U.S. News & World Report

Goshen College placed 140th out of 239 national liberal arts colleges in the 2013 “Best Colleges” rankings by U.S. News & World Report, which is nearly the same as last year’s ranking (139th).

Of special note, Goshen College was included on an exclusive list for being an “A-plus School for B Students,” which is a list of colleges that are highly rated and also “accept a significant number of students with nonstratospheric transcripts.” High school counselors ranked the college 114th for best liberal arts colleges. In addition, Goshen College was on lists of schools with the highest rates of students studying abroad and the highest percentage of international students.

U.S. News & World Report categorizes institutions by mission and ranks them based on data in 16 areas related to academic excellence such as peer assessment, graduation and retention rates, faculty resources, student selectivity, financial resources, alumni giving, graduation rate performance and high school counselor ratings. The “Liberal Arts” category, in which Goshen College is ranked, is defined as schools emphasizing undergraduate education and awarding at least 50 percent of degrees in the liberal arts.

Washington Monthly

The Washington Monthly ranked Goshen College 146th on the list of 254 liberal arts colleges.

With very different criteria than other well-known college rankings, Washington Monthly highlights colleges whose students, faculty, and alumni provide “contributions to public good.” Its rankings are based on three broad, equally weighed categories. The social mobility category investigates recruiting and graduating low-income students. The research category considers cutting edge scholarship and the number of alumni who earn doctorates. And the last category looks for service to community and country.

Colleges of Distinction

For 2012-2013, Goshen College also was among only 200 U.S. colleges and universities to be named a “College of Distinction” for providing students with the highest level of undergraduate education and continuing to demonstrate its commitment to four distinctions: “Engaged Students, Great Teaching, Vibrant Communities and Successful Outcomes.” Only eight Indiana schools are on the list.

Colleges of Distinction is a college guide which seeks to determine which colleges are the best places to learn, to grow, and to succeed and evaluates the success of its graduates, the quality of its teaching, the atmosphere of its campus, and other factors. Admission experts help rank the colleges. Learn more at collegesofdistinctions.com.

Forbes

Forbes magazine ranked the college 388th on an elite list of 650 institutions – selected from the more than 4,000 total U.S. colleges and universities – based on its student satisfaction, post-graduate success, student debt, four-year graduation rate and competitive awards (so Forbes now ranks Goshen College among the top 9.7 percent of all U.S. colleges and universities). Among all Midwestern colleges, Goshen College ranked 90th, and among all private colleges, it ranked 286th.

According to Forbes and CCAP, America’s Best College rankings are focused on measuring how well colleges meet student needs. The third year of ratings were released earlier this month by Forbes and the Center for College Affordability and Productivity of Washington, D.C., which conducts research on higher education issues. Learn more at www.forbes.com or www.centerforcollegeaffordability.org.

KIPLINGER’S BEST VALUES IN PRIVATE LIBERAL ARTS COLLEGES
Midwest schools ranked by Kiplinger’s for 2011

25. Wheaton College
28. Kenyon College
29. Hillsdale College
33. Denison University
35. Oberlin College
38. DePauw University
57. Illinois Wesleyan University
60. Kalamazoo College
62. Principia College
66. The College of Wooster
64. Wabash College
66. The College of Wooster
68. Hope College
72. Augustana College
77. Knox College
80. Goshen College
89. Hanover College

Kiplinger’s chooses from a pool of more than 600 schools and creates two lists – the top 100 best values in private colleges and the 100 best values in private liberal arts colleges (which Goshen is on). The schools on the two lists were ranked according to academic quality and affordability, with quality accounting for the majority of the total. Criteria included admission and retention rates, student-faculty ratio and graduation rates, as well as data on cost and financial aid. For more methodology specifics, go to www.kiplinger.com/links/college.

According to the College Board, private colleges cost an average of about $37,000 a year. Some of the private schools on this year’s list charge a sticker price of $50,000 or more, and a few charge a price approaching $60,000. But the netprice — the amount families actually pay — runs far less, making even the most elite schools affordable for students who qualify for financial aid. For example, at Goshen College, the average need-based financial aid reduces the total amount from $35,240 a year to $19,266.

