CAMPUS NEWS
LAWRENCE MAKES THE GRADE Princeton Review, U.S. News Rank Lawrence Among Best in Country Late summer and early fall mark rankings season in the academic world, and Lawrence had another strong showing this year. It is again listed as one of the best colleges in the nation by both The Princeton Review and U.S. News and World Report.
PRINCETON REVIEW Lawrence again landed on The Princeton Review’s list of The Best 387 Colleges. Only about 14% of the nearly 2,800 eligible fouryear colleges make the Best book each year. Lawrence was also recognized on lists for Best Value Colleges, Best Green Colleges, and Best Midwestern Colleges. The Green College ranking speaks to the work Lawrence has done on sustainability and reducing the school’s carbon footprint. The Best Value designation is based on stellar academics, affordable cost with financial aid factored in, and strong career prospects for graduates, according to Princeton Review editors. The Princeton Review report lauded Lawrence for its small student-to-faculty ratio, robust international student population, its impressive First-Year Studies program, and its “holistic approach to the admissions game.” “At a time when students are searching for institutional strength and quality, we appreciate that The Princeton Review has once again recognized Lawrence University as one of the best colleges in the country,” said Ken Anselment, vice president for enrollment and communications.
U.S. NEWS & WORLD REPORT In addition to being included in U.S. News’ 2022 Best Colleges report, placing No. 62 among the Best National Liberal Arts Colleges, Lawrence placed high on four other lists that are part of the annual rankings: No. 36: Best Value No. 44: Best Undergraduate Teaching No. 54: Best First-Year Experience No. 167: Top Performers on Social Mobility To be considered for U.S. News’ Best Value Schools listing, a school first had to be ranked among the Best Colleges in the nation. Those qualifying schools were then examined on the basis of net cost of attendance and available need-based financial aid.
The Best Value ranking reflects Lawrence’s push to make more need-based aid available in the form of grants and scholarships. Placement on the other lists, meanwhile, is particularly exciting because they each reflect ongoing efforts to make Lawrence more inclusive and to provide a broad, holistic student experience. Being on the list for Best Undergraduate Teaching is heartening because it speaks to the relationship-building that comes with Lawrence’s 8-to-1 student-to-faculty ratio and the expansion of key academic programs. “Lawrence’s faculty are not only terrific scientists, artists, and scholars—they are also first-rate teachers,” said Catherine Gunther Kodat, provost and dean of faculty. “It’s extremely gratifying to see them receive this much-deserved national recognition for the extraordinary work they do with their students.” The First-Year Experiences ranking is new for Lawrence this year. In addition to the signature First-Year Studies program, the ranking follows efforts across campus to enhance the student life experience in a holistic way, including more coordinated health and wellness outreach, the launch and growth of the Office of Spiritual and Religious Life, the expansion of the Center for Academic Success, and the more intentional focus of the Career Center in connecting with students in their first year on campus. That has all played into first-year students having positive experiences as they transition to college life. The Top Performers on Social Mobility list speaks to the success of a college advancing social mobility by enrolling and graduating economically disadvantaged students who are awarded Pell Grants. The majority of those federal grants are awarded to students whose adjusted gross family incomes are below $50,000. “While being considered one of the best is great, we’re even more excited that Lawrence is being recognized for the important work we do every day on behalf of our students, which is providing topnotch preparation for a meaningful life after college and doing so in a way that families can afford,” Vice President for Enrollment and Communications Ken Anselment said.
Marcia BjØrnerud, Walter Schober Professor of Environmental Studies and Professor of Geosciences, works with Madeline Taylor ’23 during Hot Rocks. Photo: Danny Damiani 28
FALL 2021
