieving our mission.”
Today, Cornell College is a thriving liberal arts institution firmly ensconced on several influential “best colleges” lists. Students choose from a wide range of academic majors and pre-professional programs or design their own major. In small classes, Cornellians immerse themselves in the exploration of knowledge and understanding—One Course At A Time.
In 1978 Cornell faculty adopted the One Course At A Time curriculum, transforming both teaching and learning with the unique advantages of studying on a block plan instead of on a traditional semester schedule. With the 1996 publication of Loren Pope’s Colleges That Change Lives, Cornell’s innovation in education was formally recognized. Today, Cornell continues its mission to innovate and directly serve the needs of undergraduate students, recently launching a new core curriculum referred to as Ingenuity.
Cornell College was also ranked by U.S. News & World Report on additional key lists, including:
- #66 in Best Value Schools among the national liberal arts colleges, which is up from #70 in the 2019 rankings.
- #40 on the Best Undergraduate Teaching Programs list, which recognizes the college for its strong focus on undergraduate teaching.
The U.S. News rankings compare bachelor’s degree-granting institutions from across the U.S. on 15 diverse measures of academic quality.
Cornell was also listed as one of the top 50 liberal arts colleges, taking the #33 spot, in Washington Monthly’s annual rankings.
