KYLE SCHECK
PHOTOGRAPHER
JACK JONES
STAFF WRITER
10/14/2024
This past September, various nationwide organizations released college rankings and reviews. Alma College has been ranked in many of them, including mentions by U.S. News and World Report, Princeton Review, Forbes magazine, and the Washington Monthly.
“These recognitions reflect our longstanding commitment to student success and exceptional outcomes,” said Jeff Abernathy, President of Alma College
Alma College was ranked first in the Midwest for “Best Colleges for Veterans” by U.S. News and World Report. Alma also placed highly in the other rankings presented in the World Report, placing fourth in “Undergraduate Teaching – Regional Colleges,” which highlights Alma’s teaching programs and their effectiveness. The college was ranked eighth in the Midwest “Regional Colleges” category which compares colleges regionally across the United States.
Finally, Alma was ranked 27th for the Midwest in “Social Mobility – Regional Colleges” which measures how well the college supports its economically disadvantaged students in finishing their degree.
“For nearly 40 years, the ‘Best Colleges’ methodology has continuously evolved to reflect changes in the higher education landscape and the interests of prospective students,” said Kim Castro,
Editor and Chief Content Officer at US News.
Alma College was also featured in The Princeton Review’s “2025 Best Colleges: Region by Region” and listed as one of the best colleges in the Midwest. The Review discusses academics, extracurriculars and professors, and its rankings are based on student surveys conducted on campus and through their website. The surveys cover academic work, campus life and peers among other related topics.
“The Alma College faculty serve as a wealth of information,” said The Princeton Review.
“We salute Alma for its outstanding academics, and many other impressive offerings,” said Rob Franek, Editor-in-Chief of The Princeton Review.
Forbes magazine ranked Alma College as one of “America’s Top Colleges” which analyzes the outputs of the country’s colleges by looking at alumni salaries six and ten years after their graduation. This ranking also takes into account retention rates and academic success, measured by the winning of prestigious academic scholarships.
Alma College ranked 14th in Michigan and 90th in the Midwest in the “Top Colleges” category. The college also ranked 118th for liberal arts colleges, 247th for private colleges, and 466th overall. Forbes also reported on demographic information, academic aid and attendance at Alma and how these statistics compare to other colleges.
The Washington Monthly also included Alma in their “Best Bang for the Buck” list, which is a ranking that calculates how well regional colleges provide opportunities for low-income students to attain marketable degrees.
The Monthly utilizes graduation rate and expected graduation rate along with the number of students who are relying on student loans among other factors to determine how the college provides for its student body. In this ranking, Alma College ranked 61st for bachelor’s degree programs and 248th nationally.
The rankings aim to gather data to assist prospective students with one of life’s most important decisions. Praising the college help systems including the wellness center, tutoring services, writing center and more.
The Almanian: News 
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