“At Goshen College, we pride ourselves on providing a superior quality education with strong student engagement,” said Dan Koop Liechty, director of admission at Goshen College. “That this can be teamed with affordability in these challenging financial times makes us a great educational choice.”

The next opportunity to visit Goshen College during a Campus Open House is on Nov. 11. Go to www.goshen.edu/admission/visit/openhouse to register. The priority application deadline for next school year is Dec. 15.

“The institutions on Kiplinger’s rankings for best value in private colleges represent schools that provide high-quality academics as well as affordable cost even in these tough times,” said Jane Bennett Clark, senior associate editor for Kiplinger’s Personal Finance. “With money tight and the college choice so important, you have every reason to expect the best bang for your buck.”

Editors: For more information about this release, to arrange an interview or request a photo, contact Goshen College Acting News Bureau Coordinator Alysha Bergey Landis at (574) 535-7762 or alyshabl@goshen.edu.

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Goshen College, established in 1894, is a residential Christian liberal arts college rooted in the Anabaptist-Mennonite tradition. The college’s Christ-centered core values – passionate learning, global citizenship, compassionate peacemaking and servant-leadership – prepare students as leaders for the church and world. Recognized for its unique Study-Service Term program, Goshen has earned citations of excellence in Barron’s Best Buys in Education, “Colleges of Distinction,” “Making a Difference College Guide” and U.S. News & World Report’s “America’s Best Colleges” edition, which named Goshen a “least debt college.” Visit www.goshen.edu.

“U.S. News & World Report”

Goshen College placed 139th out of 236 national liberal arts colleges in the 2012 “Best Colleges” rankings by “U.S. News & World Report,” which is nearly the same as last year’s ranking.

Of special note, Goshen College was included on an exclusive lists for being an “A-plus School for B Students,” which is a list of colleges that are highly rated and also “accept a significant number of students with nonstratospheric transcripts.” In addition, Goshen was again on the “Least Debt College” list, in relation to students that graduate with the lightest debt loads, ranking 17th among national liberal arts colleges. For the class of 2010, 68.4 percent of GC students graduated with debt and their average debt load was $14,219.

In addition, Goshen College was on lists of schools with the highest rates of students studying abroad and the highest percentage of international students. The college also ranked in the top 100 liberal arts colleges for best campus ethnic diversity and for economic diversity.

“U.S. News & World Report” categorizes institutions by mission and ranks them based on data in 16 areas related to academic excellence such as peer assessment, graduation and retention rates, faculty resources, student selectivity, financial resources, alumni giving, graduation rate performance and high school counselor ratings. The “Liberal Arts” category, in which Goshen College is ranked, is defined as schools emphasizing undergraduate education and awarding at least 50 percent of degrees in the liberal arts.

“Forbes” Forbes magazine ranked the college 260^th on an elite list of 650 institutions (top 20 percent) – selected from the more than 4,000 total U.S. colleges and universities – based on its student satisfaction, post-graduate success, student debt, four-year graduation rate and competitive awards (so Forbes now ranks Goshen College among the top 6.5 percent of all U.S. colleges  and universities). Among the 18 Indiana schools included on the list, Goshen College was ranked eighth.

According to Forbes and CCAP, America’s Best College rankings are focused on measuring how well colleges meet student needs. The third year of ratings were released earlier this month by Forbes and the Center for College Affordability and Productivity of Washington, D.C., which conducts research on higher education issues. Learn more at www.forbes.com or www.centerforcollegeaffordability.org.

“Washington Monthly”

In the list of 249 liberal arts colleges, the “Washington Monthly” ranked Goshen College 154th.

With very different criteria than other well-known college rankings, “Washington Monthly” highlights colleges whose students, faculty, and alumni provide “contributions to public good.” Its rankings are based on three broad, equally weighed categories. The social mobility category investigates recruiting and graduating low-income students. The research category considers cutting edge scholarship and the number of alumni who earn doctorates. And the last category looks for service to community and country.

Colleges of Distinction

And finally, for 2011-2012, Goshen College was among only 200 U.S. colleges and universities to be named a “College of Distinction” for providing students with the highest level of undergraduate education and continuing to demonstrated its commitment to four distinctions: “Engaged Students, Great Teaching, Vibrant Communities and Successful Outcomes.” Only five colleges in Indiana received this recognition.

