For the ninth consecutive year, McPherson College has earned recognition by U.S. News & World Report in its 2024-25 “Best Colleges” list for Regional Colleges in the Midwest. This year, the college climbed six places in the rankings. Additionally, McPherson College was ranked on the ‘Best Value Schools” and “Top Performers on Social Mobility” lists.
Only schools in or near the top half of their categories are included on the “Best Value Schools” list. When evaluating colleges for this list, U.S. News & World Report considers the most significant value among colleges that are above average academically and considers academic quality and cost.
McPherson College was also recognized among colleges that are successful at advancing social mobility by enrolling and graduating large proportions of students awarded Pell Grants. McPherson College performed well on the U.S. News’ social mobility ranking factors, which included borrower debt and college graduates earning in addition to Pell Grants.
“It is an honor to be included on such a well-respected list,” President Michael Schneider said. “It’s further proof that McPherson College is being recognized for the work being done by our faculty and staff to ensure quality education, excellent student experience, and value.”
Initiatives such as the college’s Student Debt Project, designed to assist students in graduating with little or no debt, and the college’s impressive career placement rate are just a few examples of why McPherson College is recognized on the “Best Colleges” list, according to President Schneider.
“We have some of the highest placement rates in the country, with nearly three-fourths of our graduates having jobs or graduate school placement before they even graduate,” President Schneider said. “Combined with our focus on eliminating student debt, we are proving to students and families that a McPherson College education is the best choice, and our campus improvements are putting the needs of our students first to create a living and learning environment for the 21st century.”
The U.S. News & World Report has been ranking colleges for over 35 years. U.S. News measures academic quality using 17 metrics, with the most weight placed on outcomes, including not only the ability of a college to retain and graduate students from different socioeconomic backgrounds but also graduates’ average indebtedness. Class size, undergraduate academic reputation, and colleges’ investment in instruction and student services are among the other data points collected to develop this year’s rankings.