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McPherson College Receives Best College Recognition by U.S. News

U.S. News & World Report Best College

McPherson College has been recognized by U.S. News & World Report on the 2019 “Best Colleges” list.

For the third year in a row, McPherson College has been recognized by U.S. News & World Report on the 2019 “Best Colleges” list for Regional Colleges Midwest. This year McPherson College moved up three places and continues to be the top ranked KCAC college on the list.

In addition to being named on the “Best Colleges” list, McPherson College was also included in the “Best Value Schools” ranking. Only schools ranked in or near the top half of their categories are included on this list because U.S. News considers the most significant values to be among colleges that are above average academically, according to the publication.

“It is an honor to be included as a Best College 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 a quality education and excellent student experience. I couldn’t be more proud of our campus community.”

Indicators such as the college’s retention rate, which was 80 percent overall this fall, and job placement, which was as high as 96 percent for 2018 automotive restoration graduates, coupled with the “Best Colleges” ranking make it clear that McPherson College is doing things right, according to President Schneider.

“We have some of the highest placement rates in the country with two-thirds of our graduates having jobs or graduate school placement before they even graduate,” President Schneider said. “And, our students are coming back because they see how they can be successful after graduation and realize the value they receive here.”

Focusing on academic excellence, the “Best Colleges” rankings updated its methodology this year to further emphasize student outcomes, which hold the most weight at 35 percent – up from 30 percent last year. Through this update, U.S. News is measuring how well schools support low-income students through graduation.

The U.S. News & World Report has been ranking colleges for 34 years. The rankings are based on several key measures, each weighted as a percentage of the total score. Graduation, retention rates, and social mobility, assessment of excellence by peers and high school counselors, the quality of faculty resources (such as class size and student-faculty ratio), and account for more than three-fourths of the ranking.

The remaining one-fourth of the ranking is determined by a college’s student selectivity, and amount of alumni giving and the financial resources at the institution’s disposal.