Colleges of Distinction is a college guide which seeks to determine which colleges are are the best places to learn, to grow, and to succeed and evaluates the success of its graduates, the quality of its teaching, the atmosphere of its campus, and other factors. Admission experts help rank the colleges. Learn more at collegesofdistinctions.com.

Editors: For more information about this release, contact Goshen College News Bureau Director Jodi H. Beyeler at (574) 535-7572 or jodihb@goshen.edu.

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Goshen College, established in 1894, is a residential Christian liberal arts college rooted in the Anabaptist-Mennonite tradition. The college’s Christ-centered core values – passionate learning, global citizenship, compassionate peacemaking and servant-leadership – prepare students as leaders for the church and world. Recognized for its unique Study-Service Term program, Goshen has earned citations of excellence in Barron’s Best Buys in Education, “Colleges of Distinction,” “Making a Difference College Guide” and U.S. News & World Report’s “America’s Best Colleges” edition, which named Goshen a “least debt college.” Visit www.goshen.edu.

In addition, Goshen was ranked sixth for the percentage of graduates studying abroad among all colleges and universities, with 85 percent. And among liberal arts colleges, Goshen was given special recognition for being a “least debt” college, having a high freshmen retention rate, low acceptance rate, low class sizes, and for the economic and racial diversity among its students, as well as a high percentage of international students.

“We are a Christ-centered liberal arts college with much to offer, and these rankings show some of the important ways we prepare students to be informed, articulate, sensitive and responsible members of a rapidly changing world,” said President James E. Brenneman. “But these numbers and statistics cannot convey the daily stories of the ways our students and faculty – with compassion and conviction – are bringing about change in the world around us.”

Goshen also placed well in the liberal arts college ranking categories of alumni giving (97th), financial resources (108th) graduation and retention (132nd) and student selectivity (113th). All of these rankings were higher than last year’s.

Among similar liberal arts colleges, Goshen was ranked 93rd for being a “least debt college,” with an average total indebtedness for the 2008 graduating class of $20,857. In other rankings, Goshen: was among the top colleges in the freshman retention rate (83 percent); on the list of the top schools for economic diversity, with 24 percent of undergraduates receiving federal Pell Grants for low-income students; on the list of the top schools for campus racial diversity; on the list of top schools for the most international students, with 5 percent; on the list of schools with the lowest acceptance rate, at 62.5 percent; and on the list of schools with the highest proportion of classes under 20 students, at 69.2 percent. In addition, high school counselors gave Goshen high scores for providing the best education to their students on a list of liberal arts colleges, ranking Goshen 104th.

“U.S. News & World Report” categorizes institutions by mission and ranks them based on data in 15 areas related to academic excellence such as peer assessment, graduation and retention rates, faculty resources and class sizes, student selectivity, financial resources and alumni giving.

The “Liberal Arts” category, in which Goshen College is ranked, is defined by the Carnegie Commission as schools emphasizing undergraduate education and awarding 50 percent of degrees in the arts and sciences. Most are prestigious private institutions, including Williams College, which took first place this year. The top-placing Indiana institutions were DePauw University (43rd), Wabash College (54th), Earlham College (62nd), St. Mary’s College (97th) and Hanover College (105th).

Many of the rankings and some articles from the “America’s Best Colleges” guidebook appear in the September 2009 edition of “U.S. News & World Report” that will reach newsstands Aug. 24. All 2010 rankings are available on the magazine’s Web site at www.usnews.com.

Earlier this month, Forbes.com ranked Goshen College 177th out of all U.S. colleges and universities, based on the quality of education provided, how much students achieve and several other key factors, in its first ratings of U.S. colleges and universities. Sixteen Indiana schools made the list, with Goshen at seventh.

