U.S. News & World Report Ranks Carleton Eighth Among National Liberal Arts Colleges

For the fourth consecutive year, U.S. News & World Report has ranked Carleton College among the top ten liberal arts colleges in the nation. Carleton placed eighth this year in the magazine’s annual rankings of the best colleges in the country, up from a ninth-place ranking last year.

The rankings take into account the academic reputation of the school, admissions selectivity, retention and graduation rates, class size, financial resources, and alumni giving, among other factors.

In academic reputation, Carleton received a score of 4.5 on a 5.0 scale to rank fifth overall. To determine reputation, the magazine tallied survey results from college presidents, deans and admissions directors at schools similar to Carleton.

Carleton increased its rank in several categories this year. The College ranked 12th in faculty resources, up from last year’s ranking of 23rd in that category. Modest increases also appeared in the percent of classes with 19 or less students, the average freshman retention rate, and in financial resources, which are measured by the average spending per student on instruction, research, and student services.

Carleton is the only Midwestern college listed among the top ten schools. The top three national liberal arts colleges this year, according to the report, are Swarthmore College in Pennsylvania, followed by Amherst College and Williams College, both in Massachusetts.

U.S. News & World Report also ranked Carleton 21st in the nation in its category for best college value. The magazine measures value by relating a school’s academic quality, as indicated by its overall U.S. News ranking, with the net cost to a student who receives the average level of financial aid.