Most students studying abroad

1. Lee University, Cleveland, Tenn., 100%
2. Thomas More College of Liberal Arts, Merrimack, N.H., 100%
3. California Maritime Academy, Vallejo, Calif., 100%
4. Queens University of Charlotte, Charlotte, N.C., 90%
5. Yeshiva University, New York, N.Y., 90%
6. Goshen College, Goshen, Ind., 85%
7. Kalamazoo College, Kalamazoo, Mich., 83%
8. Centre College, Danville, Ky., 83%
9. Earlham College, Richmond, Ind., 76%
10. Christendom College, Front Royal, Va., 75%

Source: “U.S. News & World Report’s” 2010 edition of America’s Best Colleges. Learn more at www.usnews.com.

Editors: For more information about this release, contact Goshen College News Bureau Director Jodi H. Beyeler at (574) 535-7572 or jodihb@goshen.edu.

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Goshen College, established in 1894, is a residential Christian liberal arts college rooted in the Anabaptist-Mennonite tradition. The college’s Christ-centered core values – passionate learning, global citizenship, compassionate peacemaking and servant-leadership – prepare students as leaders for the church and world. Recognized for its unique Study-Service Term program, Goshen has earned citations of excellence in Barron’s Best Buys in Education, “Colleges of Distinction,” “Making a Difference College Guide” and U.S. News & World Report‘s “America’s Best Colleges” edition, which named Goshen a “least debt college.” Visit www.goshen.edu.

Chosen from all 4,000 private and public colleges and universities in the country, Goshen College also was listed among 32 top colleges and universities with outstanding study abroad programs for its 40-year-old Study-Service Term (SST). In addition, Goshen was ranked sixth for the percentage of graduates studying abroad, with 85 percent.

In 1968, Goshen College was one of the first schools in the United States to include international education as part of its graduation requirements and sent units to Costa Rica, Jamaica and Guadeloupe. Since then, more than 7,000 students and 230 faculty leaders have traveled to 22 countries for a combination of cultural education and service-learning; the college currently organizes SST units in Cambodia, China, Germany, Jamaica, Nicaragua, Senegal, Perœ and Tanzania.

Goshen also was given special recognition for being a “least debt” college, being an “A+ option for B students,” having a high retention rate, a high graduation rate, low class sizes, and for the economic and racial diversity among its students as well as a high percentage of international students.

“These rankings show that Goshen College is doing an excellent job preparing students for a rapidly changing world by providing a top-quality liberal arts education,” said President James E. Brenneman. “The ratings encompass such areas as graduation and retention rates, faculty resources, class sizes, financial resources and alumni giving, so they do focus on criteria that indicate the quality of a college or university.”

Brenneman added, “I’m particularly pleased this year by Goshen College’s extremely high national ranking in the quality of our Study-Service Term and in the percentage of our students who study abroad. Our outstanding faculty and staff are preparing our students for extraordinary futures through our Christ-centered core values of passionate learning, servant leadership, compassionate peacemaking, and global citizenship.”

Among similar liberal arts colleges, Goshen was ranked 66th out of 300 for being a “least debt college,” with an average total indebtedness for the 2007 graduating class of $18,976. Goshen also was ranked as one of 102 liberal arts schools that are “A+ options for B students” — quality institutions that are respectably ranked and accept a significant number of students without straight A’s.

In other rankings, Goshen: was among the top 200 colleges in the freshman retention rate (82 percent); in the top 200 for the six-year graduation rate (61 percent); on the list of the top 200 schools for economic diversity, with 21 percent of undergraduates receiving federal Pell Grants for low-income students; on the list of the top 200 schools for campus racial diversity; on the list of top schools for the most international students, with 6 percent; and on the list of schools with the highest proportion of classes under 20 students, at 60 percent. In addition, high school counselors gave Goshen high scores for providing the best education to their students on a list of 200 liberal arts colleges, a 3.7 rating on a scale with 5 as the highest.

Goshen also placed well in the categories of alumni giving (109th), financial resources (111th) graduation and retention (138th) and student selectivity (140th).

U.S. News & World Report categorizes institutions by mission and ranks them based on data in 15 areas related to academic excellence such as peer assessment, graduation and retention rates, faculty resources and class sizes, student selectivity, financial resources and alumni giving.

The “Liberal Arts” category, in which Goshen College is ranked, is defined by the Carnegie Commission as schools emphasizing undergraduate education and awarding 50 percent of degrees in the arts and sciences. Most are prestigious private institutions, including Amherst College and Williams College, which were tied for first place this year. The top-placing Indiana institutions were DePauw University (49th), Wabash College (54th), Earlham College (67th), Hanover College (98th) and St. Mary’s College (104th).

Many of the rankings and some articles from the “America’s Best Colleges” guidebook appear in the Sept. 1-8, 2008 edition of U.S. News & World Report that will reach newsstands Aug. 25. All 2009 rankings are available on the magazine’s Web site at www.usnews.com.

Earlier this month, Forbes.com ranked Goshen College 159th out of all U.S. colleges and universities, based on the quality of education provided, how much students achieve and several other key factors, in its first ratings of U.S. colleges and universities. Sixteen Indiana schools made the list, with Goshen at seventh.

– By Richard R. Aguirre

Most students studying abroad:

1. Lee University, Cleveland, Tenn., 100%
2. Thomas More College of Liberal Arts, Merrimack, N.H., 100%
3. California Maritime Academy, Vallejo, Calif., 100%
4. Queens University of Charlotte, Charlotte, N.C., 90%
5. Yeshiva University, New York, N.Y., 90%
6. Goshen College, Goshen, Ind., 85%
7. Kalamazoo College, Kalamazoo, Mich., 83%
8. Centre College, Danville, Ky., 82%
9. University of Dallas, Irving, Texas, 80%
10. Earlham College, Richmond, Ind., 76%

Source: U.S. News & World Report’s 2009 edition of America’s Best Colleges. Learn more at www.usnews.com.

Editors: For more information about this release, contact Goshen College Director of Public Relations Richard R. Aguirre at (574) 535-7571 or rraguirre@goshen.edu or News Bureau Director Jodi H. Beyeler at (574) 535-7572 or jodihb@goshen.edu.

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Goshen College, established in 1894, is a residential Christian liberal arts college rooted in the Anabaptist-Mennonite tradition. The college’s Christ-centered core values – passionate learning, global citizenship, compassionate peacemaking and servant-leadership – prepare students as leaders for the church and world. Recognized for its unique Study-Service Term program, Goshen has earned citations of excellence in Barron’s Best Buys in Education, “Colleges of Distinction,” “Making a Difference College Guide” and U.S. News & World Report’s “America’s Best Colleges” edition, which named Goshen a “least debt college.” Visit www.goshen.edu.

President James E. Brenneman said that he was pleased that Goshen College placed so highly in the rankings, which were released earlier this month by Forbes, a major U.S. publishing, media and online company that is well known for its business publications as well as its annual listings and ratings.

“Outside rankings have their limitations, but they are part of being accountable so it’s satisfying to know that Goshen College stacks up well against peer private colleges as well as public universities that are much larger than Goshen,” Brenneman said. “I believe this high ranking demonstrates that Goshen College is providing an outstanding Christ-centered liberal arts education that emphasizes academic excellence as well as global citizenship and compassionate peacemaking.”

According to Fobes.com, the methodology of the rankings “attempts to put itself in a student’s shoes” by asking such questions as: How good will my professors be? Will the school help me achieve notable career success? If I have to borrow to pay for college, how deeply will I go into debt? What are the chances I will graduate in four years? Are students and faculty recognized nationally, or even globally?

Forbes based 25 percent of the rankings on seven million student evaluations of courses and instructors. Another 25 percent of the rankings depended on how many of the school’s alumni, adjusted for enrollment, were listed among the notable people in Who’s Who in America. The other half of the ranking were based equally on three factors: the average amount of student debt at graduation held by those who borrowed; the percentage of students graduating in four years; and the number of students or faculty, adjusted for enrollment, who have won nationally competitive awards.

The data show that students strongly prefer smaller schools to big ones. “Small liberal arts schools shine in our rankings,” Forbes.com said. “Probably due to both the quality of their faculty and the personal attention they can provide.”

According to the U.S. Department of Education, there are more than 4,000 college campuses in the United States and this ranking only included 569 undergraduate institutions, or the top 15 percent.

In releasing the rankings, Forbes.com conceded that the new list was intended to provide an alternative to the well-known annual ratings released by U.S News & World Report. Forbes.com also conceded there was an “inherent absurdity in ranking colleges and universities with mock precision from first to 569th,” especially when a student who does well at one outstanding college or university may struggle at another and it’s more important to match the student to the school.

“Nonetheless, we believe that these rankings reflect, in a very real way, the quality and cost of an undergraduate education at a wide range of American colleges and universities. And when families have to make a decision with a six-figure price tag and lifelong impact, we think they deserve all the information they can get,” said Forbes.com.

The Indiana colleges and universities ranked above Goshen College and their positions were: Wabash College (12); DePauw University (47); Huntington University (65); University of Notre Dame (77), Earlham College (94) and Hanover College (132).

Institutions in the state ranked below Goshen College were: Indiana University, Bloomington (214); University of Evansville (252); Taylor University (308); St. Mary’s College (319); Butler University (333); IUPUI (448); Valparaiso University (460); Ball State University (461); and Purdue University, West Lafayette (487).

Professor Brenda Srof, chair of the Goshen College faculty and director of the graduate program in nursing, was quoted by Forbes.com as stating that Goshen College offers much to students.

“The unique integration of faith and academic life is great, as are the strength of the relationships between the faculty and the students, the low student-to-faculty ratio and faculty interest in both the academic and campus community,” Srof said. “The longstanding tradition based on the core value of college in international education and cross-cultural understanding is extremely important.”

Top rated Indiana colleges and universities by Forbes.com:

No. 12 Wabash College
No. 47 DePauw University
No. 65 Huntington University
No. 77 University of Notre Dame
No. 94 Earlham College
No. 132 Hanover College
No. 159 Goshen College
No. 214 Indiana University, Bloomington
No. 252 University of Evansville
No. 308 Taylor University
No. 319 St. Mary’s College
No. 333 Butler University
No. 448 IUPUI
No. 460 Valparaiso University
No. 461 Ball State University
No. 487 Purdue University, West Lafayette

Learn more at www.forbes.com

Editors: For more information about this release, contact Goshen College News Bureau Director Jodi H. Beyeler at (574) 535-7572 or jodihb@goshen.edu or Director of Public Relations Richard R. Aguirre at (574) 535-7571 (work), (574) 524-5946 (cell) or rraguirre@goshen.edu.

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Goshen College, established in 1894, is a residential Christian liberal arts college rooted in the Anabaptist-Mennonite tradition. The college’s Christ-centered core values – passionate learning, global citizenship, compassionate peacemaking and servant-leadership – prepare students as leaders for the church and world. Recognized for its unique Study-Service Term program, Goshen has earned citations of excellence in Barron’s Best Buys in Education, “Colleges of Distinction,” “Making a Difference College Guide” and U.S.News & World Report‘s “America’s Best Colleges” edition, which named Goshen a “least debt college.” Visit www.goshen.edu.

The “Liberal Arts Colleges” category, in which Goshen College is ranked with 265 other schools, is defined by the Carnegie Commission as schools emphasizing undergraduate education and awarding at least 50 percent of its degrees in the arts and sciences. Of the schools in this category, most are private institutions.

Chosen from all colleges and universities in the country, Goshen College was listed among 24 schools with outstanding study abroad programs for its 39-year-old Study-Service Term (SST) program. In addition, Goshen was ranked seventh among all colleges and universities for the percentage of students studying abroad, with 85 percent. In 1968, Goshen College was one of the first schools in the United States to include international education as part of its graduation requirements.

“It’s always satisfying to know that Goshen College ranks well against similar institutions and we believe that outside examination is an important part of being accountable to providing the best possible liberal arts education,” said President James E. Brenneman. “We also know that Goshen College offers much more than can be ranked or measured.” The college rankings are based on 15 indicators: peer assessment, graduation and retention rates, faculty resources and class sizes, student selectivity, financial resources and alumni giving.

Brenneman added, “We seek to provide not only an outstanding Christ-centered education, but also an outside perspective so that students can become passionate learners, compassionate peacemakers and global citizens who serve others. We also believe we are preparing our students for successful careers and vocations that will allow them to transform lives and change the world.”

Goshen College was included on several select lists of Liberal Arts Colleges. For the second time, Goshen College was named one of 87 Liberal Arts Colleges that are “A+ options for B students” – quality colleges that are respectably ranked and that accept a significant number of students without straight A’s.

In addition, Goshen College made the following lists: top 100 campuses with most international students (with 7 percent); the list of highest proportion of classes under 20 (with 65 percent); a list of campus ethnic diversity (with 6 percent Hispanics); a list of economic diversity among all liberal arts colleges (with 23 percent of students receiving federal Pell Grants); and a list of schools whose freshmen are least (and most) likely to return (at 82 percent).

Many of the rankings and some articles from the “America’s Best Colleges” guidebook appear in the August 27, 2007, weekly issue of U.S.News & World Report that will reach newsstands Aug. 20. All 2008 rankings are available on the magazine’s website at www.usnews.com.

Editors: For more information about this release, contact Goshen College News Bureau Director Jodi H. Beyeler at (574) 535-7572 or jodihb@goshen.edu.

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Goshen College, established in 1894, is a four-year residential Christian liberal arts college rooted in the Anabaptist-Mennonite tradition. The college’s Christ-centered core values – passionate learning, global citizenship, compassionate peacemaking and servant-leadership – prepare students as leaders for the church and world. Recognized for its unique Study-Service Term program, Goshen has earned citations of excellence in Barron’s Best Buys in Education, “Colleges of Distinction,” “Making a Difference College Guide” and U.S.News & World Report’s “America’s Best Colleges” edition, which named Goshen a “least debt college.” Visit www.goshen.edu.

Goshen College was listed among 57 schools with outstanding study abroad programs for its 36-year-old Study-Service Term program. Programs included on the study abroad list involved substantial academic work for credit – a year, a semester or an intensive experience equal to a course – and considerable interaction between the student and the culture. Goshen was one of the first schools in the United States to include international education as part of its graduation requirements in 1968.

Goshen College was also named a “least debt” college because the average debt load, among the 68 percent of students who leave college with debt, was only $17,126 for 2004 – below the national average. Goshen offers a full program of financial aid that rewards excellent students and awards an average of $16,700 in assistance to each student. The college also costs 10 percent less than the national average for private colleges.

Among similar liberal arts colleges, Goshen was on the list of the top 100 campuses with the most international students, with 7 percent; on the list of the top schools for economic diversity, with 24 percent of undergraduates receiving federal Pell Grants for low-income students; on the list of the top schools for campus diversity, with Hispanic students comprising the largest minority group representing 5 percent of the student body; and on the list of the schools with the highest graduation rates, at 69 percent.

Within its tier of over 50 colleges and universities, Goshen placed well above the average for schools in the third tier with its average alumni giving rate of 35 percent; with 36 percent of freshmen in the top 10 percent of their high school class in 2004; and for students who scored within the 25^th and 75^th percentiles on the SAT.

The “national liberal arts colleges” category, in which Goshen College is ranked, is defined as schools emphasizing undergraduate education and awarding at least 50 percent of its degrees in the liberal arts disciplines. Of the 215 schools in this category, most are private institutions. The college rankings are based on six indicators: peer assessment, graduation and retention rates, faculty resources, student selectivity and alumni giving.

Many of the rankings and some articles from the “America’s Best Colleges” guidebook appear in the Aug. 30, 2005, weekly issue of U.S.News & World Report that will reach newsstands Aug. 22. All 2006 rankings are available on the magazine’s Web site at www.usnews.com/.

Editors: For more information about this release, contact Goshen College News Bureau Director Jodi H. Beyeler at (574) 535-7572 or jodihb@goshen.edu.

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Goshen College, established in 1894, is a four-year residential Christian liberal arts college rooted in the Anabaptist-Mennonite tradition. The college’s Christ-centered core values – passionate learning, global citizenship, compassionate peacemaking and servant-leadership – prepare students as leaders for the church and world. Recognized for its unique Study-Service Term program, Goshen has earned citations of excellence in Barron’s Best Buys in Education, “Colleges of Distinction,” “Making a Difference College Guide” and U.S.News & World Report’s “America’s Best Colleges” edition, which named Goshen a “least debt college.” Visit www.goshen.edu/.